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External Funding Sources

rpowers1 [at] haverford.edu (The Director of Development for Foundation Relations) assists faculty members and administrators who seek external funding for Haverford College as an institution. Please contact them whenever you are thinking of submitting this kind of proposal.

selkin [at] haverford.edu (subject: Help%20with%20Funding%20Databases) (The Director of Sponsored Research) assists faculty members and administrators who seek external funding for their research. This page is directed towards such applicants, who are encouraged to contact them.

Research funding is available from foundations and from the government. Some possible sources are:

Funding Sources

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. You can stay abreast of opportunities in your own field by tracking the awards made to your peers and by reading the acknowledgments in journal articles. Secondarily, the selkin [at] haverford.edu (Director of Sponsored Research) can help you with a search from a more generalist point of view.

Funding Databases

A good place to identify potential funders is through SPIN. Haverford College has purchased access to this system, and you can gain access to it after you create a profile.

selkin [at] haverford.edu (subject: Help%20with%20Funding%20Databases) (The Director of Sponsored Research) would be happy to perform a search on SPIN on your behalf.

If you wish to use SPIN on your own, you may find the training videos helpful. Category filters and search options can help to make your search more efficient and direct. You can also set up funding alerts through SPIN. First, create a profile. Then, conduct a search. Save the search, and in the pop-up box select yourself as a user and choose the format and frequency of email updates that you would like to receive.

If you wish to search only for funding from the United States government, you may also try grants.gov.

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.

Advice, support, and review processes at the College are discussed here.