See guidebook* for list of first-point-of-contact information, indexed by common questions/areas of authority.

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Research Development encompasses "a set of strategic, proactive, catalytic, and capacity-building activities designed to facilitate individual faculty members, teams of researchers, and central research administrations in attracting extramural research funding, creating relationships, and developing and implementing strategies that increase institutional competitiveness" (National Organization of Research Development Professionals).

The Office of Research Development (ORD) in the Division of Research, Economic Development, and Innovation (REDI) can help you find and apply for external funding to support your work at JMU, including:

• research and scholarship
• creative works
• pedagogical projects
• community engagement initiatives
• convergence grants for interdisciplinary collaborations
• and more!

1) Get in touch via email:

• Email your Research Development Associate (RDA) a brief description of your project idea(s) and funding needs or request a 1:1 RD consultation in person or via Zoom. Contact information available in the full guide*.
• You may also email the central Office of Research Development at researchdevelopment@jmu.edu, especially if you are working on a grant as part of an interdisciplinary team with collaborators outside of CAL.

2) Attend workshops and events:

• Join grant and fellowship workshops and writing sessions organized by your RDA in collaboration with the Dean’s Office.
• Attend Madison Research Club or other workshops sponsored by the central Office of Research Development (ORD)

3) Connect with ORD on social media:

Follow these accounts on LinkedIn and/or Instagram for grant tips, event announcements, external funding opportunities, and other resources:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

4) Visit the ORD website:

Check out the ORD website for event announcements, proposal development toolkits for selected external funders, and other resources.

5) Subscribe to the ORD YouTube channel:

The ORD YouTube channel features recordings of past trainings and workshops, as well as videos to help you with the budget development process.

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What does OSP do?

The Office of Sponsored Programs works closely with ORD and assists the JMU community with applying for and receiving external funding. They ensure submitted applications comply with sponsor, state, and JMU policies regulations; they also assist PIs with JMU’s internal approval process for grants. When an award is issued, they negotiate and sign its terms on behalf of the university. After an award, they continue to assist PIs by submitting prior approvals, including no-cost extensions, budget revisions, and more. They also facilitate non-financial reporting.

When is internal approval from OSP-AS required to submit a proposal?

Approval from OSP-AS is typically REQUIRED for

• Federal grants
• State grants
• Private foundation grants awarded to the institution
• External funding opportunities that require a detailed budget and institutional approval

• Fellowships awarded to individual scholars
• Library / archival research travel grants awarded to individual scholars
• Private foundation small grants awarded to individuals
• Letters of inquiry (LOIs) submitted before full proposal invitation are issued by the sponsor

If you are unsure whether an external funding opportunity requires JMU internal approval, please contact your RD Associate for guidance.

Ready to work on a grant that requires a budget and internal approval?

Please submit OSP’s brief Interest Form!

Completing this form will allow OSP-AS to assign a grants specialist to provide budget development support. Please be sure to submit this form if you are interested in applying for a limited submission opportunity.

For Grants & Fellowships Requiring OSP Approval:

1. Let your Research Development Associate (RDA) know that you plan to apply for a grant and request proposal support. Consider sharing a one-page summary of your project idea to ensure alignment with the funder’s priorities.

2. Notify your Academic Unit Head (AUH) of your intent to apply.

3. Submit the OSP Interest Form.

4. Start budget development with your assigned OSP Grants Specialist as early as possible or 4 weeks in advance of the sponsor’s deadline.

4. Register for application submission portal credentials (if applicable) and begin entering your proposal information on Cayuse, JMU’s research administration platform.

5. Draft the proposal narrative and all required elements. Contact your RDA for support as needed.

6. Submit any relevant forms or protocols, e.g., Institutional Review Board (IRB).

7. Coordinate with any collaborators (contractors, subawardees) and submit any required documents, if applicable.

8. Finalize the budget with your OSP Grants Specialist. Write up a budget justification and share it with your Grants Specialist for review and approval.

9. Finalize your proposal by uploading your proposal narrative, budget justification, and other required documents to Cayuse. The JMU internal deadline to submit final proposal materials to OSP-AS for compliance check and approval is at least 5 business days in advance of the sponsor’s deadline.  The proposal will be routed to you, any co-PIs, your AUH, and the Dean for review and approval.

10. Submit your proposal only after OSP-AS gives you the OK to do so. Email your RDA to confirm that you have submitted your application.

For Pre-Proposals, Letters of Inquiry (LOI), and Fellowships Not Requiring OSP Approval or When You Are Unsure:

1. Let your Research Development Associate (RDA) know that you plan to apply. Consider sharing a one-page summary of your project idea to ensure alignment with the funder’s priorities.

2. Notify your Academic Unit Head (AUH) of your intent to apply.

3. If you are working on a pre-proposal, letter of inquiry (LOI), or fellowship application that can be paid through JMU, please submit OSP's Interest Form, even if you are intending for it to paid to you directly. This will ensure that if for administrative reasons payment to JMU becomes necessary it can be processed. If a budget is needed, OSP-AS will assign a grants specialist to provide budget development support. You may be asked to submit your proposal materials via JMU’s research administration platform, Cayuse, for internal approval from your AUH and the dean.

4. Register for application submission portal credentials (if applicable).

5. Draft the proposal narrative and all required elements. Contact your RDA for support as needed.

6. Submit your application materials via email or the sponsor’s application portal by the deadline.

7. E-mail your RDA to confirm that you have submitted your application.

8. Please send a copy of your proposal or letter of inquiry (LOI) to grants@jmu.edu if budget development support and JMU approval may be needed at a later date, e.g., a full proposal invitation for an institutional grant.

