On-Demand Webinars

Write Grants Like a Pro

Recorded November 19, 2024

With fierce competition for research funding, great writing can give your proposal a serious leg up. This webinar examines common traps that make your writing less compelling for reviewers and offers tips for making your proposal stand out from the crowd.

Concept Papers and Communicating with Program Officers

Recorded October 22, 2024

This presentation by Dr. Jennifer Wenner, Professor of Geology at UW Oshkosh and former NSF Program Director, covers dos and dont's for meeting with program officers, as well as how to write a great concept paper that will get program officers excited about your research.

Funding Focus: Opportunities for Wisconsin Forward Agriculture Partners

Recorded October 9, 2024

This webinar reviews funding opportunities for Forward Agriculture Engine partners who are working on topics related to sustainable and resilient agriculture. Highlighted funding opportunities support areas such as use-inspired research, translation, and workforce development.

Get Your Research Off the Ground: WiSys Spark and Universities of Wisconsin Ignite Grants for Applied Research

Recorded September 24, 2024

A presentation by Dr. Tony Hanson, WiSys’ manager of intellectual property and licensing, about two WiSys grant programs that can jumpstart your research activity. Spark Grants advances small-scale, proof-of-concept research projects; while Ignite Grants fund applied research projects that support economic development in Wisconsin.

Getting Started with Grants: Finding Opportunities and Creating a Timeline

Recorded September 12, 2024

Ready to get some research funding? Learn how to find funding opportunities and manage your writing process with a realistic timeline. This webinar will include a tutorial on using the funding database PIVOT.

National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (NSF CAREER)

Recorded May 28, 2024

Curious about the NSF CAREER program or considering applying? Join our panel of experts to learn more about this funding opportunity. Sujat Sen, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UW La Crosse, who received an NSF CAREER award in 2024, William Wolf, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UW Eau Claire, who received an NSF CAREER award in 2023, and Jennifer Wenner, Professor of Geology at UW Oshkosh, who recently served as an NSF program director, will all provide insight into applying for this prestigious program.

Revise, Resubmit, or Reconsider

Recorded May 2, 2024

In the world of grant funding, competition is intense, and success rates can be disappointingly low, even with high scoring proposals. In this webinar, we discuss what comes next after receiving a rejection letter from a sponsor, and how to unpack reviewer comments, distinguish between critiques, and strategize a pathway forward.

How to Talk to Your Program Officer

Recorded April 15, 2024

What is the role of a program officer? How should I prepare to contact a program officer, and what kind of assistance can they provide? Professor of Geology at UW Oshkosh, Jennifer Wenner, has recently served as an NSF program officer. Watch this free webinar to hear best strategies and get answers to your questions.

Funding for Your Scholarship and Creative Endeavors

Recorded April 2, 2024

Funding opportunities can be found in countless fields and disciplines, including within the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. This webinar will cover basic resources for identifying funding sponsors that can support your research, scholarship, and creative activities, as well as select profiles of funders and opportunities.

NSF Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) Award Q&A Session

Recorded April 2, 2024

Interested in applying for an NSF Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) Award? Hear from Dr. Doug Dunham from UW Eau Claire on his experience of successfully applying for an NSF EPIIC award.

Building Budget Fundamentals

Recorded March 7, 2024

Budgets are an extension of a project and its story, not simply proposed expenditures. A good budget will be both mathematically accurate and successful in linking the available funding with a project's scope of work. In this webinar, we discuss the fundamentals of building a budget while ensuring conformity to sponsor expectations and how to effectively establish project credibility.

Biographical Sketch Preparation

Recorded February 6, 2024

Co-hosted by Gina Polito Jahn, WiSys Manager of Research Development and Anne Hoeltke, UW-Stout Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Showing you are qualified to complete the work on your project is key to a successful grant proposal. In this webinar we take a look at the best strategies for preparing a biographical sketch, how to make sure it is compliant with agency specifications, and some tools you can use to put it together.

Common Grant Writing Pitfalls

Recorded January 11, 2024

There are many different reasons why grant applications do not get awarded, but countless agencies and reviewers have noted common errors. In this webinar, we highlight negative examples, demonstrate how to overcome these snags, and give tips on increasing the odds of crossing the funding finish line.

Funding for New and Early-Career Investigators

Recorded November 29, 2023

Being a new or early-stage investigator can be daunting in the world of grant writing, but many federal agencies, foundations, and associations offer funding opportunities for this type of applicant. This webinar focuses on the eligibility requirements of these kinds of grants, how to decide when to apply and keys to writing a successful proposal.

