Funding Opportunities
To learn more about funding opportunities and how to submit a proposal for external funding, contact the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at research@merrimack.edu.
If you already have a funding opportunity or an idea in mind, please contact us to discuss next steps in preparing your letter of intent (LOI) proposal, application, or “white paper” submission.
Please note: OSP will need to receive the required proposal documents and signed OSP Proposal Routing form at least fourteen (14) business days prior to the sponsor deadline to allow adequate time for internal review and institutional approval.
Strategic Academic Research Trajectory Package (START)
The START program creates an institutional model to incentivize and reward faculty who have new or existing research programs and who would like to pursue external funding to support their research/project work. The program provides funding, potential reallocation of teaching loads and the prioritization of research/project space. The START program is an annual program with entry points in July and January. Faculty will have the opportunity and be encouraged to apply and join new cohorts as their research progresses. It provides a new strategic pathway to catalyze externally fundable research and innovation forward at Merrimack.
Pivot Database
Pivot is a searchable database of external funding opportunities from federal, nonprofit, for profit, and international sponsors across all disciplines.
We recommend that Merrimack researchers create a user profile in Pivot to set up customized searches involving their fields of interest or discipline. The profile can provide email alerts to researchers about new opportunities that match their search criteria.
Pivot Database and Resources
The Pivot database is maintained by the McQuade Library. If you need any assistance, please contact the OSP Team or a McQuade librarian.
To begin your search, use the link below to search for a “keyword” describing the research you are interested in. You will be directed to log into Pivot or create an account.
Resources
Set up a Pivot profile to receive weekly emails with possible funding opportunities from federal, state, local and private foundation funding agencies.
Federal Funding Sources
Grants.gov is a central repository of federal funding opportunities for over 1,000 programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. Use grants.gov to create a custom search with regular email updates.
Major Federal Funding Agencies
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Justice
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- State Department
- U.S. Geological Survey
Other Resources
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEH)
- Mass Humanities – Conducts and supports programs that use history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life in Massachusetts. Established in 1974 as the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – NCURA NIH FundamentalsTraining (March 2019)
- National Science Foundation (NSF) – Proposal and Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG NSF-19)
