The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is pleased to announce the Spring 2021 Grant Academy, a grant writing professional development program providing training and support for a select cohort of faculty investigators working with senior faculty, research development experts, and research administrators, with the goal of submitting a successful funding proposal.
The Spring 2021 Grant Academy is open to all faculty, in any discipline, from across the university. This multifaceted training will offer assistance to a selected cohort of faculty who: (1) currently have a concrete research project idea, (2) are ready to develop a proposal and (3) have identified a 2021-22 grant opportunity that will have a transformative impact on their career if awarded. Faculty participants will receive step-by-step guidance on proposal strategy, development and project management; scaffolded proposal preparation with intensive individual support from research development staff, and three-tiered review, including cohort peer partner feedback, internal VCU review by a participant-identified senior faculty mentor; and access to an external review committee before submission.
Cohort workshops will include topics such as how to communicate your research project effectively, working with the Division of Sponsored Programs, Research Integrity and Ethics, and the offices of Export Control and Compliance and Team Science, and the VCU Libraries, as well as the Office of Research Subjects Protections and the Animal Care and Use Program (depending on the topic of your research) and others. In addition, there will be sessions on individual funding agency requirements and tips for submission, requirements regarding clinical trials, and how to strategize for future funding.
The spring 2021 cohort will consist of 12-15 faculty participants. Applicants need to be available to consistently attend all cohort workshop sessions (dates are detailed under the Schedule tab below).
Online applications to participate in the Spring 2021 Grant Academy are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021.
The Grant Academy offers training and support that, when combined over a period of time, aims to steadily build understanding and skills in competitive grant writing.
The Spring 2021 Grant Academy formal workshop sessions will take place from March 2021 to November 2021 (with continued proposal support through individual funding deadlines). Cohort workshops will meet for approximately two hours (usually Tuesdays from 3 to 5 p.m.), with additional individual support meetings with research development staff. Participants are expected to attend all scheduled cohort meetings. Participants are also encouraged to meet with each other, instructors and facilitators, or attend other related workshops at other times to supplement their training. A fully detailed schedule will be distributed to faculty cohort participants.
Spring 2021 Grant Academy schedule
(tentative and may be subject to change)
Please note: All workshop sessions will take place virtually via Zoom.
March 5, 2021 | Deadline for completed Grant Academy online applications and submission of all required documents |
March 16, 2021 | Notify selected Grant Academy participants and faculty mentors |
March 23, 2021 | Cohort Workshop I: 3-5 p.m. |
April 27, 2021 | Cohort Workshop II: 3-5 p.m. |
May 25, 2021 | Cohort Workshop III: 3-5 p.m. Individual project/proposal meetings begin |
June 28-29, 2021 | Cohort Workshop IV: 3-5 p.m. Agency-specific presentations |
August 31, 2021 | Cohort Workshop V: 3-5 p.m. |
October 5, 2021 | Cohort Workshop VI: 3-5 p.m. |
October 26, 2021 | Cohort Workshop VII: 3-5 p.m. |
November 16, 2021 | Cohort Workshop VIII: 3-5 p.m. |
Continued proposal development work until individual PI deadlines |
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Spring and fall | Program officer visits to VCU |
To participate in the Spring 2021 Grant Academy, faculty must meet the eligibility criteria below:
Grant Academy faculty participation in cohort workshops, individual meetings with the research development team, as well as out-of-class proposal preparation is estimated at 10 hours per month (for 11 months). Therefore, all applicants will have to secure a departmental endorsement. This endorsement assures that the investigator will receive the necessary time to participate.
Grant Academy cohort members will be expected to:
Grant Academy application link
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021. Selected applicants and faculty mentors will be notified of selection decisions via email by March 16, 2021.
The application consists of five brief parts:
Contact us
Melissa Throckmorton
Director of research development and strategic projects
throckmortms@vcu.edu
(804) 827-1443
Joshua Hahn
Senior grant development specialist
hahnj2@vcu.edu
(804) 827-1524