Participants in the ACM Grants Lab said the gathering came at a critical time and helped them sharpen proposals for external support for their work.
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) hosted a summer retreat designed to help faculty and staff at member institutions gain grant-seeking skills and strengthen their proposals for external funding support. Held in mid-August on the campus of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, the four-day ACM Grants Lab: A Proposal Writing Accelerator for Scholars and Leaders was attended by representatives of 12 ACM colleges.
A winning grant application may determine whether ideas for original research, cutting-edge programs, or efforts to support positive institutional change in higher education can be implemented. However, member colleges have told ACM that some faculty and staff have gaps in knowledge about the multi-faceted process of grant-seeking and could benefit from guidance from skilled and experienced grant writers. The ACM Grants Lab was developed in response to this request for direction.
Collin O’Leary, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Cornell College, participated in the gathering’s workshops, panel discussions, plenary sessions, and structured writing time. O’Leary said he and his colleagues are currently seeking funding from private foundations to enhance and expand Cornell’s undergraduate research program.
“I found it incredibly collaborative,” O’Leary said of the inaugural ACM program, adding the experience leveled up his department’s grant proposals through mentorship and feedback on how to craft compelling narratives. “Every session, talk, or activity—there’s been something positive or new to take from them.”
ACM President Lisa Jasinski called the ACM Grants Lab “a source of vital learning for today’s needs in higher ed,” considering the significant changes the federal government recently made to the funding landscape. Jasinski noted ACM’s new strategic framework, Together We Go Further: ACM’s Commitment to Excellence Through Collaboration, emphasizes a pledge to serve as a trusted resource to member campuses as they navigate emerging challenges in higher education, such as funding uncertainty.
“I’m optimistic the ACM Grants Lab will result in new grant awards that fuel innovation on our campuses at a time when external funding is more critical than ever,” Jasinski said. “It was inspiring to see colleagues come together and develop their ideas into compelling proposals with the potential to advance human knowledge, improve the health of individuals and society, and launch exciting new programs to benefit students on ACM campuses.”
Harper Mruk, Ripon College’s director of grants and foundation relations, said the ACM Grants Lab came at a fortuitous time. She said she has been collaborating with Ripon colleagues to build processes to improve grant writing and submissions. As one example of this work, Mruk said external funding could support top-notch instruction, technology, and facilities for the college’s growing engineering program.
“How do we build it so that our engineers come out of Ripon ‘work-ready?’” Mruk asked rhetorically, adding that Ripon’s approach asks students to complement their STEM coursework with communications and teamwork skills developed through classes in the arts, humanities and social sciences. “That is kind of turning our liberal arts college on its head: thinking really and truly that workforce development is what we do.”
ACM subsidized attendees’ travel to St. Paul for the ACM Grants Lab and provided the programming, accommodations, and meals at no cost to participants or their colleges. A total of 46 attendees participated.
Lynn Murray-Chandler, ACM’s newly-appointed vice president for programs and professional development, said she found it energizing to attend the ACM Grants Lab along with President Jasinski and Allen Linton II, ACM’s senior director of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“After being a part of this valuable accelerator, I look forward to working closely with leaders from across ACM on future offerings that will similarly help our member colleges consistently meet the moment in higher education,” Murray-Chandler said.
President Jasinski thanked several members of the ACM community who lent their expertise to the event. Anna Beno, the director of corporate, foundation and sponsored research support at Lawrence University, and David Borgmeyer, the associate director of corporate, foundation, and government relations at Grinnell College, led sessions on how to identify strong funding prospects and align project goals with funder priorities. Brigittine French, an anthropology professor who also serves as Grinnell’s assistant vice president of global education, joined biology professor Paul Overvoorde, also an associate provost and special assistant to the president of Macalester College, to serve as writing mentors. French and Overvoorde provided personalized guidance and thoughtful feedback to attendees.
ACM faculty and staff interested in seeking external funding to support research, scholarship, creative activities, professional development, or other special initiatives are encouraged to begin their search by perusing Exploring External Funding: Resources for ACM Campuses.
