Applying for Grants & Fellowships

The Basic Steps

Start early. Plan well. Submit your best.

COH Grant Proposal Review Process

1. Contact COH early.
   As soon as a PI decides to apply for a grant, they should immediately contact their business manager, Ken McAllister, and Minda Dettman, providing them with a link to the sponsor’s grant announcement (Call for Proposals), as well as links to any other relevant information. The business manager and COH’s Sponsored Projects team will assess the proposal’s complexity and provide the PI with a timeline for preparing and submitting the application.

   Grants due in less than 2 weeks will not be processed.

   • Moreover, some proposals are sufficiently complex that, even with more than two weeks’ notice, there may not be enough time to prepare and route them through the University’s approval channels properly. In such cases, the PI may be required to apply in a future cycle.
      
2. Develop and finalize the budget.
   The PI sends the business manager a rough project plan outlining anticipated expenses. Using this plan and the sponsor’s guidelines, the business manager prepares a draft budget. The PI reviews the draft and requests revisions as needed. This iterative process continues until the budget is finalized.
    
3. Prepare the application materials.
   If sufficient lead time is available, the COH Sponsored Projects team will provide a checklist and “skeleton document” for the required application materials. The PI should work on these documents while the budget is being finalized and submit drafts early enough for COH Sponsored Projects staff to review them, identify missing materials, and provide feedback to strengthen the application.
    
4. Review, route, and submit.
   The PI and COH Sponsored Projects Team work together to complete the submission:
   1. External grants: COH uploads and routes the application to the University's Sponsored Projects Services office for review. The PI and COH team make any required revisions before the proposal is submitted. The PI must be available during this period to make required changes promptly.
   2. Internal grants and grants to individuals: The application is uploaded and submitted according to the sponsor’s requirements.

General Timeline

3+ months before deadline
Identify the grant opportunity and notify the business manager, Ken McAllister, and Minda Dettman of the intent to submit.

Note: If the grant will impact a faculty member’s teaching schedule, a staff member’s work schedule, or a student’s time to degree, the relevant department heads must also be notified.

2+ months before deadline
Confirm access to all required submission portals and send initial budget ideas to the business manager.

1 - 2 months before deadline
Send drafts of all narrative documents sent to Ken and Minda for review and feedback. Allow at least one week for review.

2 weeks before deadline
Finalize the budget and submit the near-final proposal and all documents required for routing to COH.

1 week before deadline
Make any changes required by the University’s Sponsored Projects Services Office and submit the final proposal electronically.

Support from COH Sponsored Projects

• Help identifying funding opportunities and matching project ideas with potential sponsors;
• Humanities Research Opportunities Newsletter (published periodically; subscribe here);
• Annual six-week grant-getting workshop;
• Budget development and drafting;
• Creation of “skeleton documents” containing all required sponsor headings and sections;
• Assistance securing institutional letters of support;
• Review and editing feedback focused on:
  • Adherence to sponsor guidelines
  • Clarity, flow, and organization
  • Consistency, especially for multi-author proposals
  • Responsiveness to review criteria
• Routing proposals for review by U of A Sponsored Projects & Contracting Services;
• Submission support;
• Post-award budget and reporting support;
• Additional support as needed and as resources allow.