University Grant Resources
A curated collection of resources for securing funding for research & professional development
Welcome, Faculty and Students
At Peak Proposals, we recognize the challenges of the academic funding landscape. Whether you are an undergraduate student exploring grant writing as a career path, a graduate student trying to secure your first grant, a new faculty member navigating your first NIH or NSF submission, or a faculty member managing a complex multi-institutional proposal, we have curated a list of resources to help you reach your goal.
How to Use This Hub:
For Students: Explore the Fundamentals section below to get started. For even more content, see the "Building Skills" category of our blog for an introduction to the grant-seeking world.
For Faculty: Find guidance on responding to federal solicitations, managing complex reference lists, and using AI and productivity tools to streamline and manage your writing process. Also see our free and affordably priced templates and courses.
For Career Centers: Feel free to share our guides, blog posts, and resource lists as supplementary materials for your student workshops or faculty development seminars. All blog posts include a PDF download of the article.
In addition to the curated collection below, you can find more than 100 blog posts on our website and Substack related to securing funding and the proposal development process.
I. Fundamentals for New Grantseekers
Paths to Becoming a Grant Writer: Start here if you are a student wanting to build this skill set.
The Research Phase Grant Writers Can't Afford to Skip: Gain an understanding of how to conduct literature reviews to support proposal development and project design.
Project Budgeting Tips for New Grant Writers: Grow your knowledge of the budgeting side of grant applications.
Finding Funding for Research: Learn about different types of funding and how to find funding opportunities.
Tips for Finding Foundation Grants to Support Research: Read a short overview of how to find foundation funding to support your academic research or projects.
II. Proposal Development
Using Evaluation Criteria to Prepare a Stronger Grant Proposal: Understand how review panels (like those at government agencies) score submissions.
Questions to Ask Before Responding to a Funding Opportunity: Learn how to assess whether a solicitation is worth your time.
Searching for Grant Opportunities Using Google: Leverage Google to find funding opportunities.
III. Writing and Process Guidance
Three Options for Managing References: Addresses ways to manage citations for research grants.
Tips for Editing Your Own Writing: Provides tips for polishing drafts before departmental reviews.
Getting Past Proposal Writing Blocks: Suggestions for overcoming blocks to meet proposal deadlines.
14 Resources for Sample Grant Proposals: Lists several places where you can find examples of successfully funded proposals. Several examples are research proposals submitted to U.S. government agencies.
IV. Specialized Tools & Technology
Working on a Complex Proposal? LiquidText Can Help: A software application recommended for faculty and students developing research proposals for submission to a federal agency.
Using AI to Write Grant Proposals: Overview of AI tools and how they can be used to support grant writing. For a more in-depth guide on using AI for grant writing, see our course Grant Writing Using AI.
Securing Grant Funding
A Free download
A quick-start guide on grant funding fundamentals.
Our Expertise in Academic Funding
Peak Proposals was founded to help people, including faculty and students, bridge the gap between project ideas and research concepts and funded projects. With over 20 years of experience in proposal development at major universities and international NGOs, we understand the rigorous requirements of institutional grantseeking.
Our team has managed and submitted successful, high-stakes proposals to major federal agencies and global multilaterals, including:
Federal Agencies: National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Multilateral Organizations: The World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Fund.
Private Foundations: The Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the Hewlett and Packard Foundations.
Our Mission
We are committed to making the grant-seeking process more transparent and manageable. Through this University Hub and our broader resource library, we provide the specific tools, templates, and strategic guidance required to navigate the complexities of academic funding—from initial prospect research to the final submission of multi-institutional proposals.