On March 11, four Hostos professors, Olga Steinberg, Kristopher Burrell, Sarah Church, and Heidi Bollinger, participated in a panel for faculty and staff focused on their experiences writing successful grant proposals. Professors on the panel represented work in the disciplines of natural sciences, history, education, and literature.
Professor Steinberg offered tips on ensuring good fit between grant applicants' objectives and funding sources, determining scope of projects for specific grant opportunities, as well as staying on schedule when plotting timelines for grants.
Professor Church offered her experiences creating professional networks in order to support and assist with applications for long-term projects that require support from organizations that offer large funding opportunities, and where and how to pitch such proposals.
Encouraging faculty and staff to draw upon professional networks when preparing proposals, Professor Bollinger stressed grant writing as a process involving not only ongoing research and idea development but also continuous feedback from and consideration of readers from each unique grant source.
Professor Burrell stressed the importance of identifying libraries, archival sources, and other agencies that support research projects in specific areas, honing ideas so as to emphasize the proposal's contributions to emerging as well as well-established fields of study.
The panel was organized by the Hostos Grants Office and the Hostos Senate Grants Committee as part of their ongoing work to support faculty and staff seeking grants for research projects and curricular innovation that benefit Hostos Community College.
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.