Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs

The OGSP helps manage responsibilities of private, (corporate and foundation) funding and those of public or government sources.  The OGSP is also the lead WSU office for grant oversight and works closely with the WSU Financial Accounting Office which oversees pre and post-award financial reporting.

All proposals must go through the OGSP in order to be compliant with federal, state and local guidelines and to benefit from University legal and administrative support.  If proposals are received without approval from the OGSP, awards MAY be returned to the funder(s).

Our mission is to provide research and disseminate information on potential funding opportunities, while helping with the application process, ensuring compliance and proper stewardship of funds within University and funder requirements, including federal mandates.  The OGSP also provides post-award coordination.

Sources of Funding

Recognizing that external funding is critical to advancing professional development, teaching, learning, and scholarly research, OGSP is committed to assisting and supporting faculty and staff in securing grants which further the mission of the University.

Private Funding

The OGSP seeks to establish strategic partnerships with corporations and private foundations with the help of University Relations to create mutually beneficial relationships.  Typically, corporate donors seek partnerships with higher education institutions where there is an opportunity to build on complementary strengths such as in recruitment, hiring, scholarships for students, internships, faculty-industry collaborations, research, lecturing opportunities, and sponsorship of activities.  Historically, private foundations have funded research while the OGSP identifies opportunities such as fellowships, research and special programs that match a foundation's giving priorities.

Public Funding

The OGSP is the initial point of contact for faculty/librarians and staff seeking government grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.  It is the lead office on campus for proposal development in the public sector and managing federal and state post-award compliance issues.

SPIN is a service subscribed by Westfield State University through InfoEd, Inc.  It contains solicitations from both public and private sources.  Faculty and staff at Westfield State University who are interested in accessing SPIN may contact the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs for directions on how to register or may go directly the GENIUS component of InfoEd to create a profile themselves.  Directions are provided. 

Grants.gov is the primary source for federal funding opportunities.  It can be searched by keyword, category, agency or CFDA number.  CFDA numbers are like Dewey decimal numbers that get assigned to every federal program and are listed in the CFDA Subject Index.  CFDA numbers can be searched using the wild care symbol * (star), e.g. 84*.

Submission Procedures

Westfield State University requires a set of standardized documents to be submitted by its faculty, librarians, and staff who seek external funding.