1: Skip to content 2: Skip to navigation

Define Research or Program Idea

Define Your Research or Program Idea

Whether you know the funding opportunity or not, defining your research or program concept is the first step to transforming your project into a competitive grant proposal.

What need or opportunity will your research or program specifically address?

How will the idea advance your work or that of the department? Division? or University?

What does the research say about this idea?

Who else is doing similar work on campus? at other Universities?

Could the program be strengthened by collaborating with other departments or divisions?

Would partnership with other institutions or organizations strengthen your proposal?

What are the outcomes you want to accomplish with your idea?

Are there statistics to back up your idea?

What specific benchmarks will occur if your idea works?

Request a funding meeting

Don’t know where to start? First review your research or program idea with your chair or dean, then contact the Foundation Relations team to determine next steps for funding support or proposal planning.

Request an appointment
Grant Workshops

Throughout the year, we will add workshops to help faculty and staff understand grant processes, share tips and tools for applying to external grant funding and build collaboration.

Upcoming Workshops