Request and screen the search results provided free of charge by the GradGrants Center (GGC), sponsored by Research and the University Graduate School (RUGS), to identify sponsor programs with related research interests. Hardcopy printouts can be obtained for some of the database searches available through the GradGrants Center; others are routed to the student's electronic mail account. Searches provide brief program descriptions and application requirements.

You can run your own database searches by visiting some of the on-line database searches to which the GGC and IU subscribe.

Each of the databases accessed by the GGC utilizes a different search strategy. Until THE grants database is constructed, your best strategy is to search as many of these databases as possible and then follow up by searching print sources. An effective search strategy is to do the GradGrants Center database searches first and then to use the print sources to identify sources not represented on the printouts.

The Community of Science Funding Opportunities Database provides information on fellowships, prizes, grants, research opportunities, independent project funding, and scholarships. It is currently available on-line only to IU-Bloomington and IUPUI students (IU students at other campuses may request a COS search to be done by our office.) Results will be sent to the student's e-mail account. Search forms are available from the GGC offices and the University Graduate School, Kirkwood Hall Room 111, 130 S. Woodlawn Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405-4266.

IRIS, purchased from the University of Illinois, can accommodate the student's subject interests in both general and specific search terms. An alphabetical listing of terms and a hierarchical thesaurus are available to choose search keywords. You can also choose to search for (or exclude) grants which carry eligibility restrictions (for example, citizenship, gender, minority). A variety of types of awards can also be accessed through this source. Fill out a search request form at the GradGrants Center. Results are sent via e-mail to the student's computer account.

Research Research is a database useful for finding government funding as well as major funding sources in a given subject area. The search form is similar to the IRIS form in that this database can be accessed in both broad and specific search terms. Consult the SPIN keywords list for best results.

The Community of Science Funding Opportunities Database offers a very flexible and powerful search function. It is weighted towards the sciences, as is Science's Nextwave GrantsNet. You should search for grants in these databases even if you are not in the sciences because you will often find a small selection of grants that are different than what you will find in the other two databases.

Step 2: Search Reference Materials

1. Review commercially prepared materials available in the GradGrants Center, Bloomington campus, Main Library, Research Collection, Room 1052E. The annotated GGC Bibliography lists and describes these materials.

a. Directories that feature specific funding information for international, minority, and women graduate students.
b. Directories of private and corporate sponsors.
c. Check the grant listings in the bimonthly Grad GrantLine newsletter, available online.

2. Visit the Career Reference Collection located in the Undergraduate Library. The collection includes a complete set of Peterson's Annual Guides for graduate and professional programs, as well as hundreds of titles targeting graduate student fellowships, scholarships, and financial assistance. Also, check the library's computerized catalog, IO, for other useful materials.

3. Review professional journals and newsletters in the field. Program sponsors are often cited at the end of journal articles or in published proceedings from professional association meetings. Funding opportunities are also listed in many of the national and local newsletters in a specific field.

Step 3: Review, Identify, and Consult

1. Identify sponsor programs with objectives that seem most applicable to your proposed research and for which you are eligible. Also investigate other programs which appear to cover aspects of your research interest, or which could potentially apply to new project areas.

2. Review program descriptions, objectives, and restrictions.

a. Contact the sponsor to get a complete description of the sponsor's research interests and a list of abstracts of grant proposals funded in recent years; you may be able to identify trends and developing interests by reviewing past awards and changes in award descriptions.
b. Review the dollar amounts and number of awards made and what type of funding is available (dissertation, travel, etc.) Is the award for new or continuing projects? Compare the award amount with previous years. Find out if there is a matching money requirement.
c. Check restrictions (geographic preferences/requirements) and factors such as gender, age, citizenship, degree, minority, or institution requirements specific to the applicant.

3. Consult with your graduate advisor, departmental committee, and colleagues to determine where they have had successes and failures in obtaining external funding.

Step 4: Contact the Sponsor

1. Contact the sponsor to verify eligibility, financial, and deadline information, and to request an application form. Review all available information first and then contact the sponsor.

2. Next, confirm the appropriateness of your research project to the sponsor's objectives. The content of this discussion is critical to your funding search. It is important that you convey basic knowledge of the program and of the sponsor's interest in your research area and clarify your personal research objectives.

3. Contact the sponsor later when you need guidance in the actual proposal preparation, and to confirm deadlines, addresses, and proper proposal submission procedures. In addition, contact with the sponsor's program officer can help you to develop a relationship with that person which may enhance the possibility of success.

4. Meet the deadlines! Find out whether you need to have your proposal or application postmarked by the deadline, or whether your proposal must be received by that date in order to be considered. Also, keep in mind that there may be several different deadlines for an award, such as internal IU or departmental deadlines, and deadlines for letters of intent, pre-proposal, full proposal, and application forms.

Please direct questions and comments regarding the GradGrants Center to Jody Smith, Director.

URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~gradgrnt/pubs/search.html Last updated: 5 September 2005 Contact the GGC Webmaster: gradgrnt@indiana.edu Copyright 1999-2005, The Trustees of Indiana University