Grant-Seeking - Sources of Funding

Funding Databases • Tips for Reviewing Program Announcements

Natural Scientists

• National Science Foundation
• National Institutes of Health
• Research Corporation for Science Advancement
• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
• The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.
• American Chemical Society

Humanists and Social Scientists

• The National Endowment for the Humanities
• The American Council of Learned Societies
• The Social Science Research Council
• the American Philosophical Society
  
• the Institute for Advanced Study
• the National Humanities Center
• the Russell Sage Foundation
• The John Templeton Foundation.

Depending upon the nature of the project and other criteria (such as the stage of your career, citizenship status, gender, etc.) there may be a variety of other sources of support that are appropriate to pursue. In order to determine the scope of these sources, it is a good idea to contact the Associate Director of Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations at the beginning of your search for funding.

You may also wish to view instructions on using the search engine GrantForward and tips for reviewing program announcements.

Funding Databases

A good place to identify potential funders is through GrantForward. Haverford College has purchased access to this system, so it should be accessible from any computer on our network.

The Associate Director of Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations would be happy to perform a search on GrantForward on your behalf.

If you wish to use GrantForward on your own, please consult the search tips. If you perform an advanced search, you may narrow it by keyword, disciplinary category, sponsor, grant type, deadline, or other qualifiers.

If you wish to search only for funding from the United States government, you may also try grants.gov. However, these records are usually included in GrantForward, which you may also find easier to use.

Natural scientists may wish to consult the Web of Science. After performing a citation search, you can press the button to "Analyze Results" and rank them by funding agency. Please see the "Training & Support" links or contact the Associate Director of Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations for assistance.

Tips for Reviewing Program Announcements

In reviewing a program announcement for a potential source of funding, you might pay particular attention to:

• The source and purpose of the funding;
• any restrictions on who is eligible for the funding, which can involve geographical location or the stage of your career;
• the timing and amount of awards;
• the application requirements and deadline;
• the competitiveness of the applicant pool;
• the administrative requirements should you win an award; and
• whether or not you are invited to contact a program officer with questions.

Regarding the last item, it is a good idea to take advantage of an offer (and especially a suggestion) to contact a program officer as soon as you have a sufficiently solid idea of the project you wish to propose for funding. The program officer can help you to formulate a more competitive project, or save you wasted time and trouble if you are better off seeking funding elsewhere.

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