Relationships
We track and oversee the stewardship of all foundation relationships by carefully monitoring grants and working directly with faculty and staff to coordinate any direct contact with foundations.
On This Page
Office of Research & Grants
Welcome to the Office of Research and Grants. Our mission is to facilitate the identification, pursuit and stewardship of grant funding for faculty research, student programming, and community partnerships via relationship building with public, private, and corporate foundations and both federal and state agencies. We do so with keen attention to securing funding for programs and projects that advance scholarship, community engagement and research as central to our academic mission and the University’s institutional and strategic priorities.
We accomplish this work via dedicated, experienced professionals focused on:
- Seeking funding for innovative research and strategic programs that address university priorities.
- Creating infrastructure including policies and processes to ensure consistency and compliance.
- Collaborating with funders and external partners towards shared goals.
- Supporting faculty in award management and award compliance.
- Training faculty and staff about the grant process including developing projects.
Government Funding
We help faculty and staff identify prospective federal, state, and local funding opportunities. We are responsible for the submission of competitive proposals, award execution, issuance of sub-award agreements, budget management and provide oversight of agency-specific compliance requirements for all government grants. The Office supports faculty and staff at all phases throughout the grant-seeking process.
Pre-Award Administration works closely with faculty and staff to identify funding opportunities and offers guidance on the application process, proposal compliance requirements, and university policies. The pre-award team works directly with the Principal Investigator (PI) through one-on-one meetings to assist with the following:
- Provide support with the interpretation of guidelines and instructions of sponsor requirements
- Assist in the preparation of budgets and cost-sharing arrangements (if applicable)
- Assist with proposal development with non-discipline specific sections of the proposal
- Support in the submission of the proposal
Post-Award Administration manages all grant awards and works with the Finance Office on award set-up and financial reporting. This support includes:
- Work with the PI to manage the award from start to the close-out of the award
- Ensure that the PI has access to and knowledge needed to monitor budgets, expenses, and balances
- Assist with preparing progress and financial reports as well as any other reporting requirements
- Monitor agency requirements and advise PIs regarding changes in agency and federal regulations
- Act as the liaison between the PI and the program officer on any award modifications including no-cost extensions, budget revisions, and changes in key personnel
- Support award close-out and submission of final financial report and any other documents required by the funder
Foundation Relations
This type of funding support is directed to Fairfield University faculty and staff seeking to create strong and lasting partnerships with public, private, and corporate foundations.
Through relationship building and strategic outreach, we aim to:
- Help secure funding for programs and projects that advance the University’s institutional priorities
- Share the work of Fairfield University faculty for recognition, awareness and financial support, and
- Enhance the reach and impact of research and educational initiatives for the benefit of our local, national and global communities
Our Services
Advocacy
We recognize the importance of aligning innovative research and strategic initiatives with foundation priorities. We provide guidance on trends and grant making processes, help facilitate foundation connections, and engage funders in the work of Fairfield University faculty and staff.
Writing Assistance
We review and edit letters of intent and grant proposals to ensure research and initiatives are presented in compelling ways, follow foundation guidelines, and address funder priorities.
Award Management
We assist with preparing progress and financial reports, and other reporting specifications according to award requirements.
Grants Highlights
Foundation Grants
College of Arts and Sciences | Davis Educational Foundation
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College of Arts and Sciences | Davis Educational Foundation
Lead Faculty
Janie Leatherman, PhD
The Foundation awarded a generous two-year grant to support Civic Engagement through the Promise of Democracy, an initiative aiming at strengthening Fairfield’s education core and creating open spaces that inspire and empower the entire university community to participate in the promise of democracy.
The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies | Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation
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The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies | Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation
Lead Faculty
Ellen Umansky, PhD
For the past 23 years, the Foundation has supported the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies and the many educational programs organized throughout the year to highlight the Jewish faith and history and enrich culture and spiritual life on campus and in the community.
Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies | Helene Fuld Health Trust
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Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies | Helene Fuld Health Trust
Lead Faculty
Meredith Kazer, PhD
The Helene Fuld Health Trust made an exceptional multi-year pledge to support the Accelerated Baccalaureate Program (ABSN) of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies. This gift will facilitate our efforts to identify and support scholars in the ABSN Program in order to develop in them the social awareness, critical thinking skills, and values to become licensed nurses and leaders to improve health outcomes globally.
School of Engineering | Earl & Hildagunda A Brinkman Private Charitable Foundation
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School of Engineering | Earl & Hildagunda A Brinkman Private Charitable Foundation
Lead Faculty
Dr. Sriharsha ("Harsha") Sundarram, PhD
In 2019, the Foundation renewed its generous support of the School of Engineering with a grant that helped further the cutting-edge research of Dr. Sriharsha (“Harsha”) Sundarram, guarantee student involvement in the Baja Buggy design competition and provide necessary equipment for both the Statics-Dynamics-Strength of Materials course and the robotics laboratory.
