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Developing a Grant

***All grant applicants must submit a Proposal Routing Form with their grant application. All grant materials, including the routing form, must be submitted five (5) workdays prior to the grant deadline***

The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance (SPARC) provides a full range of pre-award services to faculty, staff, and students and serves as the official liaison between Drake faculty and staff and funders.

The pre-award administrator supports the research community by providing resources to aid in the search for funding opportunities. SPARC also facilitates all aspects of the proposal development process, including preparing, reviewing, approving, and submitting competitive applications for research and scholarly activities to external funding agencies.

The SPARC director must attest to the assurances/research compliance requirements prior to submitting a proposal to a potential funder. If a proposal is selected for award, associated contracts are executed by the SPARC director.

 For more organizational information, please refer to the University Facts.

The pre-award administrator is:

Preston Miller
Senior Grants Specialist
preston.miller@drake.edu 
515-271-2850

Proposal Information

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 in developing 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 foundations, including their funding priorities, past funded projects, and financial status. The site also provides learning opportunities 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.
Additional Grant Resources
Free Webinars Related to Pre-Award

 For assistance, contact the grants specialist.

Preston Miller
Senior Grants Specialist
515-271-2850
preston.miller@drake.edu

After developing your idea and matching it with a funding opportunity, you can begin crafting your proposal. Read the instructions in the posting, or request for proposals (RFP), carefully to be aware of all required components and formatting guidelines.

  • Letter of Inquiry/Interest Elements
    Some funders require applicants to submit a letter of inquiry or a letter of interest before the full proposal. A typical LOI is approximately two pages and contains an overview of the proposed project. This document contains the common elements in an LOI.
  • Proposal Outline Sample
    Begin the full proposal by outlining your project. The Proposal Outline Sample provides a guide for identifying the elements in your proposal and organizing the sections. Once the outline is established, you can begin writing the sections.
  • Proposal Routing Form
    This is an internal form that Drake requires for all proposals to ensure all necessary departments have reviewed the proposal and accepted the necessary assurances.
  • (This form is currently being updated. Contact SPARC if needed)
    Many RFPs include a checklist of the required components and attachments for a full proposal. This general proposal checklist can be used when an RFP does not include one.
Proposal Attachments

 Many funders require additional attachments to a full proposal. This is a list of resources to help craft some of the most common attachments.

  • Data Security/Management
    The DMPTool provides a click-through guide to create a management plan that meets funders' requirements.
  • Facilities and Equipment Resources Template
    Some finders, particularly those with a science focus, will ask for a description of the facilities and equipment available for the proposed project. These documents should include a full description of the size of the space and the capabilities of the equipment.
  • Letter of Support Example
    If your project involves working with another organization, funders may require a letter of support from a representative of that organization to show a commitment in the event the project is funded. This sample letter of support will help you write the letter.
  • Logic Model 
    A logic model is a common method to visually reflect the research and evaluation process. This how-to guide helps create a logic model for your project.
  • NSF Biosketch Template
    All National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals require a biosketch for each member of the project personnel.
  • NSF Collaborators and Affiliations Template
    NSF also requires a Collaborators and Affiliations document for each project team member. This is a list of research collaborators, thesis and dissertation advisors and advisees, and the editorial board of recent publications.
  • NSF Current and Pending Support
    All PIs and senior personnel on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant application will need to submit a Current and Pending Support document. This is a list of your current and pending grant funding. Note: The grant project for which you are currently applying should also be listed on this form as "pending."
  • Program Evaluation Template 
    Funders want to know that their investment in your project will have an impact. The evaluation component should measure the inputs and outputs and reflect the progress toward achieving the project's stated goals and objectives. This sample is from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and reflects a thorough evaluation of a scientific research project.
  • Statement of Work Template
    Federal proposals that include subawards to other institutions require a Scope of Work Statement.  This template includes the necessary components of a Scope of Work Statement.

For assistance, contact the grants specialist.

Preston Miller
Senior Grants Specialist
515-271-2850
preston.miller@drake.edu

  • Sample Budget Template
    This budget template will help you identify the expenses associated with your project. Your funder's application may require you to complete a different budget form.
  • Budget Narrative Sample
    Additionally, you will be required to justify each expense in the budget with a written description of each budget line item.
  • Federally Negotiated F&A Agreement
    Drake University has a federally negotiated rate for indirect costs. These are expenses the University accrues related to hosting your grant project.

Prior to submission, proposal budgets must be approved by a grants accountant. Contact a grants accountant for assistance.

Lori Byrd, MS
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance
lori.byrd@drake.edu
515-271-3717

OR

Preston Miller
Senior Grants Specialist
preston.miller@drake.edu 
515-271-2850

Research Review Committees
Research-Related Regulations
Research Compliance

All correspondence regarding research misconduct, research integrity, and research conflict of interest:

Lori Byrd, MS
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance
Drake University
228 Howard Hall
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, IA  50311-4505
Phone: 515-271-3717
Fax: 515-271-4067

Additional contacts:

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Kim Huey, Ph.D., Chair
Preston Miller, Staff Administrator
515-271-3472
iacuc@drake.edu
www.drake.edu/iacuc/

Institutional Review Board (IRB)
David Senchina, Ph.D., Chair
Preston Miller, Staff Administrator
515-271-DIRB (3472)
irb@drake.edu
www.drake.edu/irb/

University Policies
  • University Policy Library
  • University Approval Authority for Contracts and Transactions (see page 4-the Director of SPARC has authority on all grant-related contracts)
  • University Faculty Manual 
    • Extra Compensation from Grants
  • Policy & Procedures for Dealing with & Reporting Possible Misconduct in Science
  • Plagiarism Statement
  • University Copyright Policy
  • University Patent Policy
  • Institutional Review Board Policies
  • Field Study Form
  • University Conflict of Interest Policy
 Drake University Grant Policies
Research Compliance Policies
Federal Regulations
Forms

Drake University seeks to support faculty and staff development in a number of different ways. Drake grant programs available include subject-specific funding, as well as general development funding. Below are direct links to and highlights of the different programs offered by Drake.

Drake University Center for Global Citizenship

  • Faculty Development Fund

Drake University Center for the Humanities

  • Course Reassignment
  • Invited Speakers
  • Materials and Services Support
  • Research Travel Support
  • Sabbatical Support