1. Securing Funding For Your Dissertation Research

2. Overview Why? When? Where? How? What works? ??

3. Why? Great exercise Get Feedback Fully consistent with the requirements of your doctoral program Financial Resources (release form work, equipment, travel, assistance) Prestige Career booster

4. When? As soon as you have a concept or an idea for a study

5. Where? Sources of Funding More than a hundred of scholarships, fellowships, grants, awards http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ber/webpages/Grad _Dissert_Seminar_2005.html http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ber/webpages/Grad _Dissert_Seminar_2005.html My list Google Personal Contacts

6. My List http://www.naeducation.org/Adolescent_Literacy_Pre- Doctoral_Fellowship.html#TopOfPage http://www.spencer.org/programs/fellows/dissertation.htm http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf01113/nsf01113.htm http://www.hfg.org/df/guidelines.htm http://programs.ssrc.org/dpdf/ http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/american.cfm http://www.woodrow.org/newcombe/ http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/ http://www.rotary.org/foundation/grants/index.html

7. How? Take initiative Identify sources of funding (3-5 sources) Print out and read calls for proposals – Funding priorities (literacy, science, character, etc) – Eligibility (US citizen, female, etc) – Deadlines – Follow ALL instructions (font, page limit, etc) Write your narrative Contact program officer Have your peers and professors review your work Allow plenty of time for revisions, securing recommendation letters, preparing budgets, getting MSU approvals, etc. (3-6 months)

8. What Works? Strong core concept/idea Excellent academic writing Well thought-out research methodology Your ideas are tailored to address the funding priorities of the agency Personal resume demonstrates potential (evidence of awards, publications, etc.) Attention to detail: what are submission requirements: deadlines, page limit, approvals, etc) Get feedback from as many people as possible, plus a program officer!!! Be persistent: if you get rejected, apply again

9. Final Thoughts Similar to a personal resume: you need to convince your grant-readers that you are the best Not applying is a sure way to never get funded! Once you have ONE narrative, you can send it around until you get funded. The art of writing proposals: – http://fellowships.ssrc.org/art_of_writing_proposals/