Get Your Research Off the Ground: A look at WiSys Spark and Universities of Wisconsin Ignite Grants for Applied Research

Recorded October 31, 2023

Dr. Tony Hanson, WiSys’ manager of intellectual property and licensing, spoke about two WiSys grant programs that can jumpstart your research activity. WiSys Spark Grants advances small-scale, proof-of-concept research projects; while Universities of Wisconsin Ignite Grants fund applied research projects that support economic development in Wisconsin.

The Timeline from Great Idea to Project Execution

Recorded October 11, 2023

WiSys spoke about the grant proposal timeline and how it has many different steps: creating a fundable idea, finding the right funding opportunities, developing, and submitting proposals, and numerous other details along the way. A critical aspect of all these stages is to invest adequate time and plan accordingly. This webinar recording will help you craft your timeline and identify milestones for gauging progress in your pursuit of funding.

Getting Started: Tools for Grant Seeking

Recorded September 28, 2023

WiSys gave information about thousands of different funding opportunities that are right at your fingertips with tools like PIVOT and the Grant Resource Center. Attendees learned how to harness these databases to make them work for them! This webinar recording will help save you time and maximize your results when looking for funding.

Easy Come, Easy Go: Resources at the National Library of Medicine that support grant applications and reporting

Recorded August 31, 2023

WiSys welcomed Bart Trawick, Ph.D., Head, Customer Services Section, NCBI/NLM/NIH to lead a discussion of SciENcv and other complimentary biosketch tools, and upcoming changes to the federal landscape.

Funding Focus: National Institutes of Health AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Award) and National Science Foundation RUI (Research in Undergraduate Institutions)

Recorded April 27, 2023

In this session examine two federal programs created to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH or NSF. Their emphasis is on providing research experiences primarily for undergraduate students and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions. In this session you will learn how to apply for these mechanisms and best strategies for success

Funding Focus: Grants and Fellowships in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Recorded April 5, 2023

Funding opportunities are available in countless fields and disciplines, including within the humanities, social sciences and the fine arts. With the focus of this session on these fields, you will learn about private and public sponsors that are available to support your research, scholarship and creative activities.

How to Read an RFP (Request for Proposals)

Recorded Feb. 22, 2023

Solicitation, guidelines or request for proposal. Each grant opportunity will have instructions that need to be followed for success and failing to follow the RFP can cost you an award. In this session, you will learn how to find key information in the RFP and present great ideas that appeal to the values and priorities of the sponsor.

Funding Focus: New and Early-Career Investigators

Recorded Jan. 11, 2023

Several federal agencies as well as many foundations and associations offer funding opportunities for new and early-career investigators. There are many opportunities across all disciplines. This session will focus on the eligibility requirements of these kinds of grants, how to decide when to apply and keys to writing a successful proposal.

Upcoming Changes in NSF Proposal Submission

Recorded Dec. 1, 2022

The National Science Foundation will implement significant changes to proposal submission procedures on the first day of the new year. This session will be an introduction to tools such as Research.gov, ORCiD and SciENcv which are all designed to reduce administrative burden for your future proposal submissions. Get a head start on these tools before they become mandator.

Get Your Research Off the Ground: A look at WiSys Spark and Universities of Wisconsin Ignite Grants for Applied Research

Recorded Nov. 3, 2022

A presentation by Dr. Tony Hanson, WiSys’ manager of intellectual property and licensing, about two WiSys grant programs that can jumpstart your research activity. WiSys Spark Grants advances small-scale, proof-of-concept research projects; while Universities of Wisconsin Ignite Grants fund applied research projects that support economic development in Wisconsin

Planning Your Timeline for Grants Success

Recorded Oct. 26, 2022

Planning is critical at all stages in the pursuit of external project funding: translating a great idea into a fundable one; identifying relevant funding opportunities and establishing the best fit; proposal development and submission; the agency decision making process, etc. From this session, you will be able to craft a timeline and identify milestones for gauging progress in your pursuit of funding.

Tools for Grant Seeking

Recorded Oct. 5, 2022

Thousands of funding opportunities are out there, ready to be discovered, and information about them is right at your fingertips. Why not harness the power of Universities of Wisconsin-supported funding databases and make them work for you? In this session, learn how to use PIVOT, the Grant Resource Center and other tools to maximize your search results.

Funding for New and Early-Stage Investigators

Several federal agencies and many foundations and associations offer funding opportunities for young and early career investigators. This session will focus on the eligibility requirements of these kinds of grants, how to decide when to apply, and keys to writing a successful proposal. Join us as we explore the options from NSF, NIH, USDA, DOD, DOE and more.

Finding Funding for Your Scholarship and Creative Endeavors

Funding opportunities are available in countless fields and disciplines, including within the humanities, social sciences and the fine arts. With the focus of this session on these fields, you will learn about basic resources for identifying funding sponsors that may support your research, scholarship, and creative activities. This webinar will also include selected profiles of funders and opportunities.

