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Research and Sponsored Programs

Bluefield State University (BSU) and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RASP) encourages and supports its faculty and staff who are interested in seeking funding from external sources.

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GRANT WRITING

Knowledgeable and experienced staff provides pre-award and post-award support. 

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RESOURCES

The RASP office strives to provide information on funding opportunities for Bluefield State University.

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Forms

Important forms and other resources to help you with the grant writing process. 

External funding helps support sponsored projects and increase the number of available opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. 

Additionally, external funding permits research, scholarly inquiry, and the development of novel ideas that contribute to the academic attainment and stature of the Institution while assisting the University in fulfilling its duties to the State and the Nation.  

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Pre-Award and
Post-Award Support 

Knowledgeable, experienced staff provides pre-award and post-award support, and compliance coordination, helps transmit the proposal to the funding sponsors, and negotiates the terms of the awards with the potential sponsor.

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Projects for research, training, and service undertaken by University employees through Bluefield State University, Applied Research Foundation of West Virginia (ARFofWV), and Bluefield State University Foundation (the Foundation), using University resources and funded by external sources must be processed through and approved by the RASP office.

Latest News 

BSC Receives American Water "Inclusion and Diversity Grant"

Bluefield State College is receiving an American Water “Inclusion and Diversity Grant” to support and implement a “Cultural Histories of Affrilachian People Event Series.”  BSC was one of 13 organizations across West Virginia to receive awards from American Water and its subsidiaries, including West Virginia American Water. 

The awards provide support to organizations seeking to develop and implement programs, training, and community-related projects that focus on promoting and fostering inclusion and diversity in communities across West Virginia.

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Our Mission

The mission of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is to coordinate the University's external funding mechanisms and to support the University's strategic goal of creating infrastructure to promote and encourage research endeavors at the University by offering the techniques to:

Stimulate Interest

The mission of RASP is to stimulate interest in the advancement of intellectual life at Bluefield State University. 

Discover Opportunities

We discover opportunities for sponsored research, programs, projects; and provide a uniform framework for pursuing funding opportunities.

Offer Assistance

We offer assistance in the preparation, submission, and execution of grant and contract proposals; ensuring compliance with University, State, and Federal policies and regulations.

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Grant Writing Tips

Effective grant writing is key to your funding success. Here are a few tips and resources to help you reach your grant award goals. 

01.

Critical Tip for Captivating Grant Writing

The Grant Training Center. Author: Alan Paul

The focus of this blog is effective grant writing.
The reviewers of your proposal will be the ultimate judges of your funding success. To assure that they are enthused, you need to address: Whose story is this? What is this about? How does the material link backward and forward? What material warrants my attention?

02.

A Fatal Error: Confusing Manuscript Writing with Grant Writing

The Grant Training Center. Author: Mathilda Harris

One of the major issues that beginning grant writers have is that their writing is more suited for manuscripts rather than the development of an idea for which they are requesting funds. Understanding the difference, both in concept as well as approach, between these two forms of writing is crucial. 

03.

Critical Questions to Clarify Your Research

The Grant Training Center. Author: Mathilda Harris

How you will construct the direction and destination of your proposal depends on the initial questions that you ask. As you move from generating the topic, to gathering the background information, to adding focus to your research, you should begin with the open-ended questions of “how” and “why”, while at all times considering the “so what” question of your topic. In other words, why does this topic matter to you and why should it matter to others?

04.

Five Common Problems Facing Grant Writer 

The Grant Training Center. Author: Mathilda Harris

During a recent grant training workshop I conducted in Pennsylvania, I asked participants what they considered to be the key obstacles they face in seeking, submitting and ultimately winning grants.

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