November 7
, 2003
The
Art of Grant Writing: Science Faculty Fund Research
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Photos: Todd LeMieux (top) and Paul
Schnaittacher
Maria Gomez (top) and Gary Gillis |
When Mount Holyoke’s
assistant biology professor Gary Gillis heard last summer that
his application to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for
a research grant had been approved, he was elated. Two weeks
earlier, he had been told that the application was up against
stiff competition and would likely be rejected. “I pinch
myself sometimes,” said Gillis, noting that first-time
grant applications are often passed over.
Gillis’s three-year grant is enabling him to study the relationship between
an animal’s size and the workings of its musculoskeletal system. The funding
will provide equipment, student lab assistants, and professional travel, as well
as salary augmentation during the summers he spends on the research.
For Gillis and other Mount Holyoke science faculty, grants have become increasingly
crucial to support their research. Associate professor of geology Al Werner,
who studies global climate change over the millennia, does field work in the
Arctic. “To do my research I need pretty big money just to pay for the
logistics,” Werner said. “You need money to get there and to be there.
You need to rent planes and helicopters, bring in quipment, as well as pay salaries
to research assistants.”
According to Frank DeToma, Professor of Biological Sciences on the Alumnae Foundation
and chair of biological sciences, the need for grant money has also increased
as research has become “more equipment driven and technology intensive.” Janice
Hudgings, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Physics, has been awarded
six grants since she came to the College in 1999, the most recent of which is
to support her research into thermal measurements of optoelectronic devices. “Anytime
I start a new experiment I need to invest in $10,000 to $50,000 worth of equipment
just to set up the experiment,” Hudgings said. “So grants are critical.”
Another factor driving grant applications is the expectation that faculty will
keep research going throughout the year. According to DeToma, while it used to
be acceptable for professors to limit research to the summer months when they
were not busy teaching, they now “need to keep the boat high in the water
all year round.” It is difficult to maintain teaching and laboratory responsibilities
without having additional help from a paid lab technician or a post-doctoral
fellow, DeToma said.
The success of Mount Holyoke scientists at keeping the grants coming is attributable
to several factors, the foremost of which is the high quality of the faculty
themselves. “The College gets really top people,” said Tara Fitzpatrick ’78,
director of corporations and foundations in the development office, who works
closely with science faculty in writing proposals for institutional grants from
private foundations such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
In addition, there is a culture of expectation and encouragement that engenders
continued success. Dean of Faculty Donal O’Shea is extremely supportive
of faculty, whether their applications are successful or not. Gillis recalled
that O’Shea sent him a handwritten note when Gillis initially learned that
his grant would not be funded. “He said, ‘It’s great that you
applied, and too bad you didn’t get it. Just keep on going, reapply, and
don’t get down.’ That was great advice. After all, that’s the
way science works,” Gillis said.
Sean Decatur, associate professor and chair of the chemistry department, agrees
that O’Shea is a boon to faculty. “He has done a great job of bringing
campus recognition and a sense that getting grants is worthwhile. The attitude
on campus is very helpful.”
DeToma has watched the grantsmanship system evolve over the 33 years he has been
at the College. “It’s part of the culture that science faculty are
supposed to get grants,” he said. “As faculty begin to serve on review
panels for other grant proposals, they become more sophisticated and gain experience
that they apply to their own grant proposals and in helping others.” The
science faculty is collegial and very supportive of each other’s grant
proposal efforts. “There is a strong intellectual community here,” said
Craig Woodard, associate professor of biology. “We share resources and
supplies, bounce ideas off each other, and read each others’ manuscripts
and grant proposals.”
In recognition of the importance of grants in all fields of study and the complexity
of the application process, several years ago the College hired Sirkka Kauffman
as director of sponsored research. While it is unusual for a college of Mount
Holyoke’s size to have a full-time grant facilitator, Kauffman has proved
invaluable in helping faculty college-wide apply for and administer grants.
Woodard recalled that before Kauffman came on board, faculty
members took turns handling this responsibility. DeToma
explained that few science faculty arrive here with experience
in writing major grant proposals, which generally require
a series of internal and external approvals and complex budgets. “They
can be a bear to do,” he noted.
Once a grant is awarded, Linda Niemczura, the grants accountant in financial
services, helps the recipients make certain that the money is fully accounted
for. “Most faculty are not used to being bookkeepers,” DeToma said,
adding that it’s crucial to maintain good relationships
with the NSF and other funding agencies.
Maria Gomez, a new member
of the chemistry department this fall, won a research grant last year from
the American Chemical Society
during her final year as a professor
at Vassar. Gomez said that applying for grants is an ongoing process.
She continues to pursue individual grants and is also participating in a joint
grant with several peers in her department.
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