External Funding Proposal Development Process
Sponsored Research is SUNY Geneseo’s centralized office for the processing and submission of external funding requests. As early as possible in the process please contact Sponsored Research, whether you have identified a specific opportunity or are hoping to find one.
Obtaining funding has grown increasingly competitive over the past few decades, and our staff works to stay informed of all of the latest trends and developments. If you are new to proposal writing, our office can provide general guidance or point you toward valuable resources. There are a number of ways that we can help with your proposal:
1. IF YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED AN OPPORTUNITY: We can advise you regarding internal Geneseo and SUNY Research Foundation requirements, institutional limits, federal registrations required for submission, export controls, and compliance processes and internal deadlines. We will streamline coordination to achieve upper level administrative approvals.
2. IF YOU ARE SEEKING A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: We can provide assistance searching for funding or collaborators on SPIN, our searchable database subscription, set up saved searches for opportunities relevant to your field, or share information about historical success rates of Geneseo faculty proposals and awards.
3. REVIEW OPPORTUNITY/GUIDELINES: Our staff will review with you Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Applications (RFA) or foundation funding opportunities that you choose to pursue. We also will work with you to brainstorm an approach, discuss an appropriate internal preparation timeline, and develop a proposal outline. We may be able to provide valuable insight if we have had prior experience with the program.
4. PROVIDE STANDARD INFORMATION: Whether you are a seasoned proposal writer or novice, while preparing your proposal, we can draft or provide you with paragraphs of institutional information, DUNS number, EIN/TIN number, letters indicating tax or primarily undergraduate institution status, institutional structure, budget information, or possibilities regarding funding match. Our director has institutional authority to sign certifications such as non-discrimination and lobbying.
Sponsored Research staff will work with you to develop a budget in compliance with federal, sponsor, Research Foundation for SUNY, and institutional guidelines.
Resources exist within our institution that can simplify the proposal preparation process. Sponsored Research staff can point you toward resources for data management information, project management assistance, needs assessment, and evaluation sections of your proposal. In addition, some funding sources require particular formatting of abridged CVs, and we can assist you in condensing your documents into required formats. In some cases, we may be able to provide financial support for your travel to funding agency workshops.
Sponsored Research staff, reading as laypersons and experienced proposal writers, will review a full or partial first draft and provide you with feedback related to the particular RFP. As many additional drafts as you provide will also be reviewed, with line editing provided as drafts move toward the final submission. We encourage you to find a colleague in your field who will also review your drafts, and we will help you locate one if none is available.