Funding Opportunities: Fitchburg's Grants Center

Jeanette Robichaud, Director- Corporate, Foundation and Government Grant Relations  978-665-4646 jrobic15@fitchburgstate.edu

Megan Boyd, Assistant Director- Corporate, Foundation and Government Grant Relations   978-665-4644 mboyd3@fitchburgstate.edu

The Grant Center is located on the lower level of the Guglielmi Mazzaferro Center in Room 106. Operating Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please feel free to drop by or call during the hours listed above. In addition, inquiries can be sent via email to jrobic15@fitchburgstate.edu

1. Contact the Grant Center as soon as you plan to apply – months (minimum five weeks) prior to the application deadline – to discuss feasibility and a schedule for proposal development. Include a link to the funder’s website page, and attach any application instruction files.
   
   Applying for external funding is a multistep process and an Intent to Apply for External Funding form must be completed and signed before an application can be submitted. This is the first step in the internal approval process.
    
2. Funding agencies require Institutional approval for proposal submissions in order to ensure university support for the project. This process requires a minimum of four (4) weeks lead-time prior to the due date and is coordinated through the Grant Center. Please follow the grant development timeline in the Intent To Apply for External Funding form.
    
3. All proposals submitted via online portals (Fastlane / Grants.Gov) MUST be uploaded at least 3 days prior to the due date. This 3-day window allows our office to address technical problems that often occur; but most importantly, it ensures your proposal will meet the deadline.
    
4. Once a proposal has been submitted to a funding source for review, the Grant Center will monitor its progress and conduct the necessary follow-up.
    
5. Where allowed, all external funding applications should have a pre-approved Fitchburg State University indirect cost rate. This will be allocated according to the university's policy.
    
6. Once funding is received, all requisitions, budget adjustments and contracts should be forwarded to us for sign-off. We will then forward these to Financial Services. The principal investigator(s)/project director(s) are responsible to meet all award regulations and deadlines and must notify the Grant Center three weeks prior to due dates for any reports and correspondence to funding agencies. The Grant Center will work with the PI(s) to ensure compliance.

Services

The Grant Center is responsible for the identification and procurement of federal, state, and other external funding to supplement existing academic resources and to enhance program development and research at the university. Faculty and departments will be notified of appropriate, potential funding sources through campus mailings, newsletters, phone calls, and/or email.

Faculty are encouraged to visit the Grant Center to discuss an idea needing funding or information on funding sources. The Grant Center should be notified and made aware of possible ideas for funding. In general, all information requests to funding sources should go through the Center. Grant writing is a team effort. The Grant Center will assist at every step, but in most cases should not be considered the sole proposal writer.

Visit the Grants Center website @ https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/grant-center/