U.VA. GRANTWRITING WORKSHOPS

The Office of Development and Public Affairs, the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, the Office of theVice Provost for Faculty Advancement, and the TeachingResourceCenterannounce twojointly-sponsored grantwriting workshopson 11 January 2008 with Dr. Robert Porter, from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Porter will conduct two workshop sessions: “Successful Grant Writing” and “Finding Funding.” Dr. Porter presents grant writing workshops at major national universities and his 2007 U.Va. workshops were very well-received.

These programs are free and open to all University faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. Attendance is limited to 80 people per session. Online registration for each session is now open. Registration deadline is 4 January 2008. Pleasego to: to register.

Additional details about the two sessions and Dr. Porter are below. Questions? Please contact Jeffrey Plank, Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, 924-6901 or .

WRITING SUCCESSFUL GRANTS

Friday, January 11, 2008

9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Harrison Institute Auditorium

This workshop covers the basic principles of good grant writing for researchers in all disciplines, starting with the phrasing of a compelling research theme to the actual construction of the proposal itself. Major differences between acceptable "academic prose" and persuasive grant writing are highlighted. Common pitfalls that can lead to early rejection of good ideas are reviewed, matched with practical strategies for better writing.

  • Killer mistakes in grant writing and how to avoid them
  • Two critical steps that will double your chances for success
  • How to win over grant reviewers
  • Simple keys to a more powerful writing style
  • Visualization: Using illustrations to "sell" your project

FINDING FUNDING

Friday, January 11, 2008

1 – 4 p.m. Harrison Institute Auditorium

The search for funding can be both time consuming and frustrating. Online databases are becoming increasingly important in helping scholars to quickly identify potential sponsors for their research. This "hands on" workshop will focus on the use of powerful tools such as Community of Science, the FoundationCenter and Grants.gov. Search techniques for web sites of federal agencies will also be covered, with plenty of time for participants to practice their skills.

  • Keyword searches of online databases
  • Refining your search with keyword manipulation
  • Searching for recent awards by topic and sponsor
  • Locating potential collaborators
  • Navigating web sites of key federal agencies

(Note: This workshop requires a laptop computer with wireless capability)

WORKSHOP LEADER

Robert Porter, Ph. D., has more than thirty years' experience as a tenured professor, private consultant, and research administrator. His proposals have won more than $5 million in awards from government agencies and private foundations. Dr. Porter has presented papers and workshops on grant writing at national conferences and has published prize-winning articles on this subject in the Journal of Research Administration. Currently Director of the Proposal Development Team at Virginia Tech, Dr. Porter previously taught at SwarthmoreCollege, SusquehannaUniversity, and EasternWashingtonUniversity. He holds graduate degrees in Speech Communications from the University of Michigan.