Federal and Foundation Funding

Federal and Foundation Funding

RDS assists with securing federal, state, and private/foundation external support for research. We identify opportunities, connect with sponsors, and assist in developing compelling proposals.

All RDS services to Vanderbilt University faculty are available at no additional cost to faculty or their department. 

Note: RDS’s primary charge is to assist with proposal submissions in which potential awards would be made to Vanderbilt University.

In most cases, RDS is not able to assist with proposals applied for by the individual scholar, in which awards would be made to the individual, not to Vanderbilt.

In these cases, we suggest that faculty reach out to their department for assistance or to VU’s Writing Studio.  https://www.vanderbilt.edu/writing/faculty/#SUPPORT


RDS provides a variety of proposal support services, including:

  • Project Management for Proposal Submission
  • Facilitation of Research Team Formation
  • Content Development & Critical Review
  • Coordination for Leadership Support Letters

Identify Funding Possibilities

RDS provides access to two different grant databases for Vanderbilt researchers. RDS will also conduct targeted funding searches for faculty members. Contact us at rds@vanderbilt.edu if you'd like our support in finding funding for your research or if you have questions about using GrantForward or SPIN.

Other Resources