Procedures in Seeking and Managing Grants
The office of corporate and foundation relations pursues funding for institutional priorities, provides assistance to members of the college community seeking funding, and keeps track of proposals through their development, submission, decision, and post-award. These activities follow pre- and post-award procedures that help Williams to steward grants in the best interest of the grant maker and grant seeker.
Identifying Funders
- Foundation Center Online: The Foundation Center has information on private foundations and many resources for grant seekers, including reference guides and training courses.
- IRIS/OPS Database of Grant Opportunities: The IRIS Database currently contains over 9,000 active federal and private funding opportunities in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. In addition to funding opportunities for faculty, the IRIS Database also contains fellowships and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.
- Grants.gov: Grants.gov's website allows you to search for federal discretionary grants offered by 26 federal grant-making agencies. Applications for these grants are also managed through this site.
- COS Funding Opportunities: COS (Community of Science) Funding Opportunities is a large, comprehensive database of available funding. Searching is fairly easy and intuitive, and searches can be saved and tracked.
Proposal Development
Proposal ideas for institutional grants must be reviewed and approved by the provost's and/or the dean of the faculty's office, as appropriate. Occasionally, review by the Committee on Priorities and Resources (CPR), the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP), or the Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP) may also be needed. (For more information, see the "grants" page on the provost's website.)All proposals requiring the president's signature may require up to a week of additional time for final approval. Those interested in submitting a proposal should allow sufficient time for the review process in order to meet proposal submission deadlines.
Post-Submission and Post-Award Procedures & Grants Management
All responses to submitted proposals, regardless of decision, are recorded in the CFR office. Copies of all proposals and correspondence with funders are placed in the college's donor records in Mears House, as well as in the college's electronic donor database.When a proposal is funded, the CFR office records the amount of the grant, its payment schedule, and reporting requirements. The CFR office also institutes the process for establishing appropriate financial accounts to accommodate grant funds and to track their expenditures. With a grant's project director(s), the CFR office helps to prepare budget documents to ensure that appropriate funds are available for spending during the grant period. As needed, the CFR office helps project directors prepare and submit required reports to the funder.