Research Guides: Introduction to Funding Opportunities: Find funding with Pivot

Find Funding with Pivot

Pivot-RP (Formerly COS Pivot)
Database that includes federal, foundation, private, and internal funding opportunities across all disciplines. Search for potential collaborators and set up search alerts to track funding opportunities. Pivot-RP users must create an account. Use the “Login From My Institution” menu to set up an account with your VCU email.

Create Your Pivot Account
Take full advantage of custom features. Once you have created an account (look for the Sign up link) you can save, track, and automatically send alerts about funding opportunities.
Watch a video to learn how to set up your account.
Set Funding Alerts
Automatically receive new or updated opportunities based on your search criteria.
Watch a video on tracking, saving, sharing & managing Pivot funding opportunities.
Use the Help section
Look for the Help icon for tutorials, videos, and more to help you navigate Pivot and optimize your search for funding opportunities.

Start by writing a short, lay-language prospectus. This will help you identify key concepts for your search.

Attack from multiple directions: funders, recipients, announcements, and previously funded programs.

Keep track of what you've found, including funders to follow and search terms and limits that are especially fruitful.

Pivot may not always be the best fit. Here are some considerations for when you should go beyond Pivot:

It is impossible to know if the database contains "everything." Pivot is best used for browsing, not identifying a specific opportunity.
Always go to the sponsor for the best and most current information.
To search within a targeted discipline, use a database or search tool that specializes in opportunities for that field.
Review the literature for interesting and emerging avenues of funding.
Do not rely on Pivot to give definitive answers. Combine search tools to verify your results.
There is no substitute for word-of-mouth.