Where to Start

To ensure coordinated, strategic, and effective grant seeking efforts across campus, all planned proposal and application submissions requesting external funding must be reviewed and approved by Fairmont State University administration prior to submission. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) serves as the centralized unit on campus to coordinate the review and approval of all grant applications.

The OSP can help you identify potential funding sources, provide tips and resources for project and proposal development, critique and edit proposal narratives, ensure budgets are complete and accurate, and make sure everything is in place for a competitive proposal submission and, if funded, a successful project implementation.

If you are interested in securing external funding for a project or research, we recommend that you contact the OSP early in the process. By completing the Declaration of Intent to Apply for Funding form, you can formalize the institutional support you will need to pursue funding and, ultimately, implement your project. The form requires that you get signatures from your department chair and dean or direct supervisor to indicate their support of the proposed project. Additionally, you can indicate on the form if you need assistance in identifying potential funding sources. We can work with you to find possible funders and grant opportunities to match your planned project. This is the first step in the process. Please see Preparing and Submitting a Proposal for next steps.