Jacksonville, AL – As originally reported by Brett Buckner of JSU’s Media Department, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at Jacksonville State University recently hosted its first intensive weeklong grant training event at Merrill Hall. The training was designed to strengthen faculty and staff skills in developing competitive grant proposals for federal, state, local, and other funding sources.
Led by AJ King, a professional trainer from The Grantsmanship Center (TGCI), the program offered engaging, interactive sessions that focused on building capacity in proposal writing and funding research. Participants learned how to use TGCI’s well-established grant proposal format, gaining practical insight into identifying funding sources and structuring effective applications.
Throughout the five-day workshop, faculty and staff collaborated in teams to draft and review five potential grant proposals. These proposals are expected to be submitted by the OSP within the next year.
Patty Daigle, Assistant Director of the OSP, described the training as an opportunity for participants to not only gain knowledge but also to develop proposals that could result in funding for new programs, equipment, or initiatives at the university.
“The expectation was that each participant would complete a proposal that could serve a meaningful need within their department or college,” said Daigle.
The Grantsmanship Center’s mission is to assist nonprofit and public institutions in strengthening their communities through quality training and resources focused on grant planning, proposal writing, and project management.
The Office of Sponsored Programs at Jax State oversees all externally funded grants and contracts. It supports faculty and staff in locating potential funding sources, developing budgets, navigating internal approvals, and managing submissions. The office provides expert assistance throughout the grant life cycle to ensure university standards and compliance are met.
Faculty and staff interested in pursuing external funding or participating as subrecipients in collaborative grants are encouraged to contact the OSP for support, including customized pre-planning meetings to review compliance requirements and application details.