Collaborative Grantseeking

Would a collaborative approach to the research or project effort you are pursuing strengthen outcomes? Never teamed up with others before, and seeking strategies for building and managing a productive partnership? Or, did prior teaming efforts not go as planned and present daunting challenges to the project? This session will delve into the benefits of collaborating, and methods for identifying collaborators, whether they are down the hall, across campus, or beyond. You will also learn tips for effectively maintaining collaborations and overcoming challenges that may emerge while working as a team.

Finding Funding: Spotlight on the National Science Foundation

Interested in applying for funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF)? In this session you will learn the basic components of a NSF proposal, the NSF review criteria, and tips for writing competitive proposals to the NSF. We’ll talk about several popular NSF programs and how to determine what program is the best fit for your scholarly endeavor

Getting Started! An Introduction to PIVOT/Grants Resource Center

Thousands of funding opportunities are out there, ready to be discovered, and information about them is right at your fingertips. Don’t always have the time to conduct routine funding searches? Learn to harness the power of web-based funding databases and make them work for you! In this session, learn how to use PIVOT and the Grant Resource Center’s GrantSearch to maximize search results.

Improving Your Odds for Success BEFORE the Writing Begins

Pencils down! Before beginning to craft your project narrative, consider investing some time in a few pre-proposal strategies for leveling up the competitiveness of your application for funding. Gain insights from this session that will increase your odds for funding success. Hint: these steps are recommended by agency program officers.

Finding Funding: Spotlight on the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award

The purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the National Institutes of Health. The emphasis is on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions. In this session you will learn the ins and outs of applying for this mechanism and best strategies for success.

Finding Funding: Spotlight the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is the extramural science-funding agency within U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research, Education, and Economics mission area. NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension to help solve national challenges in agriculture, food, the environment, and communities. In this session, we will walk through the diverse menu of available funding, including options for early-career investigators.

Planning for Grants Success

Time is critical at all stages in the pursuit of external project funding: translating great ideas into a fundable one; identifying relevant funding opportunities and establishing the best fit with one or more of them; proposal development and submission; the agency decision making process, among a host of other stops along the way. Rolling deadlines can further muddle the process. Investing time and planning accordingly will pay off in the end! From this session, you will be able to craft a timeline and identify stepping stones and milestones for gauging progress in your pursuit of funding.

Accelerate and Diversify Your Funding Search Results with Pivot-RP

Uncover the right funding opportunity for your next project. Learn to harness the power of the web-based funding database Pivot-RP to maximize search efforts. With more than 20 years of experience, Pivot-RP is a proven and trusted funding awareness solution for hundreds of the world’s leading research institutions. Pivot-RP connects researchers to financial support by leveraging the most comprehensive global source of sponsored funding opportunities and includes scholarly profiles to match researchers with financial partners and collaborators.

Finding Funding: Spotlight on the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program

The NSF MRI program is one of a handful of opportunities provided to researchers to obtain funding for that critical piece of equipment needed to take their work to the next level. In this session, learn how your institution can acquire shared-use research/research training instrumentation to help you advance contributions to your field.

Exploring Administrator Tools for Maximizing Benefits from Pivot-RP Functionality

Discover new ways to effectively connect your faculty and staff with the grantseeking resources available in Pivot-RP. Join in this highly interactive session with other Universities of Wisconsin Pivot Administrator colleagues as Pivot-RP staff showcase current and new system functionalities, and learn how to incorporate these into your current operations. During this 75-minute Zoom meeting, the presenters will demonstrate system functions and respond to attendee questions throughout the session.

Resources, Opportunities and Access

A program officer’s guide to NSF focused on PIs at PUIs

Watch On-Demand (Recorded April 20, 2022)

Dr. Jennifer Wenner, UW-Oshkosh Geology Professor of Geology and National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Director in the Geosciences Directorate/Earth Sciences Division, will provide an overview of NSF funding opportunities for investigators at primarily undergraduate institutions. She'll cover some strategies for incorporating Broader Impacts into your proposal, how to talk to program officers and other useful NSF resources. There will be plenty of time for questions about the agency and how you can play a role in the process. 

Navigating National Science Foundation

A Conversation with a Rotating Program Director

Watch On-Demand (Recorded Nov. 16, 2021)

A conversation with Dr. Jennifer Wenner, professor of geology at UW Oshkosh, and National Science Foundation program director in the Geosciences Directorate/Earth Sciences Division. Wenner will provide an overview of the agency and how to find where your research fits. 

The Power of Grants for an Academic Career

Watch On-Demand (Recorded Nov. 9, 2021)
A conversation with Dr. Marjorie Piechowski, director emerita of research support for UW-Milwaukee’s College of Engineering & Applied Science, about achieving professional goals through grants and grantseeking. Piechowski has more than 35 years of experience in faculty grant development and research administration.