Grant writing workshop begins March 27
Kesha Williams
March 26, 2008
Elizabeth City State University welcomes Diane A. Jones, assistant secretary for postsecondary education (US Department of Education), as a guest speaker at a two-day conference, March 27-28, 2008 at the Kermit E. White Graduate and Continuing Education Center. The assistant secretary will open the March 27 workshop at 8:30 a.m. with a session, "The State of Education," a discussion of current and future goals and objectives for education. The workshop, Establishing Partnerships Through Research Workshops is open to the public but reservations, $200, can be paid at the entrance door. President George W. Bush nominated Diane A. Jones as assistant secretary for postsecondary education (US Department of Education) on May 22, 2007, and she was confirmed to her post by the US Senate on Aug. 1, 2007. As assistant secretary, she is the principal advisor to the secretary on all Departmental matters related to postsecondary education and her office administers numerous federal programs that support higher education nationwide. Under the Higher Education Act’s Title IV, the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) oversees Federal Student Aid programs, which provide financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions. Through its TRIO and GEAR UP programs, OPE seeks to help disadvantaged students prepare for, enter and succeed in higher education. Moreover, her office administers the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, which is focused on stimulating innovation to improve the quality of higher education. OPE also administers grant programs focused on strengthening the capacity of colleges and universities that serve low-income and minority students through a number of programs, including those targeted to Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Finally, OPE directs a number of international education programs, including the well-known Fulbright and Javits programs. During the workshop participants will: Learn grant writing essentials and best practices Receive agency funding updates and network with various participating agencies Acquire tips from the experts to increase funding Discover opportunities for faith-based grants Review federal regulations and policies Strengthen partnerships and collaborations for research The workshop hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kermit E. White Graduate and Continuing Education Center is located at 1704 Weeksville Road in Elizabeth City, NC. Registration for the workshop also includes a 7 p.m. banquet featuring motivational speaker Mr. Herman Boone. Boon was the high school football coach portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 2000, movie, "Remember the Titans." The Office of Sponsored Programs, Contracts, and Grants at Elizabeth City State University conducts an aggressive and comprehensive sponsored research program to support teaching, research, and community outreach. The staff assists administrators, faculty, staff, students and community leaders in presenting research opportunities and proposal writing to acquire funds and equipment from external sources for programmatic improvements. The staff also helps with contracts negotiation for sponsored research. For more information, call Eundene Brown, 252-335-3108, egbrown@mail.ecsu.edu or Vandalyn Ray, 335-3250.