Today there are many opportunities for scientists to obtain funding for projects and research. Scientific databases such as Scopus and Web of Science are one of the main sources for finding grants. In today's article we will discuss how a scientist can find a suitable funding method in these services and how to choose the optimal program.
What is a research grant?
Scientific grant is one of the types of funding for scientific activities of scientists by public or private scientific organizations. Grants can be allocated for various scientific purposes, including the development of new technologies and innovative solutions, conducting experiments, different types of research, publication of scientific papers and participation in international conferences.
Scientific grants are usually awarded on a competitive basis, where scientists present their research projects, objectives and expected results. When awarding grants, the committee focuses on the relevance and novelty of the research, scientometric indicators of the contestants, the number of publications of scientists and other scientific achievements.
Grant assistance is a significant source for obtaining funding for research activities of various kinds.
Unfortunately, in most countries this tool is not yet sufficiently studied. Using two major scientometric databases as examples, let us consider how to use these services to search for scientific grants.
How to search for grants for scientists in the Scopus database?
Let's consider the algorithm of actions to search for research funding in the global Scopus database:
Step 1. Make a full subscription to the service to take advantage of the full functionality of the platform.
Step 2. Log in to the platform with a full subscription and go to the Advanced document search tab - Advanced document search.
Step 3. Use the filters to search and navigate to the Field codes field. Select the Funding option to search for research funding information. If you select the Funding Sponsor code, you will be able to view all of the funders that provide grant support.
Step 4. Identify the required Subject Areas code.
Step 5. Search by the given parameters.
Step 6. You will receive all the information you need regarding grant support. In the field on the left (Funding Sponsor) you can familiarize yourself with the funding sources and filter the ones that are suitable for you.
With the Show all option you will get a complete list of sponsoring organizations.
To make your search more detailed, check the filter box to select the categories that are appropriate for you. You can further refine your search by specifying your research area of interest, document type, keywords, institutions, and more.
How to search for grants for scientists in the Web of Science database?
Algorithm to search for scientific grants in the international database Web of Science:
Step 1. To take advantage of the full functionality of the platform, you must have a full subscription.
Step 2. Log in to your profile and perform an advanced search.
Step 3. To perform a detailed search for a specific discipline, use the appropriate combination. Below we have given an example of using the combination "wc=Agronomy", where "wc" is the Web of Science category and "Agronomy" is the desired subject area.
Step 4. After applying this combination, you will be able to view the search results. The visualization of information is identical to the one displayed in Scopus. By the Funding Agencies filter you can make a selection of financial support of a specific sponsoring organization.
Step 5. To see a complete list of all sponsoring organizations, select the See All option.
You can also use the analytics module to conduct more detailed searches by selecting Analyze Results.
In this way, the user can set up individual analytics on research funders and identify the most popular funding sources. All information is available for download.
Major sponsoring organizations whose data can be found in Scopus:
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European Commission
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Horizon 2020 Framework Program
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National Science Foundation (NSF)
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European Regional Development Fund
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European Research Council
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World Health Organization
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United Nations (UN)
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Major sponsoring organizations whose data can be found on Web of Science:
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European Commission (EC)
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United States Department Of Defense (DOD)
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Government Of Canada
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United States Department Of Energy (DOE)
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UK Research And Innovation (UKRI)
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Ford Foundation
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Breakthrough Energy
By constantly monitoring the two main databases - Scopus and Web of Science - for international grant support, you will be able to obtain additional funding to achieve your research goals. Scientists with a large number of publications in rating publications included in the global scientific metrics systems (Scopus and WoS), high citation indices and high-quality relevant research have an advantage when awarding grants.
If you need to publish in international scientific journals for a research grant, check out our services "Publish in Scopus" and "Publish in Web of Science". For a quick contact, leave your contact details in the form below and our manager will get back to you shortly.
