Grants Facilitation

Grant Facilitation Officers (GFO) support faculty in applying for research grants. Your GFO will meet with you to:

- help identify funding opportunities
- assist with initiating and developing research collaborations
- provide review, editing and revision of research proposals, including budget justification
- work with you through the review and proposal submission processes
- share research-related resources

To set up a meeting with the Faculty's GFO, Lisa Charlong Norris, you can email Lisa at lcharlong@mun.ca or call 864-7623.

When to schedule a meeting with your GFO

The amount of assistance a GFO can offer is dependent on how soon into your research idea or grant application you schedule a meeting. The following list describes expected levels of services according to deadlines:

The less time you leave for writing, coordinating and reviewing a grant, the more mistakes will be made.

1 year before funder's deadline: Major grant competitions should be planned one year in advance of the funder's deadline. One year lead time allows you to:

review all funder (i.e. Tri-Council) guidelines and instructions
begin a literature review
build your research team
consult with your GFO on your application plan and on potential seed funding you can apply for

6 months before funder's deadline: This is a good time to begin drafts of your application sections such as:

the project description
your budget
team roles and training
your knowledge mobilization plan
your *research data management plan
ask colleagues and your GFO for feedback on each section.

3 months before funder's deadline:

Pull together all sections of the proposal.
Send template for letters of support to all who agreed to provide them.
Remind co-applicants (and yourself) that CVs need to be updated and, in the case of SSHRC and other Tri-Council grants, entered into the online CV portal. NEVER underestimate how long it takes to enter this information!
Meet with your GFO to review ANY questions you have about the application as well as the review and submission process.
The GFO will review your budget again for elligible and illegible expenses.

1 month before the funder's deadline:

Feedback from colleagues and your GFO get incorporated into your application.
CVs are updated and entered into any required online system (i.e. CCV)
Signed support letters are done.

2 weeks before the funder's deadline:

Your GFO will give the Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Programs, advance notice that your application will be submitted.
Your GFO can work with you to begin describing your application in the Memorial Researcher Portal (title, team, ethics clearance, intellectual property, in-kind and cash contributions, etc).
10 days before the funder's deadline: All review and institutional signatures on your grant application take place in the MUN researcher portal.

Once you submit (hit the submit button), your application will be formally reviewed first by the GFO then the Associate Dean.
If no changes are necessary, your application will be moved to the research office (RGCS) for final review and institutional signature (where applicable).
RGCS requires at least 3 days to review your file; the faculty requires 7 days.

Night after submission date:

Celebrate

Two nights after submission date:

Start next grant :)