Grant Chat 8: Student Funding Opportunities (10/24/2008)

Meeting Summary.  Dr. Marcia Harrison opened the Grant Chat stating that the purpose of the chat is to discuss potential funding opportunities. The intent is to kickoff a program to help students gain funding.

Dr. Leonard Deutsch (Dean of the Graduate College) spoke to the increasing importance of student funding opportunities. He pointed out that the outlook on tuition waivers has changed and they are no longer given as freely. This vacuum can be filled if the university is smart about it.  Student grant opportunities can fill this gap as many opportunities are available. Some grants are tailored toward the institution, while some are geared toward the student (many of these are aimed at first-generation and/or Appalachian students). He posed the following questions:

• How do we access this money and make it available to students?

• How do we match students up with these opportunities?

Ms. Martha Mozingo (Coordinator, Sponsored Programs, MURC) gave a brief tutorial on the Community of Science (CoS) Workbench. The CoS has reconfigured their software to be able to identify funding opportunities easier.

• A user can create and save up to 40 different funding sources with 200 individual records.

• Sponsors are listed by type (i.e., non-profits, academic institutions, government, etc.), and are broken down into recipient categories (i.e., students, post-docs, Ph.D.’s, women, minorities, etc.).

• Each user can create his or her own expertise profile, which can be made public or private.

• MURC will hold two workshops on how to use the CoS Workbench. Visit the MURC Profession Development webpage to register for this or other workshops.  Additional CoS workshops can be arranged upon request to the MU-ADVANCE Program.

A two-step process will take place to assist students in this process:

1. Students would be invited to a session that provides general information about grant opportunities.

2. Students interested in applying for grants would attend a second session that would cover the application process.

A brainstorming session ensued with some notable suggestions:

• Have students in professional preparation courses to attend (ex: BSC 661 / 662).  Students in these classes should have to prepare a grant proposal early in their careers as practice.

• Give all students an opportunity to attend the sessions but also have nominations by faculty of students who would be good matches for particular grants.

• Grab student’s attention by using compelling language. Example: Instead of saying “Grant Opportunities Available,” have publications, flyers, brochures, etc. state: “Want some money?”

• Students could be profiled and matched to a suitable grants when they become available.  Martha Mozingo also noted that students can be profiled on the CoS.

• Prepare a list of specific grants that are offered on an annual or continuing basis so faculty and students can plan ahead.

• Contact department chairs and get a list of graduate students and honorary clubs so that this information can be disseminated to these groups.

• Students should be encouraged and helped with the application process for even small grants such as travel awards.

• Each participant was asked to create a list of ways on “How can we most effectively reach students” and send them to Marcia Harrison or Len Deutsch. These will be collated and evaluated and sent around for thought. 

• Early graduate students and any undergraduate sophomore or above should be considered for this program.

Resources:
Community of Science The Marshall University Research Corporation subscribes to the Community of Science, an online resource databank geared toward research. According to their website, the CoS lists "more than 25,000 records representing nearly 400,000 opportunities, worth over $33 billion."  In addition to funding opportunities, their website also offers profiles on over 500,000 researchers and over 2 million publications in various disciplines.  Faculty, post-docs, and students interested in a hands-on workshop to help configure their workbench to enhance their ability to identify funding opportunities should contact the MU-ADVANCE office.