How much notice before winning a MacArthur grant?

October 9, 2007 9:56 AM

When applying for a MacArthur grant, how much information do you receive along the way about your chances before they announce the winners?

I am helping a friend with a MacArthur grant application. He is trying to secure the resources he is going to need if he gets the grant. The expectation is the project would kick of pretty immediately after winning the award. I am wondering if anyone else has ever been through this process and if they can, in general, share some insight; particularly as to how much notice you get if you're a semi-finalist, finalist, etc. to know if you should really start getting your team staged and ready to go.

Thanks!

posted by JpMaxMan to work & money (3 comments total)

If this is a "genius" grant, you can't apply for it or nominate someone for it unless you sit on the board of nominators.
posted by proj at 10:11 AM on October 9, 2007

The MacArthur foundation has many grant programs apart from its Fellowship ("genius grant") program.

JpMaxMan: The best way to get this information is to contact directly the manager of the particular grant program to which your friend is applying. Staff contact information is given on the MacArthur website.
posted by mr_roboto at 10:16 AM on October 9, 2007

Before filling in the application he should contact the program officer in charge of his area and set up an informational meeting. MacArthur program officers are extremely accessible and helpful. He should go into the meeting with as much information about the project as possible, including all targets and expected outcomes, other funding (and be honest-- have him note what he's got in hand or pledged, what he's getting as renewal, what he's applying for first time). MacArthur (in the arts at least) does not tend to fund 100% of a project.

You want your proposal to be concise and logical. Do not go over the page limit; do not go under the minimum type size (if any is specified). I'd use a clear 11- or 12-point type and slightly greater than single spacing let. Make sure you have everything they ask for. Once your proposal is ready you can call the program officer again and go over it to make sure you're not missing anything. Like I said, their staff is just great.

The deadline is the deadline. Do not miss it. A lot of funding is lost for seemingly arbitrary reasons-- missing attachments, missed deadlines, wrong delivery system (do they want hard or email? do they use an on-line service? do they accept FedEx or hand delivery? etc.), and other details.

There is no finalist/semifinalist system-- you apply by the deadline, with every single thing they ask for in the packet, and then you sit back and wait. If they call you for an interview that's a good sign, but if they don't call it's not necessarily a bad sign. It's okay to call them about 10 days to 2 weeks after your proposal is delivered to make sure everything is there. Sometimes they'll let you sneak in missing stuff when you do this; they are unlikely to call and let you know something is missing. However, do not keep calling back for updates.

As far as the start date-- will the project happen with or without the MacArthur funding? Will it need a second or third year or other ongoing funding? Is there a plan for that? Again, be honest. If you need the MacArthur funding, say so, but make sure you make a compelling case for why MacArthur should care.

Anyway, if you have other specific questions, my email's in my profile. My expertise is in the arts by the way. I've written about 20 MacArthur grants; 15 funded.
posted by nax at 12:17 PM on October 9, 2007 [5 favorites]