Funding and Research Development

Research Funding and Grants Guide

• The U-M Library enables students, faculty and staff to search both internal and external funding databases, and can also help create email alerts to keep you informed of new opportunities​.

Business Engagement Center

• The Business Engagement Center connects faculty members with industry partners to create mutually beneficial partnerships. They coach faculty at any stage of an industry relationship to ensure the right resources are involved and that faculty are supported during the process. Its team of relationship managers work closely with faculty across campus.

Foundation Relations

• The university's Office of Foundation Relations helps initiate and cultivate relationships between U-M and private organizations.

Mcubed

• Mcubed stimulates innovative research and scholarship by distributing real-time seed funding to multi-unit, faculty-led teams at U-M.

Graduate Student Funding

• U-M provides many sources of financial assistance to help students meet educational and living expenses. Whether they are a prospective student, a current student, a master’s or doctoral student, Rackham Graduate School wants to make sure they know about the funding available for graduate education.

Office of Research

• Research Commons

  • Research Commons provides a unique shopping experience for researchers to identify internal funding opportunities in one space without having to navigate multiple websites.

• Limited Submissions

  • Limited Submissions are funding opportunities in which the sponsor only allows a specific and limited number of proposals from a given institution.

• Research Catalyst and Innovation Program

  • Launched in Spring 2021, the Research Catalyst and Innovation (RCI) Program includes four new funding mechanisms totally more than $1.5 million in annual support, that aim to catalyze research and spur innovation across U-M. 

• Cost Sharing

  • U-M Office of Research funds are primarily used to meet sponsor requirements for cost sharing for necessary research equipment or facilities renovation. Graduate Student Research Assistant support also will be considered on a case-by-case basis for large center grants.

Office of Research and Sponsored Projects

• What are the considerations and materials you need to write a proposal, create a budget and prepare for submission to a sponsor? The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects offers a number of resources that aim to help researchers as they develop proposals.

Grant Writing Support

• ​Units across campus offer a wide range of research training resources that can help you brush up on the latest grant proposal writing techniques. In addition to the various training programs and workshops offered by the university, a number of external organizations offer training and resources for grant writing preparation.

Research Hubs at U-M Schools and Colleges

• Schools and colleges across U-M offer a number of resources to help support their respective faculty, staff and students naviagte the research lifecycle.

Grant Editing

• The Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research offers a grant editing service that ensures the close-to-final version of your grant proposal is persuasive, cohesive and polished.

The Proposal Writer's Guide

• The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects hosts a suite of webpages that provide faculty and staff with information related to writing a proposal for a sponsored activity.

Research Development

• Research development activities are complementary to those referred to as research administration, which typically focus on grant submission and financial management of sponsored research, and are coordinated by professional staff within units and the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects.

Business Engagement Center

• The Business Engagement Center connects faculty members with industry partners to create mutually beneficial partnerships. They coach faculty at any stage of an industry relationship to ensure the right resources are involved and that faculty are supported during the process. Its team of relationship managers work closely with faculty across campus.

• Fast Forward Medical Innovation offers resources and support to world-class biomedical researchers at U-M, and across the state. Its groundbreaking funding programs, dynamic educational offerings and deep industry connections help biomedical researchers navigate the road to successful innovation and commercialization, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting human health.

Technology Transfer

• Tech Transfer is responsible for the commercialization of U-M research discoveries. The team enhances U-M research discoveries to encourage licensing and broad deployment with existing businesses and newly formed U-M startups.

Foundation Relations

• The university's Office of Foundation Relations works to initiate and cultivate relationships between U-M and private organizations.

Foundation Directory

• The U-M Library features a database that profiles more than 105,000 U.S.-based foundations, describing programs, areas of funding, types of support, geographic emphasis, trustees and officers, application process, deadlines, high, low and average grants, and lists of recent grants made.

Michigan Outreach

• The Michigan Outreach Directory is a searchable database designed to help you find information about U-M's many outreach projects, summer/special programs and services.

Center for Educational Outreach

• The Center for Educational Outreach supports and advances the university's commitment to educational outreach and academic excellence. The center partners with faculty, staff and students to develop and implement programs that inform, engage and inspire a diverse community of scholars.

Federal Relations for Research

• The Federal Relations for Research team advocates and coordinates federal interactions for the U-M research enterprise, keeping Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies, research organizations, professional societies and public policy organizations apprised of the achievements, needs and opportunities arising from the university's research community. 

Sponsor-specific Resources

• Sponsored research funding comes from government and private (nonprofit and industry) sources. While there are hundreds of different sponsors, there are a few in which the activity merits highlighting for the U-M research community.

Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research

• MICHR provides personalized support and advice for your grant proposals or research ideas. Its free one-hour, in-person consultations can help you improve your research and funding success, and their services are available to any researcher at U-M.

Data Management Planning

• The U-M Library offers consulting on data management plans, and its team will review data management plans to be submitted to funding agencies.

Research Funding Search Consultation

• Grant specialists at the U-M Library can offer personalized, expert funding and grant search consultation to U-M research faculty and staff.