Grant Writing

Abstract

Column description. The Internet Resources column is designed to be a clearinghouse for free, online websites or apps; each column focuses on a theme relevant to current issues and trends in academic libraries and features resources selected to make the lives of public services librarians easier. Any comments about the column, including suggestions for themes or recommendations of web resources, can be directed to Melissa Mallon.

DMPTool

https://dmptool.org/

Visited: Fall 2016

Reviewer: Cindy Gruwell, Professor/Research Librarian, St. Cloud State University

Today’s emphasis on writing grants in order to supplement diminishing budgets and to support a wide variety of projects begs for tools to make the job easier. Whether applying for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded grants or asking the local chamber of commerce for support, the manner in which a library presents its data to meet the requirements of funding agencies makes a difference before and after their application is accepted. The DMPTool, from GitHub, is a free, open source tool that provides the structure for creating a wide variety of data management plans (DMPs) through the use of templates and a step-by-step wizard. Individuals, government agencies, and profit/nonprofit entities are welcome to utilize all of the resources available. In addition, partner institutions can establish institutional accounts, create their own templates and provide support for their staff using a customized format. The site supports templates from all major funders and is frequently updated.

While intended for a diverse group of users, academic librarians may find this tool beneficial to both their data management planning and the research support they offer to faculty and staff at their host institutions. There is a substantial learning curve, which may be a result of a somewhat clunky interface and help screens that are not always located where one expects. However, given the paperwork struggles that grants often pose, this tool provides the formatting and detailing that major funders like the NIH and National Science Foundation (NSF) are looking for. A typical template asks for basic information such as DMP title, solicitation number, submission deadline, and co-owners, and then prompts for the type of data to be shared including schedules, methods, and agreements. Ultimately, plans are focused and customized based on grant or project requirements. When completed, they can be saved and printed in a consistent, clean format.

Contributing institutions such as the University of California, Los Angeles Library, Digital Curation Center, and the Smithsonian provided some of the initial expertise in developing this tool. Now, with over 6000+ users later, DMPTool is casting its net further by offering new and improved themes with prompts for common topics that will be available in machine actionable formats.

In Short: Though most grants require substantial quantities of detailed information, there is no doubt that data management plans have become instrumental to the viability of grants and other types of funding applications. Librarians can not only develop DMPs for their own projects, but also use their experience and planning expertise to support the work of their faculty, staff, and other community members.

Recommended with reservations (due to the substantial learning curve).

The Institute of Museum and Library Services

www.imls.gov

Visited: Fall 2016

Reviewer: Yvonne Mulhern, Instruction/Outreach Librarian, Tarleton State University

Libraries and museums are essential resources that are often at the mercy of local funding. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), created in 1996, bills itself as “the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums” (“About Us,” n.d.). Its mission is to “advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement” by providing leadership for libraries and museums through “research, policy development, and grant making” (“About Us,” n.d.).

The website is functional, well-designed, and logically organized. The front page includes large, attractive links for users to apply for grants and, for awardees, to begin implementing their grants right away. Each site page includes icon links to their Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts (all active) on the upper right. Next to these icons is a magnifying glass icon which links to a search box, so that a search can be performed on any page of the site.

The site is organized so that grant-seekers can quickly find out about current grants, the application process, prominent library and museum issues, how to become an IMLS reviewer, and much more. There are a number of links on the IMLS website, including About Us, Grants, Issues, Publications, Research and Evaluation, News and Events, and IMLS at 20. The Grants page allows readers to apply for a grant, learn about the Library Grants to States Program, apply to become a reviewer, and more. The Issues page has links to national issues and priorities, and the IMLS strategic plan. The Publications page links to reports, surveys, and videos.

The site’s content comprises a wide variety of materials, including grant descriptions and applications; historical information about IMLS (2016 is their twentieth anniversary); reports of past activity and information on pertinent issues such as nationwide broadband access; disabled persons’ access to library and museum services and resources; makerspaces; and legislation.

There is also a link on the home page where librarians and museum employees can find out about IMLS activities in their state. The intended audience is employees and administrators of libraries and museums in the United States who are seeking grant funding.

The content covers past and future grants awarded in the United States, as well as issues pertinent to funding, the history of the organization, news and events. There are also links for readers to apply for a job at IMLS and to apply to become a grant reviewer.

In Short: This site is a valuable resource for museum and library employees seeking external funding for projects. It is well-organized and user-friendly, and provides lots of valuable information. Grant-seeking librarians should find it to be an indispensable resource.

Highly Recommended.

GrantSpace

http://grantspace.org

Visited: Fall 2016

Reviewer: Stacie Schmidt, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Biola University

GrantSpace functions as an informative arm of the Foundation Center, and aims to “[provide] easy-to-use, self-service tools and resources to help nonprofits worldwide become more viable grant applicants and build strong, sustainable organizations” (GrantSpace, n.d.). GrantSpace was chosen for inclusion for this column due to its robust collection of grant writing resources.

GrantSpace’s audience is intentionally broad: any organization or individuals operating in the nonprofit sector, or those interested in creating a nonprofit. Although not geared specifically towards libraries, any non-profit library would be benefit from the resources contained within GrantSpace. A detailed knowledge base on fundraising and other grant topics, the site is robust and well organized. GrantSpace offers a plethora of free and paid training courses, both online and in-person. A searchable database of sample documents submitted by fellow nonprofit organizations is accessible through creation of a free account, and includes documents from libraries. The “Collaboration Hub,” a database of reports and information on successful non-profit collaborations, could serve to inspire libraries towards future collaborations.

The website is well designed and easy to navigate. “Subjects” and “Skills” are broken into discreet sections, allowing the user to easily focus on the topic of their choice. These topic sections (such as “Arts and Culture,” “Education,” “Fundraising,” and “Proposal Writing”) are self-contained and collate all resources on the user’s chosen topic onto a single page. This impressive design choice allows users to immerse themselves in useful information on their topic without getting distracted by non-essentials.

Material on the website is written by a wide variety of individuals involved in the nonprofit sector. GrantSpace also has a staff of reference librarians available to answer questions about grant writing, the Foundation Center, and other resources available for nonprofits. GrantSpace is a natural fit for libraries interested in nonprofit activities. Librarians interested in learning how to find and write grants will be well supported by GrantSpace.

In Short: GrantSpace is a robust collection of informative and valuable tools, and provides a high level of support. GrantSpace provides detailed and easy to understand resources for libraries at all steps of the grant and fundraising process. It is an excellent resource for novice grant writers, or those looking for additional support in their grant writing.

Highly Recommended.