BU Research Blog

At a recent NCURA (US National Council of University Research Administrators) workshop, the following key messages were given to research administrators and managers from research offices from across Europe:

• US funding can be obtained by non-domestic researchers and it can be worth the time and effort to engage with this source of funding
• The processes and terminology are different to the UK and European context but, with care and attention, this can be overcome
• US Federal opportunities are systematically promoted:
  • Grants.gov for grants and co-operative agreements
  • FED BIZ OPS for contracts and consultancy
  • BU also has access to Research Professional where alerts can be set up with the USA as the country of the funder
• There are specific (and complex) costing rules, meaning that contact should be made with BU’s Research & Knowledge Exchange Office at a very early stage to assess viability
• US Federal Funding uses the Uniform Guidance to manage projects but individual funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health,  may have their own additional requirements
• The administrative burden is great, especially for reporting and auditing; for the right grant this may be worth the challenges faced

One major take-away message from this event?

For a UK-based researcher, the best way to start your journey to a successful US funding award, is to work with a project lead based in the US and to ensure that your Funding Development Officer, is introduced to their US-based administrative team.

If you are considering applying for US Federal Funding, please arrange to meet with Emily Cieciura, RKEO’s Research Facilitator: International, at your earliest convenience!