Mentor-Connect Mentors give back to the ATE Program by working with prospective grantees to transfer knowledge and teach successful grant-writing strategies as they mentor and develop the next generation Principal Investigators for the ATE Program.
Director of Grants, Green River College, Auburn, Washington.
Fundraising, particularly grantwriting; also, project and volunteer management.
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Most outdoorsy “ings”…Backpacking, camping, cross-country skiing, hiking, kayaking, mountaineering, etc. Except cycling, for no particular reason.
My wife Joni and I met in 1997 in Mongolia, while we were both serving as volunteers in the U.S. Peace Corps.
A well-designed project will likely produce a competitive grant proposal. A well-written proposal can’t compensate for an incoherent project. Project design should precede and take priority over proposal development; or as I tell colleagues far too often: “Grants are the tail, not the dog.”
It’s a tremendously rewarding experience being able to help talented, imaginative people to fulfill their visions.
Yes, with other NSF grant proposals – and occasionally, general advice. It’s gratifying to retain and deepen these friendships over time. I occasionally ask them for advice, too…
To some extent. My experience is that this happens gradually, as former Mentor-Connect participants become more confident and visible members of the ATE community, through ongoing communication and networking at conferences like HI-TEC. That sense of community is what distinguishes ATE grantees from those who’ve received funding from other sources.
Asking questions from the perspective of a lay person can be helpful, especially when supporting prospective faculty PIs/Co-PIs. Frequent communication, even if it’s brief, can also sustain applicants’ momentum and facilitate their adapting when changing circumstances warrant modifications to their original ideas.
I refer to it every time that I’m helping colleagues at my own college develop ATE proposals. Because the checklist is based on decades of collective experience, it’s readily accepted by others as a set of milestones to gauge whether their proposals are on track. When colleagues use the checklist to hold themselves accountable for their progress, I can focus on supporting them.