The Grants Development Office is responsible for:

• assisting faculty, staff, and administration in the acquisition of external funding for scholarship, research, and other projects
• representing the University in pre-award and award transactions with funding sponsors
• acting as a liaison between project directors, sponsors, administration, and external groups
• assisting with post-award administration of grants and contracts.

Grant Seeking

The following is a list of the primary services provided by the Grants Development Office:

Research and Information Resources

• SPINPlus - SPINPlus is a web- based system that includes a database of funding opportunities, a database of investigator profiles, and a matching alert service. SPINPlus provides up-to-date information on current national and international government and private funding sources.
• Federal Register - The Federal Register is available in print in the library reference room. It is a publication of the federal government that describes the policies and programs of the federal government agencies and departments. The most up-to-date information is on the web.

Grant Writing

Grant and Contract Preparation

Our office provides primary assistance to anyone submitting a proposal or application for funding to an outside agency. We will assist you with research, contacts, internal and external guidelines and policies, editorial services, printing services, basic secretarial support, and document dissemination. Any faculty or staff member considering submitting a grant application with Mansfield University as the administrative and fiscal agent must notify the Grant Development Office at least one month prior to the application deadline for assistance with local grants, and three months for assistance with federal and private grants. All applications must be approved and submitted by the Grants Development Office with university administration approval.

• Grant Proposal Preparation - Our office can help you research potential funding sources; obtain information and application forms; prepare proposals and budgets; and obtain internal reviews and approvals necessary for the proposal to be sent off campus.
• Contract Preparation - When faculty and staff are contracted to perform services by an outside agency and through the University, we help set up the contract, obtain reviews and approvals (including legal reviews), and work out contract specifications with external organizations.

Grant and Contract Administration

Effective pre-and post-award administration allows the University and grantseekers to increase the probability of grant awards, to mitigate potential problems, and to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.

• Orientation Meetings - Upon grant or contract award, the Grant Development Director and the Grant Accountant will hold an orientation meeting with project directors to review the project award, set up the budget and cost center, discuss how to administer personnel and purchasing associated with the project, and review reporting and tracking requirements. After orientation, budgets will be activated and project activities may begin.
• Records and Reporting - Our office and the Grant Accountant's office maintain records of all grant and contract proposals, awards, and reports filed with agencies for the purpose of internal and external reporting and for audits by funding agencies.
• Institutional Review Board - Our office serves as the point of contact for anyone doing funded research that involves human or animal subjects. There are internal policies and funding guidelines regarding this type of research. Researchers will need to inform our office, work with the IRB or IACUC committee, and plan on an expedited full review of their project before implementation.

Workshops

The Grants Development Office can develop specialized workshops on request for departments or classes. We also host presentations by funding agencies, such as the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Obtaining external funding in the form of grants and contracts increases opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to become active in research projects, allows for additional University programs, increases the fixed assets of the University, allows the University to obtain personnel services associated with grant funds, and fosters the formation of partnerships between the University and external agencies and organizations. External funding is becoming increasingly necessary for the University to continue to provide high quality educational programs. Through workshops or individual sessions, we can help you find the resources you need for your project.

It is important to involve our office as early as possible when you are seeking external funding so that we can offer specialized services, help avoid problems, and increase the chances for funding success. We hope you will utilize our office resources and we look forward to working with you.

Recommended Websites

Elements of a Grant Proposal - an outline from the Center for Nonprofit Management Common Grant Application - a site of the Foundation Center for finding common application forms, including the one by NNG. This common grant application form is accepted by a number of foundations. It can be useful in organizing the information needed in a project proposal.

The Grantsmanship Center offers training courses on grant-writing and links to state and federal funders.