Connect with a program officer/manager at a federal funding agency?

Connecting with agency program officers/managers (PMs) typically involves some or all of the following steps and communication.  

  • Visit agency websites and read through their solicitations and broad agency announcements to figure out which PMs are best aligned with your research.  

  • Send an introductory email to the PM describing your research and how it might align with their programmatic priorities; request a brief telephone call to explore further.

  • Prior to the phone call, send some read-ahead materials--i.e., white paper (1-2 pages) or a few slides.

  • Provided there is interest, offer to send additional materials (e.g., longer white paper, publications) and/or suggest an in-person meeting the next time you are in the Washington, D.C. area.

Research Development staff [[email protected] , 3-6301] can assist you with any of these steps, including identifying well-aligned PMs, drafting introductory emails and white papers, and staffing phone calls and agency visits.

Find funding for research in my area of expertise?

The Office of the Vice-President for Research, the Brown Library, and the Office of Foundation Relations provide various services to help you search for external funding opportunities. The Office of the Vice-President for Research and many other offices also offer internal funding to help advance scholarly projects.

 

Apply for a seed grant?

OVPR offers a number of internal funding opportunities. Detailed guidelines and deadline information are available in the OVPR 2017 Research Funds and Application Guidelines for each type of grant.