Research Design, Proposal Development, and Submission Assistance
The IHC can assist faculty members in developing their projects, preparing their proposals and ushering those proposals through review by the Office of Research.
Get Help from the IHC Grants Division
Associate Director of Research Development Brandon Fastman can help faculty:
- Search for appropriate funders, both public and private
- Determine the best fit between your research idea and existing funding opportunities
- Provide editing assistance through the development and revision of your proposal narrative
- Interpret agency guidelines
- Provide sample successful proposals (when available)
- Serve as liaison with Development Office for foundation grant opportunities
- Assist in forming multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and multi investigator teams, by identifying potential collaborators from UCSB and other institutions, and facilitating preliminary meetings. We can assist in coordinating proposal writing and project budgeting among multiple investigators, departments and institutions.
- Create text for standard proposal sections (e.g. resources and facilities, budget justification)
The IHC Contracts and Grants Liaison, Courtney Richardson, can help faculty to:
- Formulate budgets and create budget spreadsheets
- Ensure applications are compliant with UC and governmental regulations
- Interpret agency guidelines
The Office of Research requires a mandatory proposal review before submission to the agency or sponsor.
When you have decided to submit a proposal, contact the Associate Director of Research Development Brandon Fastman (fastman@research.ucsb.edu) and IHC Contracts and Grants Liaison Courtney Richardson (richardson@ihc.ucsb.edu) as soon as possible and provide the URL for the funding opportunity. Brandon is available throughout the funding/grants submission process to support faculty in the preparation, development, and revision of proposal narratives. Courtney is available for assistance with budget development and the proposal submission process. She will work with you on a timeline for proposal preparation and submission.
Recommended Timeline for Final Proposal Preparation and Submission for Grants
| Business Days Prior to Agency Deadline (minimum) | Administrative Unit | Action |
| 10 | OR Research Development Division (Barbara Walker, Brandon Fastman) | final proposal narrative review (proposal design and writing, research plan, conceptual issues, formatting, etc.) |
| 10 | IHC
(Courtney Richardson) |
budget preparation, sub-contract and cost-sharing coordination |
| 10 | IHC (Courtney Richardson) |
review for proposal completeness, and obtain required signatures |
| 7 | OR Sponsored Projects Division | compliance review (coordinated by IHC) |
Workshops and Program Officer Visits
The IHC offers workshops on various aspects of research development and proposal writing, which can be tailored to a specific department or research group. Examples of past workshops include:
- Office of Research Orientation for New Faculty
- How to Find Funding for Your Research (COS training)
- Funding and Proposal Writing for Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars
- Grant Writing 101 for the Social Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) program officer visit/NEH proposal workshop
If you would like to request a departmental workshop or program officer visit, or if you have an idea for a new workshop topic, please contact Brandon Fastman.
Post-Award Administration
Awards can be administered and tracked through the IHC. PIs will receive monthly budget updates and can consult with the IHC grants management team on post-award spending and re-budgeting.