The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Office of Institutional Advancement provides support in identifying external funding to advance MCLA’s 2017-2022 Strategic Plan: Think Differently. The Office of Institutional Advancement is the central administrative office responsible for submitting and accepting awards on behalf of MCLA or MCLA Foundation, Inc. The office collaborates directly with faculty and administrators interested in applying for external funding and assists them in identifying prospective funders, as well as developing and submitting proposals. Authorized Representatives of MCLA are the only individuals authorized to sign or submit grants on behalf of the college or MCLA Foundation, Inc. Additionally, the office ensures compliance and proper stewardship of funds within College and funder requirements, including federal mandates.
Please allow six to eight weeks in advance of a proposal deadline to ensure a proposal is thoroughly reviewed and approved by the appropriate personnel.
Faculty or Staff will act as the Principal Investigator (PI). The PI is the primary individual in charge of developing a proposal, developing
internal and external budgets, directing the funded grant project, and preparing reports
during the grant period (interim) and after (final) on project outcomes and financial
status of money received.
Authorized Representatives are the only individuals authorized to submit, negotiate, or accept grants on behalf
of the College or MCLA Foundation, Inc. Authorized representatives include the President, Vice Presidents, and Deans.
The Office of Institutional Advancement will support faculty and staff in the preparation, review, packaging, and submission
of proposals for external funding. Staff will review proposal guidelines and determine
eligibility, provide proposal structure, review the proposal, and provide feedback
based on technical requirements.
Before you choose to apply: Review the Institutional Review Board Policy to determine applicability and ensure compliance regarding the Massachusetts State Employee Conflict of Interest law.
To request funds external to the college for a particular program or research project, send an email to Matt VanHeynigen and your Department Chair, with the following information:
Please allow six to eight weeks for review and approval of the application.
Revisit other questions: Is this project going to require time off or a course release? Does this grant require match funding? Is there a deadline to spend the funds? Can we complete this project in the timeline required by the grant?
Department Chairs, through their Authorized Representative, will review and approve a funding proposal on behalf of the College before the Office of Institutional Advancement will submit a proposal.
Proposals selected for funding are then accepted or go through a negotiation process to ensure terms and conditions are acceptable. Authorized Representatives are the only individuals who can negotiate or accept awards on behalf of the College. Depending on the complexity of an award, the negotiation process can last a few days or several months.
Once an award has been made, the Office of Administration and Finance will administer and monitor the award alongside the PI. Expenditures and procurement of materials and supplies will be carefully monitored to adhere to grant requirements as well as MCLA’s financial, academic, and personnel policies or procedures.
At the end of each project, reporting and any other deliverables should be sent to the project sponsor and the Office of Institutional Advancement for proper record keeping. Most grant records, including accounting records, must be retained for six years following the project end or last payment made. Some records must be retained permanently. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement with questions regarding grant records. Programming or financial audits may be performed at any time.
Grants Resource Center – Faculty or staff can sign up for alerts based on their academic subject or activity area. Contract the Office of Institutional Advancement for more information.
Foundation Directory Online – Faculty or departments can contact the Office of Institutional Advancement for specific subject area or advanced search criteria through this service. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement for more information.
Review the Institutional Review Board Policy to determine applicability.
Please ensure compliance regarding the Massachusetts State Employee Conflict of Interest law.
Matt VanHeynigen, Government Relations Officer, matthew.vanheynigen@mcla.edu
