Grantsmanship
Information Resources to Help Researchers Get Funding
by Nancy K. Herther, Sociology/Anthropology Librarian, University of Minnesota
" There are actually many different types of support available to researchers. Types of support available include unrestricted grants, basic/exploratory/applied research in some specific area, targeted programming to meet a specific need or solve a particular problem, collaborative research projects, scholarships, fellowships, and funds to
support travel expenses. Fellowships, for example, provide a way for graduates or undergraduates to get short-term funding that would allow them to gain experience. Often, especially for beginners, getting some experience with travel grants and other types of funding may help hone skills that will help in gaining more comprehensive grants down the road..."
"Research Funding Process and Players
Some type of funding support exists for virtually all types of research endeavors - from the arts and humanities to the social sciences to the "hard" sciences and technology. The majority of funding comes from either governmental sources or corporations. Most basic research is funded by governmental entities. Private and corporate funding tends to be more practically oriented on specific goals or objectives related to the specific
interests of these profit-making groups. Nonprofit foundations are also key resources in funding projects and research across the disciplines.
Research funding has been complicated, as well, by political issues, such as beliefs about stem cells or the cause and treatment of HIV/AIDS. President Obama, in recently lifting restrictions on stem cell research, announced an end to what he termed the "war on science," which hopefully signals a new era of less political interference in the grant process.
The very number of granting sources today has made the process of identifying the best fit between grantee and foundation more complex. Our current economy increases the uncertainty in this field. According to the latest edition of the Foundation Center's Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook, a survey of more than 75,000 U.S. grant-making foundations, the majority planned to decrease their giving.
Key Databases for Finding Research Funding
Researchers seeking external support for their research - grants, fellowships, travel funds, or other support - have many tools available that might lead them to the right funding source. Although the top three - Community of Science, IRIS, and SPIN - are generally available at most large colleges and universities, many others might have value - including many sources available freely over the internet." The author lists some of the best...
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