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RESEARCH GUIDES

Public Health

Guide to selected resources in Public Health.

Locating Funding

Search Funding Databases

The University of Maryland invests significant resources in subscriptions to several third-party funding databases that allow faculty and staff to easily search for available global funding opportunities using their existing UMD login credentials. 

Learn about funders

Access Foundation Directory

  • If you’ve found a foundation funding opportunity that you are interested in applying for, use Foundation Directory Online to obtain additional details on that foundation before drafting your proposal materials.
  • This directory does NOT list specific award opportunities, but it is especially helpful as a scoping tool for learning about the funding and programmatic profiles of over 100K foundations and charities.
  • Use the profile information found on the directory to write a more targeted proposal that focuses on the specific funding priorities and interests of the foundation you’re applying to. 

Database Description: Accessible through UMD Libraries Database Finder, the Foundation Directory online is the leading resource in the world of philanthropy. It provides everything about U.S. foundations and their millions of grants around the world. Search up to nine databases at once — grantmakers, companies, grants, 990s, RFPs, philanthropy news, foundation-sponsored publications, nonprofit literature, and jobs. Includes descriptions of more than 100,000 Community Foundations; Corporate Giving Programs, Operating Foundations, Private Grantmaking Foundations (independent and company-sponsored foundations); and Grantmaking Public Charities.

Foundation Directory helps nonprofits and individuals find funding faster

  • Build robust prospect lists from 298,000+ grantmakers
  • Know which funders are more likely to provide support
  • Connect with key decision makers through the LinkedIn integration
  • Find collaboration opportunities and join forces with other nonprofits  
  • Search for grants, scholarships, and fellowships

Access Grants Index (Web of Science)

The Grants Index is designed to present "standardized data sourced from over 400 funders around the globe to help researchers build a more thorough understanding of previous successes in their field by funder." Find successfully funded projects by topic, researcher, funding agency, principal investigator, grant type, and more.

Find funding

Access Grants.gov

  • Find available federal funding opportunities from 26 different federal grant-making agencies.
  • Tailor your funding search by newest opportunity, funding category, funding agency, and researcher eligibility.

Access SPINPlus

Database Description: World's Largest Database of Sponsored Funding Opportunities available through UMD.

Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) database features information on over 40,000 funding opportunities from more than 10,000 sponsors worldwide. SPINPlus data is obtained directly from the sponsoring agencies to ensure its accuracy.

On-Campus:
You can automatically use SpinPlus from any on-campus IP address.

Off-Campus:
You'll need a SPINPlus profile (free and available here) to use the service off-campus. A profile also allows you to save searches to revisit.

UMD Division of Research Funding Resources

Each week the Research Development Office highlights a selection of opportunities.

Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) database features information on over 40,000 funding opportunities from more than 10,000 sponsors worldwide. SPINPlus data is obtained directly from the sponsoring agencies to ensure its accuracy.

On-Campus:
You can automatically use SpinPlus from any on-campus IP address.

Off-Campus:
You'll need a SpinPlus profile (free and available here) to use the service off-campus. A profile also allows you to save searches to revisit.

Quick Start Guide

State and Federal Government Agencies

Explore these external resources for state and government-funded research opportunities.

Start your exploration with The Grantsmanship - This site describes the different sources of grant funding (e.g. foundation, governmnet, corporate funding) and provides grant funing resources at the sate level.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - This resource provides detailed information on the agency's financial assistance programs, including grants and cooperative agreements, aimed at supporting public health initiatives and research.
  • District of Columbia (DC) Office of Partnership and Grant Services - The Mayor's Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) in Washington, D.C., administers the Community Grant Program, allocating $7 million annually to qualified community-based organizations (CBOs) across the District.
  • Fogarty International Center - The Center at NIH offers funding to support global health research. Fogarty also offers a variety of resources for those seeking global health research funding across NIH, and from other organizations.
  • Grants.gov - Search Grants.gov for federal grants by keywords or more specific criteria. All discretionary grants offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies can be found on Grants.gov.
  • Maryland Grants Portal - Although not a comprehensive list of all available grants, efforts are made to compile STATE GRANT programs and PRIVATE FOUNDATION funding opportunities. Each grant has its own eligibility criteria and application deadline.
  • National Institutes of Aging (NIA) - Grants and funding opportunities from NIA.
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) - Grants and funding opportunities from the NIMH, the largest funder of research on mental disorders in the world. 
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Grants and funding opportunities from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) - Grants and funding opportunities from the National Science Foundation.
  • Sam.gov - View a listing of all opportunities for private contracting work over $25,000 that are available and published by the Federal Government. Produced by US General Services Administration (GSA).
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) - Grants and funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)

Foundations and Public Charities

A diverse array of non-profit organizations supports various research initiatives, ranging from prominent foundations addressing global challenges to smaller family foundations dedicated to a specific issue. Before reaching out with inquiries or proposals, thoroughly research their missions, as funding decisions are guided by their programmatic priorities.

 

  • Annenberg Foundation - ​Funds programs in education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; and animal services and the environment.
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation - The mission of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation is to help reduce health disparities by strengthening community-based health care worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services, and mobilizing communities in the fight.
  • Doris Duke Charitable Foundation - This foundation supports four national grant-making programs: the Arts Program, the Child Abuse Prevention Program, the Environment Program and the Medical Research Program. It also supports the African Health Initiative.
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Grants to improve health and health care.

 

Crowd Source Funding Portals

Crowdfunding is widely recognized as a method of raising funds by collecting small contributions from a large group of individuals. Numerous crowdfunding platforms are available to help initiate your fundraising efforts.
  • Kickstarter.com - A funding platform focused on a broad spectrum of creative projects. The Kickstarter economy is based on the offering of rewards – copies of the work, limited editions, fun experiences.
  • IndieGoGo - Billed as the world's leading international funding platform, IndieGoGo is for all types of funding needs, including filmmaking.
  • crowdrise.com - A unique blend of online fundraising, crowdsourcing, social networking, contests, and other ways to challenge donors.
  • FundRazr - Dedicated to raising money for anything from personal causes to nonprofits to entrepreneurial projects.
  • StartSomeGood - Crowdfunding for social entrepreneurs, as well as nonprofits and other individuals committed to making change.

Image: Eamonlineorg

Guides, Tutorials and News

General Guides

  • The Grantsmanship - This site describes the different sources of grant funding (e.g. foundation, governmnet, corporate funding) and provides grant funing resources at the sate level.
  • GuideStar - This resource allows you to check out nonprofit organizations, charity organizations, and look at the reports on them for free. You can write a review on any experiences you've had with a charity organization as well.NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts - This guide serves as the official source for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) notices regarding grant policies, guidelines, and funding opportunities. It is updated daily, with a Weekly Table of Contents summarizing the latest postings.
  • The Chronicle of Philanthropy - The Chronicle provides news and information for tax-exempt organizations. In addition, it offers lists of grants, fundraising ideas and techniques, statistics, reports on tax and court rulings, summaries of books, and a calendar of events.
  • USC - The Best of The Web for Grant Writers - The online grant writing class at USC has compiled this great list of resources for grant writers!

UMD Resources

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