If it seems like I’m a little obsessed with the buzzword “collaboration,” it’s because a bunch of grant funders are, too. Let me give you two recent examples: 1. GO Virginia You may have heard about the GO Virginia program, which has funded some economic development projects in the Roanoke region, including the RAMP business accelerator where Virginia Western offers entrepreneurial programming. I attended a “how-to-apply” GO Virginia workshop in Richmond earlier this month, and my biggest takeaway was that the program is designed to encourage collaboration — “incentivized collaboration” is the term used in its mission statement. The state is carved into 9 regions (pictured above), and each region has produced its own Growth and Development Plan, which identifies specific industry clusters. We are in Region 2, which includes the New River Valley and Lynchburg. Priority clusters for Region 2 are (1) manufacturing, (2) life sciences & healthcare, (3) food & beverage processing, and (4) emerging technologies & IT. Not only are proposals for funding expected to be collaborative within our region (working with at least two localities, or another community college, for example), but GO Virginia is now promoting a separate “competitive” grant program that requires collaboration between… Continue Reading Why we must collaborate, inside and outRead More
I painted my fingernails blue and gold, y’all. I was shopping the Elizabeth Arden warehouse sale in Salem this past weekend (where we get a 10% discount with our VWCC ID badge!) and found the $2 nail polish along the back wall. I thought the colors would be perfect during the week of Spring Fling, which is Friday. But my Virginia Western pride doesn’t stop with a manicure. I also make a point to wear a VWCC ball cap when I run errands on the weekend, which frequently provokes conversations about the college in checkout lines. I do this on purpose because I know informal interactions are the secret sauce to building relationships. They are also the pixie dust for innovation. And this is where it all comes around to grants … … stay with me. Over the holidays, I stumbled onto this video of author Simon Sinek: “Why Leaders Eat Last.” Sinek, who has a degree in cultural anthropology, is best known as the author of “Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.” I was hooked … and spent most of that day bingeing more of his YouTube and TED videos, where he talks about… Continue Reading How do you show your Virginia Western spirit? (And why it matters.)Read More
You’ve heard of speed dating, right? Where you meet with a bunch of potential romantic interests in efficient, 10-minute increments? Based on my own comic experience at Roanoke’s now-defunct Saltori’s in the early 2000s, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this method for actual dating. But I think the concept might help some of us out with grant ideas. Hear me out. Six of your colleagues attended the Innovation Grant Workshops last week (THANK YOU!), and one of them made a comment that sparked this idea. The gentleman said it seemed the Educational Foundation was looking for broad ideas that impacted more of the college than just one class or department (correct), and he wondered how more folks across campus could share their ideas. He suspected that some of us are probably mulling similar ideas and just needed to be connected. *Light bulb* So this is a huge experiment, because I don’t know how many of you are willing to try “speed brainstorming.” But I’m going to just try. Anyone intrigued by sharing their innovative ideas (or kernels of an idea) should email me and let me know you’re game. I will then take those names and check all of our Outlook… Continue Reading I tried speed dating once … and how it relates to Innovation GrantsRead More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023