Corporate & Foundation Relations

FAQ about grants at Bowdoin College

What is the SRO Office and what does it do?
What types of support does the SRO office offer and to whom?
Who works in the SRO office and how do I reach them?
Within the SRO office, which staff person does what?
What other ways can I stay connected to the SRO office?
Thanks, but I don't need any assistance. Should I still contact the SRO office when I submit a grant?

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.

Return to top

What types of support does the CFR office offer and to whom?

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;
• 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 to the Authorized Institutional officials and the Controller's Office
  Return to top

Who works in the CFR office and how do I reach them?

The office is located in Hawthorne-Longfellow Hall, West Entrance. Feel free to stop by anytime.

Grace Garland, Director (x 3821), H-L 310
Megan Stelzer, Grants Research and Stewardship Coordinator (x 3820), H-L 215

Return to top

Within the grants offices, which staff person does what?

Megan 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. Return to top

Return to top

Thanks, but I don't need any assistance. Should I still contact the grants offices when I submit a grant?

Yes. The Office of Sponsored Research is now charged with keeping a master list of all grant activities (submitted and funded).

Return to top

CFR hopes you will take advantage of our workshop series. Throughout the academic year, via email, we invite faculty to join us for an hour-long session to engage in a particular topic related to grant seeking. Topics vary, and have included: NSF's Fastlane; Maine EPSCOR: What it Means for Bowdoin; The Budgeting Process; and How To Write A Proposal That Will Get Funded. This workshop 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.