Support for Grant Writing

One-on-One Support

Dana Nowlin-Russell is available to consult one-on-one with Pitt faculty who are writing grant proposals.

Dana regularly teaches the Grant Writing course in the English Department, and she has recently added a Grant Writing for Research course to the undergraduate course catalog. She is especially interested in helping faculty writers organize proposal information, generate and clarify ideas, work through writer’s block, and develop language appropriate for funders. 

Dana offers individual appointments on a first-come, first-served basis, starting May 22. You can choose to book either a one-hour appointment or a 30-minute appointment online. To make an appointment, visit her schedule and book your appointment.

When you are scheduling your appointment, please set clear intentions. Provide a few sentences that answer these questions: “How can we make the most out of this session?” and “What am I writing about (or what do I want to write about)?” If possible, note any relevant proposal information, such as the funder's name (if applicable), focus area(s), and deadlines. 

Questions? Email Dana.

Writing Accountability Group for Grant Writers

The Writing Institute is happy to announce a writing accountabilty group focused on supporting faculty members who are currently working on grant proposals. This group is designed as a supportive and collaborative environment where you can set personalized writing and content goals, connect with colleagues, and create an accountability system for your project. There is no need for an RSVP; writers can drop in and participate however much their schedules allow. Have you wanted to write grant proposals to support your scholarship and teaching, but you feel overwhelmed by the process? Do your grant-writing goals keep sinking to the bottom of your to-do list? 

Whether you are an experienced proposal writer or working on your first application, this group will provide an opportunity for you to share your progress and challenges with others who understand the demands of grant writing. 

This group begins May 25 and will run every Thursday from 10 am-11 am for six weeks. 

The Grant Writing Accountability Group is facilitated by Dana Nowlin-Russell. Questions? Please contact Dana at dnruss@pitt.edu

Resources

The Pitt Research Navigator is a resource for all your research-related questions, large or small. The tool is part of Pitt’s concierge program and is based in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research.

The Office of Sponsored Projects offers a wealth of resources, including guidelines and examples for NEH, NIH, NSF, and Fulbright proposals. They also offer proposal development training.

They offer training and resources for those who are applying for prestigious awards.

And they can help you learn to use Pivot in order to identify potential grant opportunities.

Examples

Sometimes writers find it useful to see examples of successful grants. 

Open Grants is an open repository of funding proposals that you can browse.

You can browse successful National Endowment for the Humanities funded projects from the University of Pittsburgh.

You can also browse funded Mellon Foundation projects from Pitt faculty.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services maintains a list of funded grants, and you can see projects specifically from the University of Pittsburgh.