College of Education Grants Office
Introduction
The College of Education is committed to supporting faculty who pursue grant and contract opportunities with public and private funders to enhance their research endeavors and enrich student experiences in and out of the classroom. Due to our applied research focus and our commitment to experiential learning opportunities for students, we encourage faculty to secure external support for their projects.
In 2008 and 2009, the College was awarded over $5 million in public and private grants and contracts. The College of Education provides support for our faculty during all phases of grants and contract development -- from prospect research and proposal preparation to post-award project management.
We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our grant guidelines. Our part-time Grants Officer, Joshua Einhorn, is available to meet with you, or to answer any of your questions. We look forward to working with you to enhance your scholarly activities, provide outstanding, unique learning experiences for our students, and fulfill the learning-centered mission of the College of Education and the University.
The Grants Process
We encourage all faculty to contact our Grants Officer, Josh Einhorn (ext. 6096) to discuss concepts for grant and contract-related projects as early as possible in the process. We work with faculty in many different ways including: conducting prospect research to identifying funding opportunities; writing and editing proposals; developing budgets and working with corporate, foundation, and government agency officers; and post-award project management. We will be able to provide significant support, and help you navigate your way through some critical internal and external processes.
If you are submitting a proposal or letter of inquiry to a private foundation or corporation, you must complete the Proposal Submission Form and obtain review and signature from your Department Chair, the Development Officer (Ray Cruz) and the Dean. Once you have signed as principal investigator and you have obtained the necessary signatures, send the form to the Grants Office at mail drop 8252. All private grant proposals are administered through the University Foundation and carry an indirect cost rate of 2.75% (except for foundations which forbid indirect costs).
If you are submitting a proposal or letter of inquiry to a government agency, you must complete the Grant Data Form and obtain review and signature from your Department Chair and the Dean. Once you have signed as principal investigator and you have obtained your Chairs signature, send the form to the Grants Office at mail drop 8252. All public grant proposals are administered through the University Corporation and carry an indirect cost rate that ranges from 26% to 48%.
For submissions to private foundations and corporations, it is important that we coordinate proposal submissions with other colleges at CSUN to ensure that we avoid multiple, simultaneous submissions to the same funder without approval. Please contact our Grants Officer prior to completing either of these forms as some private foundations may already be in solicitation by another CSUN faculty.
All proposals and letters of inquiry must be reviewed and approved by Josh Einhorn, Grants Officer, and Dean Spagna at least ten days prior to submission. Any proposal efforts that are not approved through this process will not be supported by the College or the University if awarded.
General Grant Information
Many resources exist for faculty to seek funding for their projects. The following is a list of grant databases, foundation-related websites, and informational resources to assist you on your quest for external funding. Please keep in mind that some of these databases require a subscription to perform advanced searches. Also, we can structure daily searches for your projects in several of our databases and send you RFP announcements and targeted funding opportunities for those projects on a daily basis.
Foundation Center
Excellent resource for private foundation and corporate giving; RFP bulletins; funding trends; and research tips.
SPIN
Single search government agency and private funding source database on CSUN website.
SMARTS
Ongoing search (with regular funding alert system via email) using the SPIN database.
The Grantsmanship Center
Excellent resource for researching, writing, and funding programs through foundation, corporate, and government agency support.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Another search engine like SPIN which may cast a wider net and provide additional funding opportunities.
Council on Foundations
Similar to Foundation Center- membership is required to access advanced features.
Chronicle of Higher Education
A comprehensive resource for discipline-specific fundraising in higher education.
U.S. Department of Education
Grants database, article listings and general program listings.
National Endowment for the Humanities
An independent agency of the federal government and the largest funder of humanities initiatives nationwide. Funds a variety of programs and disciplines including cultural resources; scholarly activities and research; film/television/radio; education; and museums/archives.
National Science Foundation
An independent agency of the federal government designed to provide funding support for research and education in science and engineering. This includes social and behavioral science support through various departments.
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal assistance for community-based social and health-related programs.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal assistance for affordable housing and, more important, urban development and community action and revitalization.
General Internet Search
It is important to go beyond the realm of the structured database search to identify funding trends among similar organizations (locations; funding histories; community partnerships, etc.) through internet research.
