Grants and Community Partnerships

The Grant Center is responsible for the identification and procurement of federal, state, and other external funding to supplement existing academic resources and to enhance program development and research at the University. Faculty and departments will be notified of appropriate, potential funding sources through campus mailings, newsletters, phone calls, and/or email.

Faculty are encouraged to visit the Grant Center to discuss an idea needing funding or information on funding sources. The Grant Center should be notified and made aware of possible ideas for funding. In general, all information requests to funding sources should go through the Center. Grant writing is a team effort. The Grant Center will assist at every step, but in most cases should not be considered the sole proposal writer.

Applying for Funding is Easy!

1. Contact the Grant Center as soon as you plan to apply to discuss feasibility and a schedule for proposal development. This contact should occur months (minimum five weeks) prior to the application deadline. Include a link to the funder’s website page and attach any application instruction files.
2. Applying for external funding is a multistep process and an Intent to Apply for External Funding form (PDF) must be completed and signed before an application can be submitted. This is the first step in the internal approval process.
3. Funding agencies require Institutional approval for proposal submissions in order to ensure university support for the project. This process requires a minimum of four (4) weeks lead-time prior to the due date and is coordinated through the Grant Center. Please follow the grant development timeline in the Intent To Apply for External Funding form (PDF).
4. All proposals submitted via online portals (Fastlane/Grants.Gov) MUST be uploaded at least 3 days prior to the due date. This 3-day window allows our office to address technical problems that often occur. Most importantly, it ensures your proposal will meet the deadline.
5. Once a proposal has been submitted to a funding source for review, the Grant Center will monitor its progress and conduct the necessary follow-up.
6. Where allowed, all external funding applications should have a pre-approved Fitchburg State University indirect cost rate. This will be allocated according to the University's policy.
7. Once funding is received, all requisitions, budget adjustments and contracts should be forwarded to us for sign-off. We will then forward these to Financial Services. The principal investigator(s)/project director(s) are responsible for meeting all award regulations and deadlines and must notify the Grant Center three weeks prior to due dates for any reports and correspondence to funding agencies. The Grant Center will work with the PI(s) to ensure compliance.

• Fitchburg State Animal Care and Use Policy
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) - Human Subjects Committee
• Institutional Biosafety Committee
• Fitchburg State Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and Procedures (MS Word)
• Fitchburg State University Financial Conflict of Interest Policy (PDF)
• Fitchburg State University Travel Policy
• Code of Federal Regulations
• Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance)
• Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants Compliance and Oversight
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures
• U.S. Department of Justice Financial Guide
• National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) - Human Subjects Committee

• Funding Sources and Fast Links to Comprehensive Directories

• Career and volunteer resources to recruit today’s top talent
• Experienced speakers for special events 
• Research and academic competitions 
• State-of-the-art meeting and event facilities. Meeting and function spaces for 8 to 800.

• Customized trainings including: 
  • Leadership development 
  • Change Management 
  • Diversity in the workplace 
  • Microaggressions in the workplace 
• Professional degree programs (online, in-person, and hybrid). Year-round programming options.
• Certification programs 

• Serve on Academic Advisory Committees 
• Participate in community-based research 
• Engage with our alumni. Connect with 46,000 alumni.

Career Services and Advising Center

• Workforce recruitment (undergraduate and graduate level)
• Student internships 
• Participate in student career development (employer panels, informational interviews, guest speakers) 
• Enroll in Handshake our online platform accessing the next generation of talent

Crocker Center for Civic Engagement  

Community Research and Consulting Group Collaborate with faculty and staff on projects that solve real problems, answer practical questions, or provide much-needed data. Experience  working with community partners including: 

• Social service agencies 
• Non-profits 
• Businesses 
• Governmental agencies 

For more information or to discuss a project contact co-coordinators: Dr. Renee Scapparone and Dr. David Weiss or email crockercenter@fitchburgstate.edu.

Center for Professional Studies 

Providing courses, workshops and institutes for an array of professional  development opportunities. 

• Large variety of certificate and degree programs 
• One-day workshop offerings 
• Customized industry-specific training 
• Online, hybrid, and in-person modes of learning 
• Instructors include full-time faculty as well as industry experts
• Off-site training and/or meeting spaces available on our state-of-the-art campus 

Contact us by email at cps@fitchburgstate.edu or phone at 978.665.3636. 

The School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education in collaboration with Career Services is hosting a series of corporate, small business, non-profit and municipal-based drop-in chat sessions designed to answer regional partner questions about:

• Internships
• Job fairs and other on campus recruiting events
• Professional development
• Workforce development
• Grant opportunities
• Undergraduate degree completion for your staff
• Graduate education opportunities (master’s and certificates)
• Inviting faculty to speak to your staff
• Inviting your staff to speak on university panels 
• Research collaborations
• Participating in university academic advisory boards

It’s easy!  
Drop-in anytime during our chat time 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. on Thursday October, 17, 2024

Once registered, a Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you. 

