Resources for Researchers & Partners

Endeavors in research, scholarship, and service are integral to the University’s mission. These activities are both valuable in themselves and important in augmenting excellence in teaching at Drake and the quality of intellectual life. External support for research and related work has a positive and wide-reaching impact, building capacity and creating opportunity, both for our faculty and the many undergraduate and graduate students they work with.

For all these reasons, Drake is eager to help faculty launch and fund new projects, and to form partnerships with foundations, corporations, and agencies interested in supporting work of value.

The staff of the Sponsored Programs Administration is the main point of contact throughout the process of securing funding, and they offer support at every stage.

Investigators exploring the possibility of external support should note that any request for funding that could result in a grant or contract must be reviewed and approved by Sponsored Programs Administration.

Assistance in Planning New Projects—Information on identifying possible funding sources and steps for contacting sponsors, drafting letters of intent, and beginning to develop a proposal.

Assistance in Applying for Grants—Instruction on preparing a budget, writing and submitting the proposal, and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines.

Assistance in Managing Your Grant—Guidelines on financial reporting, compliance requirements, and working with grants accountants and budget managers.

Other Resources—Useful forms, governing policies, answers to frequently asked questions, and print and online sources of guidance on topics such as grant writing. These resources include SPA’s online newsletter, Innovation, and Pivot, a powerful new funding search program available to the Drake community.

Drake Grant Programs—Information on support available through the Faculty Development Grant Programs and the Center for the Humanities.