Sponsored Programs Administration and Research Compliance

Proposal Preparation

The grant-seeking process begins with an idea. The following resources can be used as a guide or SPARC pre-award administrators can assist you to develop your idea to best appeal to funders. Next, use the grant databases to discover foundations and funding agencies that might be interested in supporting your program or research project.

Funding Search Databases

Info Ed Spin
SPARC subscribes to this database service which allows you to search for funding opportunities and receive customized funding alerts for opportunities that meet your search criteria. Your Drake email address will allow you to create a profile and access the database.
Foundation Center
The Foundation Center's database offers full profiles of foundation, including their funding priorities, past funded projects, and financial status. The site also provides learning opportunties to grow your fundraising skills and connect with other grant-seekers. The site can be accessed at specific locations, including the Des Moines Public Library's Central location.
Grants.gov
Federal grants can be found on this site, along with the complete posting and instructions for completing the grant application.