You may "drop-in" virtually at any time during this open session. There is no formal format to this event- we're here to help you!  You can jump in quickly for a few minutes, get your question answered and be on your way or stop in for a longer visit and get general information about all the ways Fitchburg State can partner with your organization. 

"Thank you for providing a platform for local organizations to connect with your institution. It was a wonderful meeting and I'm grateful for the extensive resources you've provided." --Pathways for Change

Questions?  Email us at partnership@fitchburgstate.edu or call the Center for Professional Studies at 978. 665.3636. 

The Corporate and Community Engagement Work Group will create and support an integrated corporate and community relations strategy that aligns with the university’s mission and priorities. Through established frameworks, the group will foster campus-wide communication, collaboration and coordination to build mutually beneficial community and corporate partnerships. 

Fitchburg State University’s Corporate and Community Engagement Work Group expands the possibilities for students, faculty, community and corporate stakeholders through active and meaningful partnerships. Through strategic outreach and collaboration, we focus on building community and corporate partnerships that advance common goals, and promote economic growth and social mobility in the region. This work establishes Fitchburg State as a regional leader in innovative, public-private partnerships that improve education, meet workforce needs, and develop civic-minded leaders equipped to address the future's critical challenges and opportunities. 

To realize this vision the Corporate and Community Engagement Work Group will embrace the following values.

• Foster a climate of trust, respect, transparency, and inclusivity to deepen meaningful partnerships among the university and its communities;
• Advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice for our students, staff, and faculty by seeking out corporate and community partnerships that support black and indigenous people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other under-represented groups;
• Provide opportunities for students to participate in community-engaged experiences to prepare them to be engaged citizens within the community and region;
• Foster collaboration and coordination that advances Fitchburg State as a premier University partner, resulting in increased student recruiting, experiential learning opportunities, more opportunities, and support for faculty research, expansion of existing and identification of new markets for workforce development and Fitchburg State programs, greater visibility for the University, and strategic investments;
• Elevate cross-campus discussions of community, corporate, and foundation relations activities and facilitate industry-facing units to build a deeper understanding of university strengths and work smarter to determine capabilities to serve industry partners best;
• Facilitate a strong, comprehensive university community, corporate, and foundation relations network that provides an environment that extends beyond the campus that encourages students, faculty, and staff to examine diverse issues with corporate partners;
• Encourage and support faculty and student scholarship that is community-focused and designed to help the city and region address critical challenges or opportunities.

• Susan Beddes, sbeddes@fitchburgstate.edu
• Matthew Bruun, mbruun@fitchburgstate.edu
• Lindsay Carpenter Connors, lcarpen7@fitchburgstate.edu
• Becky Copper Glenz, bcopperg@fitchburgstate.edu
• Will Cortezia, wcortezi@fitchburgstate.edu
• Tanya Crowley, tcrowle7@fitchburgstate.edu
• Joseph Ferguson, jfergu12@fitchburgstate.edu
• Andrew Goodwin, agoodwi7@fitchburgstate.edu
• Sara Levine, slevine@fitchburgstate.edu
• Kat McLellan, kmclella@fitchburgstate.edu
• Lisa Moison, lmoison@fitchburgstate.edu
• Nancy Murray, nmurray5@fitchburgstate.edu
• Lourdes Ramirez, lramire1@fitchburgstate.edu
• Olivia Rossetti, orossett@fitchburgstate.edu
• Renee Scapparone, rscappar@fitchburgstate.edu
• Rich Toomey, rtoomey1@fitchburgstate.edu

Inventory

Responsible for creating and maintaining  a corporate and community agency partnership inventory and database
Members: Megan Boyd (Lead), Lindsay Carpenter Connors, Tanya Crowley, Andrew Goodwin

Communications

Responsible for creating and disseminating information on the workgroup’s initiatives and progress.
Members: Brian Schremser (Lead), Will Cortezia, Becky Copper Glenz, Nancy Murray

Partnership Development

Responsible for identifying current and potential University partners .
Members: Susan Beddes (lead), John Crawley, Joseph Ferguson, Sara Levine, Lisa Moison, Olivia Rossetti, Renee Scapparone

Alumni Engagement

Responsible for developing identifying and establishing corporate relationships through Fitchburg State alumni and connecting those alumni to the University
Members: Tanya Crowley (Lead), Becky Copper Glenz, Olivia Rosetti

Education

Responsible for cultivating current and potential educational partners to enhance opportunities for students from preschool through higher education. 
Members: Will Cortezia, Andrew Goodwin, Sara Levine, Olivia Rosetti, Renee Scapparone, Regina Wironen