In this post Boz Czarnecki & Elisabetta Spano (Proposal Development Executive’s: EU & International Team) share information on a new information resource which collates fundamental information on US Federal Funders, and shares details of eligibility and opportunities for our researchers.
Introduction
The US Federal funding area is vast and difficult to navigate. Eligibility of foreign institutions such as The University of Edinburgh is limited to specific opportunities and mechanisms, and it takes time to find out what is available. Although we cannot claim to have cracked all the US federal eligibility codes, we feel we can now share information about some funders and opportunities, categorising them by how likely they are to fund the University (or other international entities). Another reason for delivering this information to our research community now is to start a conversation about gaps in what we know. Specifically, if you have insights about specific Federal funders or opportunities, or you would like to share your experience of engaging with federal funding, please contact us (contact information can be found at the bottom of this page).
Overview of the US Federal Funding site
We have created a new resource which compiles some elementary information on US Federal funders. Whether you are already familiar with certain US Federal funders or completely new to this rich area, we hope that this resource will help you explore the broad and often complex US Federal funding landscape with more clarity and potentially identify suitable opportunities to fund your research.
How does the resource work?
We have divided the information into four sections:
- Funding Highlights
- NIH Eligibility
- Other relevant federal departments and agencies
- Remaining federal departments and agencies
Section 1 covers three departments that we know UoE researchers have applied to and these funders are likely to be interested in proposals from our institution:
- The National Institute of Health, falling under the Department of Health and Human Services;
- The US Department of Defence; and,
- The US Department of Commerce.
Section 2 focuses specifically on NIH eligibility, in part because of its popularity among University of Edinburgh researchers. Here you can find further information about the type of grants that may be available as well as those that probably aren’t. We have included information on eligibility of foreign institutions, codes and terminology that we believe will be helpful to navigate the NIH and other federal funding resources more confidently. Please note that this score isn’t exhaustive (NIH itself is comprised of a large number of centres and institutes).
Section 3 and 4 are the outcome of our examination of the external sources. Section 3 covers those federal funders where there may be opportunities for researchers to explore. Section 4 covers federal funders where it is less likely to be a systematic target for international researchers or are unlikely to systematically make funding opportunities available to international institutions.
Before you apply
If you already have a specific opportunity in mind, please contact our Research Funding Specialists at least 2 months ahead of the funder deadline. US federal applications are administratively demanding, therefore last minute submissions are unlikely to be approved or be successful with the funder.
What else should I consider?
US federal funders are particularly sensitive about security issues, including export control. Please review export control guidelines and talk to our Export Control experts.
Contacts
Contact details for colleagues who can support on US Federal funding can be found on the Overview of US Federal Funding site
If you would like to discuss eligibility criteria and a potential funding application, please contact the Research Funding Specialists.
If you would like to share insights about US Federal Funding opportunities please contact our Proposal Development Executives.
Please note that Proposal Development Executives do not currently offer proposal development for federal funding opportunities.
