The OSP office library contains information such as announcements of limited submission competitions and numerous other hard copy references. It serves as a starting point in the search for funds. In general, sponsored activities should be directly related to the three-fold mission of the institution: research, teaching and service.

All solicitation of grants and contracts for sponsored activities must be processed through the Office of Sponsored Programs to ensure that the proper university approvals have been obtained prior to submission of the proposal to a sponsoring agency.

The CUA Office of Institutional Advancement is primarily concerned with funding from private sources. It also is available to guide faculty and staff in their search for funding from a variety of sources these include gifts and bequests from loyal alumni, friends of the university, and support from corporations and private foundations. The Development Office maintains excellent relationship with foundations and corporations. Approaches to corporate and private foundations require clearance from the office of development and OSP prior to negotiations. Questions about corporate or foundation funding should be directed to Tracy Dowling, Office of University Development.

  • The Foundation Center - Provides information on the finances, governance, and giving interests of the largest grant-making foundations that hold assets of at least $2 million or more or which make annual grants of at least $200,000. Listings are arranged alphabetically by state, within states, and by foundation names. 7 indexes are provided to assist grantseekers. Data includes: types of grants, other types of support, specific limitations, and application information. Grantseekers may use the directory in the Office of Sponsored Programs.
  • CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) - 1300 program listings of government grant programs at agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, National Science Foundation, Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, to name just a few. Information includes: program objectives, eligibility, application and award process, authorization, deadlines, funding amounts, addresses, telephone numbers, and lists of related programs. By request, the staff of OSP will conduct a keyword search.

Other Materials

"A Guide to Proposal Planning and Writing"
This publication is an excellent free resource for new grant-writers (by Jeremy T. Miner and Lynn E. Miner).

Proposal Writing Short Course
The Foundation Center has summarized the steps to writing your proposal.

Grant Writing Tools for Nonprofits
This grantwriting guide, while aimed primarily at private nonprofits, will be useful to public grant seekers as well, providing samples of letters, applications and budgets.

The Art of Proposal Writing: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants to Social Science Research Council Competitions
from the Social Science Research Council

Some Reasons Proposals Fail
from Montana State University

"A Few Ideas about Pursuing Federal Funding"
by Ralph Nelsen of the Columbia Education Center of Portland, Oregon.

"A Guide for Proposal Writing"
National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education, 1998

"The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites Program: Overview and Suggestions for Faculty Members" (Including REU review criteria, provided by an REU panel reviewer)
Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, June 2003

"Hints for Writing Successful NIH Grants"
by Prof. Ellen Barrett, University of Miami, October 1995

All About Grants Tutorials from NIH/NIAID including

  • Grant Application Basics
  • How to Manage Your Grant Award
  • How to Plan a Grant Application
  • How to Write a Grant Application

Proposal Writing: The Business of Science
This guide, provided by the Whitaker Foundation, discusses how to obtain a NIH grant, including a look at the NIH review system.