Fellowships that support work in the humanities, arts, and social sciences are usually individual awards with project durations of 6-12 months. Since fellowships are structured differently across sponsors, that can impact the pre-submission approval process, as well as options for salary support and benefits if your application is successful. Some fellowships allow applicants to accept funding as individuals or through their institutions, while others specify one or the other.

Besides funder restrictions, your academic unit may have additional preferences for dealing with fellowships since many fellowships require a full-time commitment to project activities, thereby involving course and service release time.

For fellowships that must be paid to an individual:

When the fellowship must be paid directly to an individual (e.g., NEH Fellowships, Guggenheim Fellowships), you should inform and work with the Research Development Associate, your Academic Unit Head (AUH), and your dean's office (see guidebook* for CAL-specific contact information) before applying for a fellowship. The Office of Sponsored Programs-Administrative Services (OSP-AS) should not be involved.

For fellowships that can be paid through JMU:

When the fellowship can be paid through JMU (e.g., ACLS Fellowships), then it is generally preferrable to work through the institution. This approach is easier for tax purposes and typically allows recipients to retain university benefits during the fellowship period. In addition to reaching out to your Research Development Associate, your AUH, and your dean's office (see guidebook* for CAL-specific contact information), you should submit an OSP interest form and work with OSP-AS to develop a budget and to secure AUH and dean approval before submitting your fellowship application.

If you’re unsure about whether you should work with OSP-AS, please reach out for guidance.

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Policy 1104: Institutional Review Board – Use of Human Subjects in Research

This policy provides for the establishment of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at James Madison University (JMU) to oversee research involving human subjects at the university. This policy covers all faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students intending to conduct research using living individuals or pre-existing data containing identifiable private information about living people. This policy applies to research funded by any source as well as unfunded research.

Policy 1306: Extra Employment for Faculty and Exempt Classified Staff Members Within the University

This policy outlines the assignment and compensation procedures for university work. It defines the various types of work and the corresponding compensation. Additionally, the policy establishes an institutional framework for documenting the basis of budgeting and expensing salaries on sponsored projects.

Policy 2201: Sponsored Programs Proposals: Pre-Award/Post-Award Procedures

This policy provides procedures for university employees to submit proposals to external sponsors for instruction, research, training, service or other related project support that involves specific requirements for performance on the part of the University. 

Policy 2203: Financial Conflict of Interests for Research Investigators

This policy is designed to protect the credibility and integrity of the university's faculty and staff so that public trust and confidence in the university's sponsored research and educational activities are ensured and to comply with federal guidelines concerning sponsored research. This policy establishes procedures and standards to ensure there is a reasonable expectation that the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded under sponsored grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements will be unbiased by any conflicting financial interests of an investigator.

Policy 2205: Research and Scholarship Misconduct

The university fosters an academic environment that promotes the responsible conduct of research, research training and activities related to research and activities related to research and research training. Research is at the heart of the university’s function, and dishonesty in research destroys the integrity of the university’s academic mission. The purpose of this policy is to safeguard that mission and to establish procedures to evaluate, investigate and respond to allegations of research misconduct; to protect the health and safety of the public; to promote the integrity of research, research training conducted at the university; and to protect federal, state, and university funds and equipment used in research and research training. 

Policy 2208: Research Data

This policy assures that research data are appropriately recorded and archived, and available for access and review under appropriate circumstances.

Policy 2213: Disclosure of Other Support for Research Investigators

This policy outlines the maintenance of the integrity of research conducted at or under the auspices of James Madison University (JMU). This policy is designed to ensure compliance with the federal laws and regulations related to federally funded research. Further, JMU recognizes the importance of providing good stewardship of institutional and extramural funds. 

Please see the guidebook* for a detailed guide for where to look for funding.

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Please see the guidebook* for an overview of the humanities and arts funding landscape, including a description of major funders, both government and private (e.g., foundations and associations).

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Please see the guidebook* for an overview of the social sciences funding landscape, including a description of major funders, both government and private (e.g., foundations and associations).

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Please see the guidebook* for an overview of fellowships and library grants available in the arts, social sciences, and humanities, including a landscape overview that includes specific funder priorities.

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Please see the guidebook* for an overview of international residential fellowships (both short-term and long-term) available in the arts, social sciences, and humanities, including a landscape overview that includes specific funder priorities.

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See the guidebook* for a sample of the timelines and checklists that your RD associate can create to assist you in preparing your proposal.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to how to your project idea into a one-page summary.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to how to draft a one-pager (pre-proposal, LOI, white paper, concept note, etc.) for your project.

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See the guidebook* for a step-by-step guide on drafting a list of budget items in preparation for preparing a budget for your grant, especially if you will be working with a grants specialist in OSP-AS.

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See the guidebook* for a guide on how to go from your one-pager to a full proposal narrative.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to general best practices for proposal narratives.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to writing effective introductions for proposal narratives, including brainstorming prompts and common components.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to writing effective theoretical orientation and significant section(s) of proposals, including brainstorming prompts and common components.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to writing effective project goals and objectives for proposals, including examples.

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See the guidebook* for a guide to writing effective methodology and/or work plan section(s) in your proposal.

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See the guidebook* for a list of common grant terms.

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