Grant Databases
Pivot
Pivot is a comprehensive, user-friendly grant database with searchable funding opportunities by foundations, federal agencies, international entities, and professional societies. Pivot allows account holders to track, organize, share, and receive notifications about funding opportunities. Pivot also allows users to search for collaborators through the searchable scholar profiles.
NDSU faculty, staff, and students have access to Pivot through the university’s subscription (access from off campus requires log-in) and can register for an account with their NDSU email. Visitors to campus can access Pivot through the NDSU Library by getting a computer pass from the reference desk when attended by a reference librarian (see hours here).
Step 1: Create An Account |
Step 2: Claim/Create and Update Your Profile |
Step 3: Conduct an Advanced Funding Search |
Step 4: Navigate, Save, and Refine Search Results |
Step 5: Become Familiar With the Pivot Homepage |
Grants.Gov
Grants.Gov allows users to search for federal, government-wide grant opportunities. No subscription is required. Grants.gov does not allow the grant seeker to narrow a search by activity location, so be sure to double check this criteria when looking at an opportunity. Grants.Gov applications will be submitted through the site’s online process, but the database only allows users to register when preparing for a specific opportunity.
The Foundation Center
The Foundation Center has a database with over 3 million grants and profiles of over 120,000 grantmakers. NDSU's Business Development unit in RCA has two account licenses for this database, and you can contact them for help with searches, or you may access the database yourself through the downtown Fargo Public Library Online Resources, by using their computers or by being on their wireless. A valid FPL Library card is required, and this database can be accessed only at the downtown site, not the north or south branches.
Graduate Student Corner
See the NDSU Graduate School's page on Funding Your Education for links to assistantships, fellowships, and grants.
Take a class to help prepare your application to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. UNIV 440/640 - Writing for Scholars, Fellows, and Researchers (8 weeks, 1 credit)
Searching for grants and fellowships
Pivot includes scholarships, fellowships, travel grants, dissertation funding, and more. It can be your one-stop place to search for opportunities; however, if you want to try something else, consider one of the following:
Fellowship Finder: The Illinois Database of Grants and Fellowships for Graduate Students. Search parameters include Field, Citizenship, Stage of Study, Award Type, and Eligibility.
CARAT: Database at Harvard of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
ProFellow: Database and blog with information on professional and academic fellowships in a variety of fields. Free subscription is required. The blog includes stories and tips from successful fellows.
Foundation Center: Foundation Grants to Individuals Online: Requires a subscription or access to a Foundation Center library or Funding Information Network location. The main branch of the Fargo Public Library downtown is one of these places to access it for free while on site. (102 N Third St, Fargo, ND 58102)
