The GradGrants Center Presents

Grant Seeking on the Net

This hands-on workshop is designed to help you locate the Web sites that can help you find money for graduate study. We'll visit sponsor sites, searchable on-line databases, and some other good spots to start your search for more information on external funding.

Searching the On-Line Databases

IU subscribes to several grants databases, including IRIS, Science's GrantsNet, ResaerchResearch, and the Community of Science (COS) Funding Opportunities Database. These are linked from the GGC Publications and Resources page at http://graduate.indiana.edu/gradGrants_resources.php

You will be prompted to login using your IUB Network ID and password if you select any of the searchable databases.

Note: these databases are available to IU students only. The database allows access based on the IP number (internet address) of the computer you are using. You should be able to access the databases from any computer on the IU network on campus, or from home if you are dialing into the IU modem pool or have established a remote VPN (virtual private network) connection to IU. If you are using a non-IU Internet Service Provider or if you are not at IU, read the GGC's Frequently Asked Questions document at http://graduate.indiana.edu/gradGrants_FAQ.php for information on other ways you can access the databases or establish a VPN connection.

You can fill out a search form at our office and have us run the search for you if you are unable to access the databases.

On the GGC’s Publications and Resources page http://graduate.indiana.edu/gradGrants_resources.php under Free, online funding information database searches, click on IRIS.

1. IRIS search

http://iris.library.uiuc.edu/~iris/search.html

IRIS is a fairly general database maintained at the University of Illinois. Click on the IRIS hotlink, then click on “Option 2: IRIS Advanced Search.”

Scroll down to “Choose Keywords” and click the button. Then select keywords from the list by checking the boxes. You can also search for keywords using the search box at the bottom of the page. Once you've selected some keywords for your field of interest, scroll down to the bottom of the list and click “Save.” When you have selected all the keywords you want, click the “Load into Search Statement” button to enter the keywords into your search statement.

You can select options in other boxes. We suggest that you always select the “graduate student” qualification in the Academic Qualifications box. Under Restrictions you may wish to change the “and” to “not,” and then select “Illinois Residents/Institutions Only” and “University of Illinois Community Only.”

Run some searches. Experiment with trying different keywords or restrictions. The workshop consultants will be available to help!

2. Community of Science Funding Opportunities Database (COS)

http://fundingopps2.cos.com/

Click on the Community of Science Funding Opportunities Database link. This database contains information on some general grants but mostly contains information on grants in the sciences. Use the “Main Search” option.

Scroll down to the Keywords. (Don't click on the word “Keywords,” though – that only gives you a description of what keywords are.) Instead, click on the “Browse” button in the right-hand column. A new window will open with a list of keywords.

As with the other databases, you can search keywords by category or by using the text-search function. Click on the little + sign to the left of the main group of keywords to expand the list, or just click the heading to select all the keywords under that hierarchy. You can also search for keywords in the lower frame. Select some keywords (you will get a dialog box confirming your selection; click Yes). Then close the keywords window to return to the main search screen.

Select any other qualifications you would like to place on your search. (Again, we suggest entering Graduate Student in the Requirements field.)

When you have completed the form, click the “Do the Search” button at the bottom of the page. Your results will be displayed and you can either view a record and print it from the browser or download the information. See the Citation Manager box at the bottom of the page to view, print, or save to a file. If there were a lot of records, you may wish to try “Refining Your Query.”

3. Science Magazine’s GrantsNet

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/funding

This is a good site for graduate students and junior faculty in the sciences.

Click on the link to Science's GrantsNet, then click on the “Advanced” search link next to the “Search GrantsNet” box. Select the appropriate checkboxes under Training and Type of Application, then select boxes for your particular field of research, deadline, and citizenship requirements. There is also a text search box at the bottom of the page if you would like to enter your own keywords. Click on “Submit Search.”

If you’d like to save this search so you can run it again in the future or save information on particular grants, create a free user profile. Follow the steps and fill in the required fields to create an account.

Searching the Web

You can search the entire Internet with a number of search-engine indexes such as Google, Alta Vista or Yahoo! Some of these indexes are listed on library’s reference page at http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/internet/_Searching_the_Web/

You might find the list of links to grant information on Yahoo! helpful: http://dir.yahoo.com/education/financial_aid/grants/

Visit the GGC’s Sponsor Organizations and

Funding Agencies page at http://graduate.indiana.edu/gradGrants_orgs.php for more online grant information as well as links to many of the sponsor organizations

Saving/Printing Web pages

To save the text of the page you're viewing into a file, from the File menu select “Save As...”.

To print the page the way it's displayed on your screen, from the File Menu select “Print” or click on the Print button on the browser ruler.

Saving and printing a file. You can save the page to a file on your workstation (as described in “To save the text...,” above) then use an editor or word processor to print the file. This method allows you to edit the file before you print it, or to print just portions of the file.

Quitting the browser

To close the browser, from the File menu select “Quit.”

Important! Remember to log out! If you've been using a workstation in a Student Technology Center, remember to log out of the workstation before you leave the center. Failing to do so will leave your account and other network resources open to abuse by others in your name. Double click on the “Logout” icon on the desktop.