College of Liberal Arts

CLA Grants, Fellowships,
and Research Funding
209 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

clagrant@umn.edu
Phone: 612-626-9612

Funding FAQ

How do I find funds for a publishing subvention and editing?

Check with your chair for departmental support. Talk with your editor about sources for subventions that the press has used previously. Check for programs sponsored by scholarly societies in your field. Search for funds in these categories using the IRIS, COS, SPIN, and Foundation Directory Online databases.

I’ve heard that there may be individual donors interesting in funding my project. How do I connect with them?

Individual donors are approached only by Development Officers (DO’s), who are assigned to CLA departments and who work with department chairs to identify funding priorities by department. Talk with your chair about bringing your project to the attention of the DO assigned to your department.

Is it possible to get corporate support for a project?

Sometimes. Depending on the corporation, you’ll need to work with either your department’s Development Officer or a CLA Grants Consultant to approach corporate funders. Contact a grants consultant.

I have found some foundations whose funding priorities fit with my project. How do I approach them for support?

Because many foundations wish to work with a single office in a large institution like the University, you’ll need to learn about any on-going relationships between the U and the foundation in which you are interested. Talk with a Grants Consultant to learn about such relationships.

If there is a prior relationship, it is possible that it is managed by people at the UM Foundation office and that other project are ahead of yours in priority. In this case, you will need to wait to approach the foundation in question until others have completed their “asks.” If not, you may work with a Grants Consultant to submit a proposal.

Read the full process for approaching foundations. Talk with a CLA Grants Consultant before you approach any foundation. Contact a grants consultant.

I’ve heard that I need to submit my proposal through SPA. How do I do that?

Instructions for submitting proposals through SPA are found here.

Why do I need to take RCR training in order to receive my grant monies?

Training in the responsible conduct of research is required of faculty at all institutions accepting federal research dollars. Federal standards for training are increasingly required by non-federal funders as well.