Adopt the Foundation Funding Mindset

Private foundations are mission-driven organizations that seek to fund bold, high impact ideas aligned with their priorities. To successfully engage with them, it’s essential to understand their goals and values.

Start by exploring foundation websites and initiating conversations with program officers. These insights will help you craft proposals that resonate and demonstrate clear alignment with their mission.

Identify Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities come in many different forms — from open calls for proposals to invitation-only opportunities. Rice’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (OCFR) provides several tools to help you discover and pursue meaningful funding:

• Research Funding Opportunities Bulletin: OCFR partners with the Office of Research Development to build and deliver a monthly email with a wide range of funding opportunities, as well as callouts for resources, special events and other useful information. If you would like to be included, email ocfr@rice.edu.
• Early Career Opportunities: Targeted resources for emerging researchers and scholars.
• OCFR’s monthly open house: Drop in at Dandelion Cafe the first Friday of every month from 9 -11 AM to ask questions and connect with our team.

Participate in Internal Funding Competitions

Some foundations limit the number of proposals Rice can submit. In these cases, OCFR coordinates internal competitions to select the most competitive application.

Please visit the linked resources below to see a list of limited submission competitions. If you are interested in participating, submit an internal Notice of Intent and/or Pre-proposal by the stated deadline. An interdisciplinary Research Awards Committee will review submissions and notify selected applicants.

• Foundation limited submissions calendar
• Comprehensive list of limited submission competitions

Establish Relationships

Posted calls for proposals are not the only pathway to foundation support. Many funded projects begin with relationships between faculty and foundations.

Networking is key. Engaging with foundation staff, attending events and staying connected can open doors to future funding. The more you build authentic relationships, the better positioned you’ll be to secure support for your work.

Steward Supporters

Securing foundation funding is just the beginning. Stewarding your foundation supporters is vital to ensuring the success of your grant and opening doors for future support. Key stewardship practices include:

• Acknowledging the foundation's generosity.
• Sharing updates such as publications, conference presentations and press coverage.
• Submitting timely and thorough reports. Foundations rely on reports to understand the impact of your work and share that information with their stakeholders.

Support for Early Career Faculty

Many foundations offer programs designed to support early-stage researchers. The OCFR’s Early Career Faculty page includes:

• Strategy tips for navigating foundation funding.
• Advice from Rice faculty peers.
• A curated list of early career opportunities from foundations and corporations.