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The University of North Georgia's (¹û¶³´«Ã½) Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) held its annual Grants Academy from May 15-18, providing ¹û¶³´«Ã½ faculty and staff with a four-day program to explore their interest in external funding opportunities.

Nine ¹û¶³´«Ã½ faculty and staff members were able to participate at no expense, allowing them to focus on their projects in a supportive space and develop them specifically for grant funding.

There was an intentionally smaller group of participants this year to provide targeted instruction and create more opportunities for group discussion and interaction during presentations.

"It is hoped that through learning the external funding submission processes the participants will be successful in securing funding for their projects, which will increase the university's external grant dollars," Yolanda Carr, Sponsored Programs director, said. "The connections participants make with their peers and OSP staff help set them up for long-term success."

The academy was held for two days at ¹û¶³´«Ã½'s Dahlonega Campus in the Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation and two days at the Gainesville Campus in the Arts & Technology building.

Participants came from the College of Arts and Letters, the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, the Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis, Public Safety, and ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Press.

The academy this year had several first-time participants, including Dr. BJ Robinson, ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Press director.

"The Grants Academy helped me align the grant application process — research, writing, implementation — with a focused plan. Publishing involves business, technology and more, and I plan to apply for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Humanities Connections grant that requires connecting humanities with non-humanities disciplines," Robinson said.

¹û¶³´«Ã½ Press plans to partner with the University of South Carolina Press, Clemson University Press and Hub City Press to develop a regional publishing symposium focusing on students, faculty, staff, and the community.

Maria Jose Maguire, Tutoring Lab coordinator, also found her time in the academy to be quite impactful to her future goals.

"The Grants Academy is an excellent opportunity to transform my ideas into possible grants. I learned about the application process, had targeted discussions and had the chance to speak with different ¹û¶³´«Ã½ speakers who share their experiences and knowledge of grant writing," Maguire said. " They had a great team that wants me to succeed in getting a grant, and they are walking me through the process."

The first Grants Academy was held in 2014, and the event was held virtually for the last three years before returning to an in-person academy this year. More than 150 ¹û¶³´«Ã½ faculty and staff have participated in Grants Academy since its inception.