If you are not sure whether your topic falls within their guidelines, contact the funding organization to ask whether your project lies within their funding mission. You may also request a list of previous awards granted, which will help you to determine what type of projects they support and how flexible their project guidelines are. Note that the parameters and requirements for grants and fellowships in the sciences differ greatly from those in the humanities. The guides listed in Section II will refer you to sources appropriate for your field. Grant research and proposal writing take time, and applicants should remember that most foundations have grant deadlines in the fall or early winter.
Summer is also an excellent time to research grant possibilities.
Gathering proposal ideas and grant materials as early as possible will make the entire process less intimidating, and will help you produce a carefully crafted final application. The National Science Foundation offers fellowships to fund graduate students beginning in their first year of graduate study. Students should investigate these grants during their first semester of graduate school, since they will become ineligible to apply after a certain period.