A good place to start your search for funding opportunities is Duke’s Funding Opportunities database. Funding Opportunities is an online searchable database of funding opportunities. These funding opportunities are gathered from a wide range of sources and tailored to the Duke community. You can receive a weekly update of new funding opportunities posted to the database by signing up for Duke’s Funding Alert.
Duke subscribes to two online funding opportunities databases, Community of Science (COS) and Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS). You will find links to both of these funding databases in the “Find It” section of the ORS website.
All researchers will generally want to begin with a search for funding opportunities in COS. Although the title of this database refers to the sciences, it also contains a wealth of funding information for social sciences, humanities, and community outreach projects from public, private, domestic and international sponsors. It only takes a few minute to set up a user account.
For a more comprehensive funding search, especially in the social sciences and humanities, researchers should search the IRIS in addition to COS.
For foundation-specific searches, researchers may also wish to access Foundation Directory Online and North Carolina Giving Online. Available to Duke University researchers in the Funding Resource Center (407 North Bldg), these databases provide detailed information on foundations.
Please contact Judith Andersson if you have questions about any of these funding opportunities databases.
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It only takes a few minutes to set up a COS Funding Alert. A funding alert is a customized, saved search which is updated weekly, emailing you any new results in your research area. Please contact Judith Andersson if you would like to schedule a training session. Here are the steps you will take:
To Register
You will be asked to provide contact information (Email, First name, Last name, Institution, School, Country, Department, Profession and Research Interest Term). You may complete the other fields if you wish, but only those with asterisks are required.
You will be asked how you heard about COS and will need to choose a user name and password.
Uncheck the box under password entry “Yes, I would like to receive periodic e-mail notifications regarding New Products and Enhancements.”
Click the “Launch My COS Workbench Now” button
You will be directed to the COS Workbench. Since you are new to the site, you will not have the choice to add a search from here. Instead, go to third tab at top of page, “Search COS Funding Opportunities.” You will be redirected to a new page. Then click on second tab (middle of the page), “Main Search”
COS Funding Opportunities Main Search Page
For a general search, follow the following instructions. Click here for definitions of COS terms.
All Fields – Leave blank
Sponsor – Leave blank
Title – Leave blank
Abstract – Leave blank
Deadline – Leave blank
Internal Coordination – Leave blank
Amount – Leave blank
Keywords – Choose keywords that describe your project by clicking on “Browse” and then on the “plus” sign next to each category to reveal hierarchy. Click on the keyword to include it in the field.
Activity Location – Choose “North Carolina” and/or other locations as applicable.
Requirements – Hold the control key to choose multiple terms.
Citizenship or Residency – Hold the control key to choose multiple terms.
Funding Type – Hold the control key to choose multiple terms.
Sponsor Type – Leave blank to select all sponsor types.
Run the search, and all of the funding opportunities that match the criteria you have entered will be displayed. An ideal comprehensive search for most users should locate between 30-200 records. The most common way to broaden or narrow your search is by generalizing or narrowing the disciplinary area keywords used in your search. You may modify your search at any time. Once you are happy with the criteria you have entered, click on “Save this Search” at the top of the page.
Saving Your Search
When you save your search, you will be asked whether you wish to receive email about the search. We suggest that you do sign up for the email alert, and once a week, you will receive all the new and revised funding opportunities that match your criteria. You can have up to 20 saved searches.
You will also be provided with two columns, allowing you to choose whether or not to include these keywords in your Expertise Profile, which is provided for each COS user so researchers can find out information about one another. Leaving these boxes checked will make your keywords public to all COS subscribers. Click Save These Changes to save your search.
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Q: What is the website address that will take me to my completed funding search?
A: http://workbench.cos.com
Q: How do I get to my search results from my COS workbench?
A: Under Access Your Funding Alerts, choose Modify Alerts and then choose Preview This Search.
Q: Why am I not getting any results?
A: Carefully check how you filled out your search form. Make sure that you:
1) did not change any of the automated "check off" boxes included at the bottom of some fields;
2) double-check that you filled in the eight - twelfth fields (Keywords - Funding Type);
3) did not fill in any of the first four fields (for a general search.)
Please let Judith Andersson know if you have any further questions or suggestions for the troubleshooting section.
Last updated, November 28, 2007, by Steven Abels.
