How We Can Help
Working within Rice University's Development and Alumni Relations division, OCFR helps the university to secure funding from corporations and private foundations.
The OCFR team provides a range of services across the foundation and corporate spaces to enable you to pursue support for your research or program. Our goal is to empower faculty to seek grants and gifts from private organizations by providing you with the information, insight and support you need to pursue promising opportunities.
Our involvement varies widely based upon: the project, the needs of faculty, and the priorities set by the president, provost, and dean. The more we know, the better we can serve you, so please notify us of your plans! Our team would love to talk to you about your research, your goals and your funding ideas.
Our services include:
Strategic advice
Our team can advise on strategy in pursuit of funding from private foundations, corporations and corporate foundations. Whether you are at the beginning of your journey or exploring new sources of support, our team members can offer a broader perspective of Rice’s connection to organizations and potential avenues to consider.
We can help you search for potential funders, shape your research concept for the foundation or corporate audience, consider the best way to approach potential funders, consider partners within Rice and more.
Corporate and foundation relations
Our team can assist you in communicating with foundations and corporations, arranging meetings with funders and campus representatives and showcasing key projects at Rice for prospective funders in a range of contexts.
Proposal development and editorial consultation
OCFR frequently drafts, revises and advances proposals and letters of inquiry to foundations and corporations on behalf of the president.
Our team is also available for editing and content consultation if you are planning a proposal or letter of inquiry to a foundation or corporation. We can also assist in securing letters of support and documentation from institutional officials to accompany proposals, recommend campus partners, collaborators, highlight departmental support options, and take part in presentation prep.
Help us to see the big picture
As a central office, we gain greatly from understanding the broad range of efforts across Rice. Please let us know about any contacts you have with a company or foundation, even if the relationship does not necessarily involve grant or gift funds. Awareness of these important direct relationships ensures we have a complete picture of Rice’s overall relationship and can manage simultaneous requests of the same company or foundation. Recognizing that each circumstance is different, we will discuss with you ways in which we can, or even should, be involved.
Grants process advising
Our team is ready to help you navigate the grants process, both before you submit a proposal and after you receive funding . OCFR works closely with SPARC and RCA to receive and manage grants from foundations and corporations, and we are familiar with the wide range of submission processes across organizations and can provide you with background information, institutional history and knowledge, and assistance at each stage.
Please note: if you need assistance with a federal grant, the Office of Proposal Development offers in-depth consultation and workshops with that focus.
Grant stewardship and reporting
After you receive funding, our team will compose presidential acknowledgement letters, offer reminders to your team regarding reporting deadlines, and assist with the completion of reports, if appropriate.