Charles F. Dolan School of Business | Bank of America Charitable Foundation
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Charles F. Dolan School of Business | Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Lead Faculty
Kathy Nantz, PhD
The Foundation has been supporting the Dolan School of Business Professional Development Series, an initiative designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills essential to successful navigation in the working world.
Center for Social Impact | Marie and John Zimmerman Foundation
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Center for Social Impact | Marie and John Zimmerman Foundation
Lead Faculty
Melissa Quan
The Marie and John Zimmerman Foundation has provided lead support of the Fairfield University Jones-Zimmermann Academic Mentoring Program. The award is helping provide after-school tutoring and mentoring by members of our exceptional faculty for elementary students from Cesar Batalla School in Bridgeport, CT.
School of Education and Human Development | The John H. and Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust
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School of Education and Human Development | The John H. and Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust
Lead Faculty
Bryan Crandall, PhD
The Trust supported to the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University. This grant allowed us to provide crucial training to teachers from high-need school districts who work directly with students with learning disabilities.
Government Grants
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
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Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Dr. Joyce Shea
Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
HRSA awarded Dr. Joyce Shea funding for the purpose of telehealth and inter-professional practice. This grant will be used to support over 300 current and future Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) students at the Fairfield University Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies (Egan School) over the next four years, and to provide didactic and clinical education experiences that prepare Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), and Nurse Midwifery (NM) students to work effectively in inter-professional teams and to incorporate evidence-based telehealth approaches in delivering care to under-served patients across the lifespan.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
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National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dr. Anita Fernandez
College of Arts and Sciences
This microscope’s versatility allows researchers to pursue wide-ranging and advanced research projects. This microscope will also be used to study agents that break up microbial biofilms, to characterize and quantify lipid rafts in cancer cell lines and immune cells, to develop and track small-molecule labeling of therapeutically important enzymes, to analyze human cancer cell behavior, and to study genetic interactions that affect animal development.
Older Americans Act Title 111D pass through to Southwestern CT Agency on Aging (SWCCA)
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Older Americans Act Title 111D pass through to Southwestern CT Agency on Aging (SWCCA)
Monica Wheeler
Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
For numerous years, SWCCA has awarded Fairfield University funds to continue the work under the program, A Matter of Balance© which is a national structured group intervention that utilizes a variety of activities to address physical, social and cognitive factors affecting fear of falling and to teach fall prevention strategies. The activities include group discussion, problem-solving, skill building, assertiveness training, videotapes, sharing practical solutions, and exercise training
NASA pass-through to University of Hartford - CT Space Grant Consortium
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NASA pass-through to University of Hartford - CT Space Grant Consortium
Dr. Harvey Hoffman
School of Engineering
Dr. Uma Balaji
School of Engineering
CTSGC continues to annually fund several grants for our faculty and students. One of our latest grants is The Afterschool Robotics at Wakeman Boys and Girls Club. This program aims to build a STEM pathway through mentorship between undergraduates and middle school students. The project will introduce approximately 15 undergraduate engineering students at Fairfield University to the knowledge and skills to engage in robot building and then mentor approximately 15 middle students from Wakeman Boys and Girls Club. The undergraduate students will apply their learning and demonstrate leadership in conveying technical knowledge to young learners to encourage their interest and capabilities in STEM.
University of Bridgeport (CT Next Higher Education Grant)
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University of Bridgeport (CT Next Higher Education Grant)
Dr. Christopher Huntley
Dolan School of Business
Winston DeMartini
Dolan School of Business (Student)
Funding was awarded to develop a prototype for their smart shirt which will allows physical therapists to heal patients faster and stronger based on real, hard data. The data from the smart shirt will also be available for direct export into HIPAA and GINA compliant forms, allowing therapists to spend less time on paperwork and more time taking on additional clients. The physical therapists we are working with are willing to be beta testers for our product.
State of CT Department of Higher Education
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State of CT Department of Higher Education
Dr. Joshua Elliott
Graduate Department of Education and Allied Professions
Fairfield University was awarded grant funding to enable transforming our popular graduate programs and promote openness by implementing Open Pedagogy practices into our core program courses. These efforts will not only benefit the current students and faculty within the program by producing supplemental instructional materials, but also has the potential to impact the K-12 school districts not only where these students teach, but statewide as these openly licensed materials will be made available for all.
Contact Us
Julie F. Peters
Director
Pre-Award Administration
x2761
Deb Matthews
Director
Post-Award Administration
x2714
Katherine Reed
Senior Director
Foundation Relations
x2865
Faculty Liaison
Kathryn Nantz
Faculty Liaison for Innovative Research
Professor
Economics
x2271