Grants
Westcliff University Office of Sponsored Programs
The office of sponsored programs (OSP) aids in the finding, development, submission, management, and closing of grants associated with Westcliff University and Westcliff University Endeavors. Any submission for external funding (private, state, federal, etc.) must be filtered through the OSP and obtain all necessary signatures prior to submission.
Process of Award Cycles
What to Know Before Considering a Grant/External Funding
Grants are not ‘free money.’ They require a project/program with a clear plan, diversified funding, clear evidence-based need, and substantial impact. Before you consider getting a project or program funded through a grant or other types of external funding, please read through the basics here.
OSP Process Pre-Award
In order to submit your proposal for clearance, please see the pre-steps you should consider taking.
Note: You do not have to do an initial consultation with a grant writer (GW) to submit a clearance form, but you will need to submit the form to the OSP department and ensure proper sign off before submitting the grant itself.
When We Help
Submitting and managing a grant takes a team. We will help to facilitate the finding, writing, and collaboration necessary to submit your grant. However, each project/program must have a principal investigator (PI) and co-principal investigator (CPI). To see the breakdown of responsibilities, please see here.
Pre-Award
Initial Consultation
Book an initial consultation with a grant writer (GW) to discuss your project design and proposal before completing the proposal clearance form. Set consultation here.
Note: This will be a 30 minute consultation. Ensure you have your questions ready to make most use of this time. Read through the OSP guide to answer any basic questions you may have prior to this consultation.
Follow Up Consultation
After submitting your grant proposal clearance form with the project readiness form embedded and receiving clearance from the university, a GW will contact you to set an appointment and gather all the information necessary to help you find funding for your project/program (Forms available below).
Note: This will be a 45 minute consultation. The OSP office will have a set of questions ready to go through with you to verify any additional information to begin writing your grant.
Continual Support
After funding is found for your project/program, the PI and CPI will be notified. The GW will begin creating the full proposal for your grant. The PI and GW will be in consistent communication both through Google Docs and Zoom (as needed).
Note: The majority of the communication will be asynchronous. Please ensure you are checking your email and are able to respond to requests promptly.
During the Award
After an award has been granted, the OSP office will help with the following:
- Emailing the award letter to the PI and CPI
- Negotiating the terms of the award (if necessary)
- Obtaining the signatures and documents required for the letter of acceptance
- Liaising with the financial department to create the independent cost center
- Meeting with all involved to review the grant and the responsibilities prior to implementation
- Creating a project flow with deadlines and reminders for the life of the grant
- Submitting the reports
Overall, What Do I Need To Do?
- Determine a program you would like to find funding for
- Complete the Grant Proposal Clearance Form and Project Readiness Form
- Email both forms to ospoffice@westcliff.edu
- Wait to receive feedback from the OSP office and adjust as needed
- Upon clearance of grant idea, the OSP office will initiate research into funding opportunities
- Upon determination of funding alignment, the OSP office will contact the PI and begin the process of writing the grant
Deadlines
It is imperative that you allow yourself ample time to develop the grant proposal prior to the deadline of the grant. In order to ensure we have the time to help you through the process, get the correct signatures, and produce something of quality, we require the following timelines to be adhered to (Please see our OSP Guide for information related to rushed applications).
Federal and State Grants: 16 weeks prior to grant deadline
Local and Foundational Grants: 6 weeks prior to grant deadline
Contact Us
For any questions, email ospoffice@westcliff.edu