OSPR Funding Opportunities

Advanced Grant-Writing Workshop

The goal of this workshop (organized jointly by the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence, Office of Sponsored Programs & Research, and the School of Emerging Technologies) is to help faculty develop existing, unfunded external grant proposals into more competitive grant applications. Participants will have the opportunity to identify a mentor of their choosing or be paired with a suitable faculty mentor successful at winning external grants. The mentors, OSPR staff, and several group meetings will provide support to them as participants as they re-write their existing grant proposal. The program will run over the course of the academic year, though individual timelines for completion of updated proposals will depend upon the deadlines set by the external funding opportunity targeted.

An organizational meeting will be held during the week of August during where participants will be oriented to the program and meet initially with their mentor. Over the course of the workshop, participants and mentors are expected to meet periodically to discuss the participant’s proposal and to review drafts. In addition, four group sessions will be held (two during the fall and two during the spring) so that participants can share their progress with the group. All participants will be expected to submit a revised proposal no later than March 31^st, and the final group session (held in late April) will be devoted to discussing the updated proposals. Participants who are submitting their proposal earlier in the year have the option of working under an abbreviated timetable. The workshop also will include several sessions on crucial sections of grant applications with specific topics to be determined by the group. Mentors will receive a $2000 stipend and participants will receive a $500 stipend upon submission of the updated proposal, no later than March 31^st, 2024.

 

Seed Funding for Grantseekers

The next application deadline will be announced in late fall 2023.

The Office of Sponsored Programs & Research (OSPR) Seed Funding for Grantseekers Program supports activities necessary to advance competitive research/program proposals, such as performing preliminary work, gathering pilot data, and facilitating collaboration.

It is expected that a competitive proposal for a sizable project (appropriate to the discipline) will be submitted to an external funding organization within a year of the completion of the Seed Funding period. Further, in the event that the proposal is unsuccessful, applicants are encouraged to resubmit a revised proposal that responds to reviewer comments.

Proposals to the Seed Funding program should identify the program and agency to which a future proposal will be submitted, describe the research/project in language understandable to faculty reviewers from various disciplines, delineate how the funding will result in a more competitive proposal, and include a budget for the use of the seed funding as well as a timeline for submission to an external funding organization.

Proposals may request an amount up to $10,000, and a minimum of $50,000 will be awarded this year. The program will be reviewed internally for success at meeting the objective of advancing competitive proposals.

Application Process

The link to the Seed Funding for Grantseekers Application will be posted when the next competition opens. Please review the program guidelines and application instructions carefully to prepare your materials.

• Seed Program Guidelines (PDF)
• Seed Program Application Instructions (PDF)
• Seed Program Budget Template (PDF), for planning purposes only

Please contact ospr AT_TOWSON with any questions.

Peer Review Incentive Program

Faculty members who serve on review panels gain knowledge of the breadth and most current scholarship in their field and insight into what makes a grant proposal succeed (or fail) during peer review. They also begin to develop professional relationships with agency personnel.

The program intends to support participation in a review panel for a program faculty plan to apply for in the future. Participation in review panels for a student program; for example, would not be eligible. Generally, a faculty member is eligible to receive $750 once, although a subsequent award will be considered after the applicant has submitted a proposal to a funding agency.

• A $750 stipend will be provided to a faculty member who serves on a federal review panel. This will be in addition to any compensation that is provided by the federal agency.
• To apply, submit a completed application to ospr AT_TOWSON. The application must be submitted four weeks prior to serving on the panel. These activities are subject to the availability of funds and the OSPR will not provide support for any activities that were not pre-approved.
• PRIP Application (PDF)

How to Apply to be a Peer Reviewer

agency	instructions
National Endowment for the Arts	Complete and submit a National Endowment for the Arts Application.
National Endowment for the Humanities	Complete and submit a National Endowment for the Humanities Application.
National Institute of Health	Send an email to the Enhancing Peer Review mailbox with a brief description of your area of expertise in the body of the email (1-2 sentences) and a copy of your biosketch as an attachment. For more information, visit the NIH website.
National Science Foundation	Send an email to the NSF program officer(s) of the program(s) that fit your expertise. Introduce yourself and identify your area of expertise, and let them know that you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer. It is most helpful if you also attach a 2-page CV with current contact information. For more information, visit the NSF website.
Department of Education	The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) often seeks Peer Reviewers. You must create or login to a G5 account in order to apply. For more information, visit the OPE website.