FAQ's about CFR

Kanbar HallQ: What is the CFR Office and what does it do?
A: CFR stands for "Corporate and Foundation Relations." The primary focus of this department is to support and encourage grant seeking activities, both faculty and institutional, on the Bowdoin College campus. Given CFR's awareness of faculty projects from all disciplines, we can help you make connections to other activities and research being conducted on campus of which you may not be aware. We can also connect you to Development office staff who can extract data from the alumni database. The CFR office also works on institutional grants, consortial grants (e.g., with Colby and Bates), and cultivates corporate donations to meet the College's priorities.

Q: What types of support does the CFR office offer and to whom?
A: The CFR staff is happy to help any member of the Bowdoin community submit a grant proposal that, if funded, will benefit Bowdoin. The services we offer include, but are not limited to:

  • Researching and identifying possible funding sources;
  • Assisting with proposal writing (You will always be the expert on what information is presented, but often we can help strengthen your grant with suggestions on framing and organization.);
  • Proofreading, editing, and providing feedback on draft proposals;
  • Providing samples of successful proposals;
  • Providing statistical information about Bowdoin students, courses, and alumni/ae;
  • Helping develop a project evaluation plan;
  • Assisting with electronic submissions of grant applications (e.g., the National Science Foundation's Fastlane system);
  • Connecting people on campus to others who may be able to serve as a resource (e.g., we may know of a faculty person who has reviewed for the agency to which you are applying);
  • Determining indirect costs and benefits rates;
  • Photocopying grant application components and submitting proposals; and
  • Serving as a liaison with the Academic Dean's Office and the Accounting Office.

Q: Who works in the CFR office and how do I reach them?
A: The office is located on the 3rd floor of 83 Federal Street. Feel free to stop by anytime. Three people comprise the staff:

Marianne Jordan, Director (x 3711)
Cara Martin-Tetreault, Assistant Director (x 3767)
Susan J. Grover, Administrative Secretary (x 3820)

Q: Within the CFR office, which staff person does what?
A: With 20 years of experience in the field, Marianne can help you find most of the answers to your questions about effective grant seeking. She can work with you to shape your individual proposal and assist you by linking your work to larger institutional efforts. Cara can also help with these things, and can provide research, editing, and writing assistance. Susan has a great deal of experience with NSF's electronic submission system, Fastlane, has advanced computer skills and will be happy to help you in any way possible.

Q: What other ways can I stay connected to the CFR office?
A: CFR hopes you will take advantage of our "Grants for Lunch" series. Once a month via email, all faculty are invited to join us for a complimentary lunch and to engage in an hour-long session on a particular topic related to grant seeking. Upcoming topics include: NSF's Fastlane; Maine EPSCOR: What it Means for Bowdoin; The Budgeting Process; and How To Write Proposal That Will Get Funded. This luncheon series is a great way to get up-to-date information and collaboratively learn with your colleagues. If you are not on the "all_faculty" email list, but would like to be notified of this events, let us know and we'll be sure to add you to our distribution list.

Q:Thanks, but I don't need any assistance. Should I still contact the CFR office when I submit a grant?
A: Yes, please! The CFR office is now charged with keeping a master list of all grant activities (submitted and funded).

If you have any questions, please call. We will be happy to help in any way that we can.