Grant Information for Faculty and Staff
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) is happy to help any member of the Manchester community submit a grant proposal that supports the University’s mission. Our services include, but are not limited to:
- Researching and identifying possible funding sources
- Proofreading, editing and providing feedback on drafts
- Interpreting guidelines and directions on the application
- Providing historical, statistical and institutional information about Manchester
- Establishing a project management plan that keeps the effort on schedule
- Helping develop a project evaluation plan
- Helping develop a project budget
- Assisting with electronic or postal submissions of grant applications
- Photocopying application components, gathering required signatures, etc.
We strongly encourage you to talk with Sara Larkin at the beginning of the process. She’ll be happy to meet in your office at a time convenient for you to discuss support of the project.
Funding Opportunities
Connecting you to Grant opportunities
Policies, Procedures, & Forms
Policies that guide grant proposals, submissions, awards, and compliance processes.
Tools & Resources
Tools, templates, and resources for successful proposals.
Getting Started Checklist
If a grant award check would be written to MU, or if MU would draw down grant funds from a funder (even for a very small amount), the proposal should go through the approval process for Grants and Sponsored Programs below. If a grant check would be written to you as an an individual, it does not go through Grants and Sponsored Programs. If you’re not sure or need help getting started, contact the Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs.
Identify potential funder(s) for your project
→ 6+ weeks prior to the grant deadline
Looking for a funder for your idea? Manchester University subscribes to a database called SPIN that makes it easy to sort through funders by your area of interest, location, and more. You can access the database, but feel free to contact the Funderburg Library or the director of grants and sponsored programs for search tips.
Talk with your dean (or your supervisor, if you do not have a dean) about your project
→ 5 weeks prior to the grant deadline
Make sure to have a conversation with your dean or supervisor early in the process. Frequent communication about new grants will help us coordinate efforts across departments and make sure you get connected with others who have developed similar projects or applied to the same funder.
Submit the Grant Early Notification Form
→ 4 weeks prior to the grant deadline (required)
When you submit this form, it is automatically emailed to the vice president for your area for approval. This ensures that your vice president is aware of new and innovative work happening at the University, and can support it if needed. This form will also serve as a prompt for the director of grants and sponsored programs to start pulling together resources that might be helpful to you.
Develop your proposal, get the necessary documents in place
→ 3 weeks prior to the grant deadline
After your form is approved, the director of grants and sponsored programs will contact you to talk through supports that might be available (including editing the proposal, developing a budget, and tracking progress) and any policies that may impact the design of your grant proposal.
Submit the Final Grant Approval Form
→ 10 days prior to the grant deadline (required)
Once you have everything you need, you can submit your Final Grant Proposal Approval Form. The chief business officer, VP of institutional effectiveness, your dean or supervisor, and the director of grants and sponsored programs will do a final check for you.
Submit your proposal to the funder
→ 1-3 days prior to the grant deadline
Make sure to wait for internal approval before submitting your proposal (you will receive an email once each party has approved your form)
Post-Award Checklist
Congratulations!
→ Immediately after you receive the grant agreement
Send an unsigned copy of the agreement/letter to the director of grants and sponsored programs (it will be signed by the chief business officer). We will save a copy and send a copy to Financial Services to be processed and signed. You will receive new budget codes from Financial Services.
Review your grant goals, budget details, and reporting deadlines, including any changes requested by the funder
→ 0-5 days after you receive the grant
The director of grants and sponsored programs will set up a meeting with you to talk about supports for general grant management, tracking performance goals, tracking your spending, and reports.
Federal funding? Stay compliant with regulations.
→ Throughout the grant
See the policies & procedures page to the left for more information.
Submit report(s)
→ Throughout the grant
Most of the time, you will submit your own reports. Please contact the director of grants and sponsored programs if you need help editing or with other aspects of a report, and make sure to send a copy to the grants office. In some cases (such as for a large grant), submitting reports will be a shared responsibility. We will make sure to discuss this when you receive the award.
Prepare for your grant to close
→ 6 months before the grant ends
Make sure you are on track to spend any remaining grant funds by the end of the grant period. Many funders will not allow you to return an award.
Close out your grant
→ 1 month before the grant ends
Is your grant work complete? Do you need an extension? Make sure to send a final report and/or any necessary paperwork to your funder. The director of grants and sponsored programs will work with you to complete any other close-out procedures.