Find out more at http://www.research.vcu.edu/research_development/index.htm
Document last updated: 8 Nov 2016
Working with the Office of
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES The VCU Office Research Development Services takes a comprehensive and proactive approach to assisting faculty in obtaining extramural funding. Our work covers the full range of the grant life cycle, including providing grantsmanship training, identifying funding opportunities, building collaborative teams, supporting proposal development, coordinating across VCU’s grants offices, and building relationships with funding agencies to promote VCU research and programming.
John Ryan, PhD Associate VP for Research Development
Melissa Throckmorton, MPA Coordinator of Research Development Services
Designing Fundable Projects
Enhancing Collaboration
In times of increased competition, reduced budgets, and complex expectations, grant writers must move beyond proposing “good ideas” to be competitive. To assist you, we: • Analyze funding environment & project future trends. • Provide project design coaching.
As many areas of sponsored research move away from a single-investigator model, investigators must find ways to identify, build, and sustain partnerships. To assist you, we: • Maintain collaboration tools. • Help identify internal & external collaborators. • Help convene multi-disciplinary teams.
• Help conceptualize project budgets. • Help develop grant-seeking strategies that align with your research trajectory. • Provide training in grantsmanship.
• Help coordinate large-scale, multidisciplinary proposals. • Support cohorts engaged in intensive, long-range grantsmanship training.
Finding Funding Opportunities
Writing Competitive Proposals
Matching a project to a funder takes skill, creativity, and deep understanding of the sponsor’s priorities. To assist you, we: • Provide training on grant search tools.
Preparing a competitive proposal requires a unique balance of scientific, technical, persuasive, artistic, and communicative skills. To assist you, we: • Provide an extensive, curated suite of research development resources. • Develop proposal writing workplans.
• Disseminate funding opportunities. • Help interpret funder guidelines. • Help assess readiness, responsiveness & eligibility to apply. • Facilitate contact with funding agencies & prepare PIs for sponsor meetings.
• Craft custom content & boilerplate text. • Provide critical feedback on narratives. • Match PIs with expert reviewers. • Interpret reviewers’ comments to craft response strategy.
Contact our office: throckmortms@vcu.edu 827-1443
✓ Contact our office early and
✓ Make a list of gaps in your
✓ Please share reviews from
✓ Review the resources on our
✓ Tell us about the sponsors you
✓ Submit an on-line request for
✓ Consult with your unit’s grants
✓ Tell us about your partners and
✓ Stay in touch.
often.
Tips for Working with Us
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office first.
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previous related submissions. assistance.
Find out more at http://www.research.vcu.edu/research_development/index.htm
Document last updated: 8 November 2016
Cheat Sheet
FINDING FUNDING: PIVOT The Pivot database can be used to search for Federal and private funding opportunities, match investigators with funding, identify collaborators, organize and house information, and share findings with colleagues. We strongly recommend that you create a Pivot account in order to manage your searches. Additional information can be found the “Find Funding” webpage: www.research.vcu.edu/researc h_development/funding.htm
Prepared by the Office of Research Development Services
1. Register for a Pivot Account
5. Understand Search Results
• Go to http://pivot.cos.com/funding_main • Click on “Sign Up” in the upper right corner. • Fill out all fields. You must use your VCU email address. • Click “Create My Account.” • Go to your VCU email and open the confirmation email. Click “Confirm!”
• Click “Sort” to change sort order of results. • Use Faceted Search Results on left side to drill down within your search results. • Click “Refine Search” to edit query. • Check opps to set to Active or Tracked. You will be alerted of upcoming deadlines. • Check opps to send to colleagues or groups. • Click on opp title for full record.
2. Log into Your Pivot Account
6. Claim Your Pivot Profile
• Go to http://pivot.cos.com • Click on “Log In” in the upper right corner. • Your username is your VCU email address.
• Click on your name in the upper right corner to see a list of options. • Click “Claim Profile.” • A list of potential profile matches may be displayed. • If you locate your profile from the results list, click the “This is me” button and follow the instructions. • If you do not find a profile for yourself, click the “Create a Profile” on the results page.
3. Search for Funding • We recommend that you use the “Advanced Search” feature. • Click on “Funding” tab in grey bar. Click on “Advanced Search.” • Complete the fields for Activity Location, Citizenship or Residency, Funding Type, Keyword, Requirements. • Click “Search”.
Be careful not to accidently use the “Exclude Opportunities Matching” section. John Ryan, PhD Associate VP for Research Development
Melissa Throckmorton, MPA Coordinator of Research Development Services
Contact our office: throckmortms@vcu.edu 827-1443
7. Edit Your Pivot Profile • Log in to your Pivot account. • Click on your name to display the options. • Click the “Your profile” link. You will be brought to your Pivot profile. • Click the “Update your profile link” to the far right of your name. Follow the instructions.
4. Save a Search/Receive Alerts
8. Get Help
Click on “Save Search” at the top of the page. Give the search a name. Check box if you want to receive weekly alerts. You will receive an update on your funding search to your VCU email address. • Saved searches will appear on your Pivot homepage.
in the upper right corner. • Click on • Sign up for Pivot webinars. See the YouTube channel. • Sign up for group or one-on-one training: http://www.research.vcu.edu/research_develo pment/assistance.htm
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