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With the focus on garnering external
funding for research activities, many faculties in BSW programs are challenged to write research grants to funders. This might include local, state and federal agencies as well as to foundations. While each potential funder may have their own format and criteria to weight different parts of the application
during the review process – there are a number of general resources and guidance that can be of use to the person or
team that is developing a research grant. The Institute for the Advancement of
Social Work Research (IASWR) has many useful resources and links available on its website (www.iaswresearch.org). In addition there are a number
of articles that can be useful resources in furthering the applicants understanding of the “how-tos” of research
grant writing. Key tips for grant-writing: ¨ Review both the grant application requirements and the review criteria carefully, paying close attention to the review
criteria. ¨ If the application requires a theoretical framework to undergird the proposal make sure that you provide one. The same is true if a logic model is required. ¨ If the application requires that there be a partnership between the academic team and representatives from the community/agency,
make sure that the community partners are involved from the beginning in defining the research questions and designing the
research study. ¨ When integrating an evaluation process into your research plan, include the evaluation plan (both process and outcome)
from the beginning. ¨ Develop a workplan for writing the grant, using the deadline for the application and work backwards to create a timeline
for ensuring that all of the parts of the application are complete by the deadline, including letters of support, agreements
from subcontractors and consultants and assistance from the university’s office of sponsored programs. Resources and Links on the IASWR
website – Visit www.iaswresearch.org and click on Technical Resources for: ¨ Glossary of Research terms and Definitions (developed by Child Trends – www.childtrends.org) ¨ Several guides to writing research grants for NIH. ¨ Opportunities for Doctoral, Dissertation and Post Doc funding. ¨ IASWR Directory of Social Work Researchers funded by NIH. ¨ Links to the Department of Health and Human Services Grantsnet portal Visit www.iaswresearch.org and click on Links and Resources for links to Federal Agencies, Foundations and
Research and Information Resources. Visit www.iaswresearch.org and click on IASWR Publications (that can be downloaded) for links to the following
publications that address social work research agenda setting: Enhancing the Health and Well-Being of LGBT Individuals,
Families, and Communities: Building a Social Work Research Agenda Factors Influencing Retention of Child Welfare Staff: A Systematic
Review of Research Evaluating
Social Work Services in Nursing Homes: Toward Quality Psychosocial Care and Its Measurement Social Work Contributions to Public Health: Bridging
Research & Practice in Preventing Violence - Lessons from Child Maltreatment & Domestic Violence Helpful Web Links for Program Evaluation: Enhancing Program Performance
with Logic Models, available from http://www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/ Key Evaluation Checklist (Mainly for evaluating programs
and policies and evaluations of them) by Michael Scriven, available from http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/checklists/kec.htm Helpful Journal Articles Grinstein-Weiss, Michal, Funding Opportunities for Social Work Doctoral
Students Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Research on Social Work Practice, Nov 2006; vol.
16: pp. 632-63. Holleran, Lori K., Thompson, Sanna J., The NIH K-Award: Funding Opportunities
for Social Work Researchers, Research on Social Work Practice, Jul 2005; vol. 15: pp. 301-308. Jaskyte, Kristina, The National Science Foundation: Funding Opportunities
for Social Workers, Langhorst,
Diane, Svikis, Dace. S. The NIH RO3 Award: An Initial Funding Step for Social
Work Researchers, Research on Social Work Practice, May 2007, vol. 17: pp. 417-424. Leukefeld, Carl G., Ries, Joanne B Strategies to Compete for Federal Grant
Funding for Research on Social Work Practice, Research on Social Work Practice, Apr 1993; vol. 3: pp. 208-218. Lewis, Carol M., Henney, Susan M., McRoy, Ruth G., White, Barbara W. The
Center for Social Work Research at the Helpful Reports The National Institutes of Health (NIH) (http://www.nih.gov), the National Institute of Medicine (IOM) (http://www.iom.edu/), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (http://www.samhsa.org)
and the Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov) are among federal entities that provide useful reports that can serve as resources
when writing research grants to ensure that your idea matches funders priorities. One
example of a federal report to specific to social work research is the Congressionally requested NIH Plan for Social Work Research (2003). http://obssr.od.nih.gov/Documents/Publications/SWR_Report.pdf For more information subscribe to IASWR’s weekly e-alert service,
IASWR Listserv Announcements. Send email to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.SC.EDU Article by: Joan Levy Zlotnik, PhD, ACSW, Executive
Director, IASWR, April 2007 |
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