Independent Grants

These grants help fund certain activities, projects or needs. Examples include:

• conference fees
• office equipment
• certain publication expenses

These grants generally do not fund:

• Thesis/dissertation or class and individual student projects
• Guest speaker fees or visiting scholar honoraria
• Faculty wages
• The same or similar project(s) more than two consecutive years

The Foundation Board of Directors Grants and Awards Committee makes every effort to disperse funds across campus.

Funding sources

Park Endowment, awarded at discretion of Board of Directors.

Mitchell Endowment, awarded primarily for engineering and the natural sciences.

Sidebotham Endowment, awarded for faculty research.

[update figures required. Copy is for placemark and example only].
2006-2007 grant funding available: $35,299.
Average award in fiscal 2005-2006: $4,100.

Requests may be for any amount.

Who may apply

• Faculty, professionals, staff or students of The University of Arizona
• Past grant recipients, but priority may be given to qualified applicants who have not yet received funding
• Applicants whose proposals are independent from any larger, campus-wide grant application process

Applicant packets should include:

• Project title: fewer than 20 words
• Cover letter
• Applicant’s
  • Name
  • Title
  • Address
  • Phone and fax numbers
  • E-mail address
• Letter of support from the office of the dean, vice president or president. If originating from an administrative unit that is not associated with a college, a letter of approval signed by the unit director is acceptable.
• Rationale
  • Clearly establish that the project is needed
  • Explain why and how the project will directly and positively influence the University’s mission and priorities
• Narrative: no more than five pages that include project goals
• A review of how UA Foundation’s funding support would be recognized
• Other confirmed revenue for this project
• Budget
  • Expenses and income
  • An overview of expenditures
  • A list of other potential funding sources that could support the project and in what amount. Demonstrate an effort to solicit other funding sources: applicant’s own college, department or center, off-campus sources, other campus sources
  • if applicable, a “cost-per-participant” figure, actual dollars raised and source(s)
  • Any matching funds committed from other funding sources

Selection Process

Deadlines vary. Proposals generally are accepted four times in each academic year.

Proposals are reviewed for high technical, practical and theoretical merit.

They are reviewed for appropriateness of content.

Requests for seminars, conferences, special events, wages or travel funding are reviewed to confirm that they are integral to the overall project objectives.

Decisions made by the Grants and Awards Committee generally occur within 90 days of application.

Committee recommendations are submitted to the Board of Directors for final approval.

Grant recipients must arrange for the transfer of funds from the Foundation to the appropriate accounts by June 30 of the current fiscal year.

Additional notes

Lobbying of the committee is not allowed and may result in disqualification of the request.

Presentations by applicants are not permitted.

Proposals subject to review by the University’s institutional bio-safety, human subjects, animal research, medical radiation safety or University radiation safety committees must have prior approval from those committees before making application.

Send proposals to:

Grants and Awards Committee
Office of Communications and Marketing
The University of Arizona Foundation
P.O. Box 210109
Tucson, AZ 85721-0109

Contact Us: (520) 621-9061