GRANTS
Grants are financial awards that support research and/or ideas. But it's not like someone is just going to throw money at you and let you go wild. The world of grants is very competitive. Grantors (organizations that give money) usually give to specific projects and have strict guidelines that you must follow. In many cases, you will need to fill out narrative (an essay) to get the grant, narratives to close out the grant, be able to provide itemized budgets and file final reports. It can be a lot of work -- but it's usually worth it!
Because grants vary so greatly, it would be impossible to cover everything in one guide. Please use this guide as a starting point.
Getting Started | Finding Grants | Writing Grants
| Please note: All A-State staff and faculty must go through the Office of Research Development when applying for grants. The office can also assist A-State students and can connect A-State-affiliated personnel to collaborate with non-A-State grant seekers. |
DO I NEED TO BUY ____________ ?
In most cases, no. There is a plethora of books and subscription websites that promise grant opportunities and promise to make you a better grant writer, however you can usually find the same information within the library or for free online.
The unfortunate truth is that a large number of paid resources are really just aggregators of freely available information. The main difference is that these companies spend a great deal of money on advertising, so you may be familiar with the company name. Free resources rarely advertise, so you may not know they exist.
Once you do find a grant, you will NEVER be asked for money to apply. Any grant application that asks you for upfront money is a scam and should be reported immediately.
Please note: this is not meant to discredit all paid resources. There are some excellent paid resources (e.g. Candid). The problem is telling the good from the bad without spending a lot of money.
