Writing a proposal is a major
investment of time and energy.
Why should you bother? What's in it for you?
The most important reason to
obtain external funding is because you have a strong desire to accomplish
something. You have good ideas with a long-term vision. Often, external
funding provides an opportunity to maximize your impact and affect change
while creatively solving problems.
External funding brings you in
contact with professionals from outside your department and often from
across the nation. It allows you to develop a broader network of colleagues
and brings about a real sense of collegiality. Building a network increases
your chances of future funding, as the trend is to fund collaborative
projects.
An important reward for most who
gain external funding is that your time can be reassigned to a project of
your own choosing. Teaching loads may be reduced so that you can teach
fewer courses and have more time to engage in creative and scholarly
activities, explore innovative teaching strategies, or design superior
instructional materials.
Travel may be increased through
external funding. Money is available for travel to conferences and project
director's meetings where you can meet others in your field and exchange
ideas. There are opportunities to travel out of the country to pursue
research or investigate ideas in an area of interest.
Equally important, but less
quantifiable, are the satisfaction, professional recognition, and
revitalization gained by opportunities provided by external funding.
College
Benefits
Grants provide opportunities for
the College to...
Upgrade existing programs
Supplement resources
Attract new faculty and students
Increase status of faculty and the college
Enhance connection to community
Provide service to the state and nation
Project
Director Benefits
Grants provide opportunities for you to...
Create or experiment with new curriculum, instructional methodology, or technology
Indulge your natural curiosity - try out a new idea to see if it works
Reach-out to students and future students
Do something different
Enhance personnel and professional development and opportunities
Ready to get
started? Choose from one of the links to the left
or click here to return to the Grants & Resource
Development home page.
