Frequently Asked Questions

If you are interested in utilizing OIP’s support services or meeting with the team, please fill out our intake form. Upon completion, your form will be triaged by the OIP team. You will then be contacted to discuss your needs further and outline the next steps for support, which may include follow-up conversations, targeted resource recommendations or content feedback, or invitations to relevant workshops/trainings.

OIP supports the seeking of funds for faculty-led projects and research to private institutional funders. We providing varying levels of support depending on the needs of your project and the current bandwidth of the team. Please fill out our intake form to get in touch with the team and learn which type of support is the best fit for you. We encourage you to explore our website as it contains other essential resources and offerings such as prospect research training and templates for LOIs and proposals. OIP does not support: federal grants, student-led projects, research contracts/fee for service, licensing relationships, or NIL.

OIP is part of Georgetown’s Office of Advancement, which is responsible for fundraising, philanthropy and charitable contributions. Some private foundation grants and corporate sponsorships are considered charitable contributions. The OIP team supports proposals to private institutional funders as needed, complementing JORA’s institutional “pre-award” requirements and services.

As soon as you identify a potential private institutional funder you would like to engage, please contact OIP as soon as possible to ensure a smooth collaboration. Please fill out our intake form to get in touch with the OIP team. Note that OIP requires at least 10 business days of notice to review and provide feedback on a proposal in advance of a funder deadline.

OIP is happy to meet with faculty to discuss fundraising needs, potential donors, and strategies—and can help review your application materials prior to submission. The sooner you contact us in the application process, the more help we can provide! Please fill out our intake form to get in touch with the OIP team.

Yes, please see below for a list of commonly requested proposal attachments. Should you require a document not on this list, please consult the Joint Office of Research Administration for additional resources or contact guoip@georgetown.edu for assistance.

• Board of Directors list
• Audited Financial Statements
• IRS 990 Tax Filing
• IRS Determination Letter
• IRS W-9 Form

See our Grant Sources page to learn more about the various funding databases we have access to at Georgetown. We recommend that faculty consult Foundation Directory Online, Pivot-RP, and Philanthropy News Digest (PND) to find funding opportunities. See our Trainings page to learn how to best leverage these resources.

Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs) are awards and grants for which the institution may submit a limited number of applications, which are chosen through an internal competitive selection process. Non-federal LSOs are coordinated by the Joint Office of Research Administration (JORA) and OIP, in partnership with the Vice Provost for Research (Main Campus), the Vice President for Biomedical Graduate Education and Research, and the Dean of Research for the Law Center. After the faculty-led review committee has selected the nominee(s), OIP assists the nominee with their application, in collaboration with JORA.

For organizations and individuals making a charitable contribution to Georgetown in the form of a gift or sponsorship, see these Gift Instructions. For organizations transferring funds in the form of a grant or sponsored research, see the Sponsored Banking Information from the Office of Sponsored Projects Financial Operations Office in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

We recommend reviewing our letter of inquiry training and our LOI outline as an excellent place to start. If you wish to receive specialized support and feedback on a letter of inquiry, fill out our intake form and we will follow up with you. Note that OIP requires at least 10 business days of notice to review and provide feedback on a LOI or proposal in advance of a funder deadline.

As most LOIs are preliminary steps in the grant-seeking process, usually there are not any specific Georgetown office that must be notified before the submission. While it is not required that you notify OIP of an LOI submission, we encourage you to reach out to us as we can provide helpful context and experience with these types of funders to ensure your efforts have a best chance at success.

However, if the LOI requires a formal budget, the Joint Office of Research Administration (JORA) must be notified in advance of submission to ensure compliance with budgeting practices. Please contact your Cluster Administrator or Proposal Development Specialist, if applicable.

If you are submitted a full grant proposal to a funder, you are required to notify the Joint Office of Research Administration (JORA) to ensure that the proposal package is aligned with Georgetown budgeting practices and departmental approvals. JORA also offers proposal and budget development services and assists with navigating the compliance process. Please contact your Cluster Administrator or Proposal Development Specialist as soon as you intend to submit a proposal to ensure that JORA can accommodate your request.

While it is not required that you notify OIP of a proposal submission, we encourage you to reach out to us as we can provide helpful context and experience with these types of funders to ensure your efforts have a best chance at success. OIP is also able to provide proposal narrative review and feedback on selected charitable funding opportunities for faculty-led research and projects. Please fill out this intake form to request assistance. Note that OIP requires at least 10 business days of notice to review a provide feedback on a proposal in advance of a funder deadline.

Yes, but we ask that you please contact our office first. A coordinated approach is crucial for success with institutional funders, and partnering with us can significantly strengthen your approach and increase your chances of success. Our team provides:

• Strategic Insight: We often have background information on a foundation’s priorities, preferences, and potential Georgetown connections.
• Institutional History: We can share context on past university awards and submissions to that funder.
• Coordinated Approach: Some foundations limit the number of applications they will accept from a single university. We help manage this process to ensure we are presenting the most competitive projects.

If you have a personal contact with a funder, we encourage you to continue cultivating that relationship. Letting us know allows us to support you and align your outreach with the university’s broader engagement.

All funding agreements must be reviewed and signed by the authorized signatories in the Office of Advancement or the Joint Office of Research Administration, depending on whether the funding is determined to be a gift or a grant. Please send any agreements to both guoip@georgetown.edu and jora@georgetown.edu to receive assistance with determining the right signatories and appropriate process. Campus partners, including faculty and senior level administrators, are not permitted to sign funding agreements on behalf of the University.