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Haverford College
Institutional Advancement

Institutional Advancement: Grant-Seeking - Sources of Funding

IRIS • Tips for Reviewing Program Announcements

Funding is available from both public and private foundations, the government, and corporations. For natural scientists there is a range of prominent federal agencies that provide research and teaching support. These include the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Private sources include Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., and the American Chemical Society.

For Humanists and Social Scientists there are also leading sources of support such as:

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 IRIS and tips for reviewing program announcements.

IRIS

A good place to identify potential funders is through the IRIS database, maintained by the University of Illinois. 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 conducts frequent searches using IRIS, and would be happy to perform one on your behalf.

If you wish to use IRIS on your own, please consult the search tips and consider limiting your search by deadline (including no deadline), activities supported, citizenship, and academic qualifications. You may search especially for, or exclude, opportunities open only to women or members of minority groups. The keyword function can be very specific, and you are also able to search every field of the database records for any term you wish.

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 IRIS, 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.

Jump to: Applying for a Grant