How do I justify a funding database subscription?

Track unique users, saved searches and alerts sent per year, and the proposals or awards your office can trace to the tool. MSK Library's decision to cancel Pivot after counting 206 users in a year shows that usage numbers drive renewals.

How long does a funding database trial take?

Plan on several weeks to a semester. UNM's GrantForward trial began in December 2025 and was extended to January 31, 2026 so faculty could compare it with Pivot.

Funding discovery guide / How to choose

How to choose, or switch, a funding opportunity database

The checklist research development and sponsored programs offices use, built from published university evaluations.

The evaluation checklist

Run a side-by-side trial on your own research areas. Have five or six faculty from different colleges run their real searches in both tools. Vendor coverage counts are measured differently and don't settle the question.
Check eligibility and limited-submission handling. How does the tool flag citizenship, institution-type and career-stage rules, and limited submissions?
Look at profiles and alerts. Can it build researcher profiles from ORCID or publications and send relevant weekly alerts without manual setup?
Check integrations. SSO, ORCID, your proposal system (Cayuse, InfoEd, Kuali) and limited-submission software (InfoReady).
Ask for usage reporting. You'll need active users and alert volume at renewal.
Plan the migration. Saved searches and alerts don't transfer automatically; budget time for faculty to rebuild them.
Get pricing in writing. Most vendors price by institution size; GrantForward publishes that its price depends on total population and research expenditures.

What to put in the RFP

Opportunity coverage: federal, state, foundation, corporate, international; update frequency
Eligibility data and how it's shown
Researcher profiles, recommendations and alerts
Admin tools: curated lists, newsletters, sharing
SSO, ORCID and eRA integrations
Usage analytics and exports
Accessibility (VPAT) and security review documentation
Implementation timeline and training

Questions

How do I justify a funding database subscription?: Track unique users, saved searches and alerts sent per year, and the proposals or awards your office can trace to the tool. MSK Library's decision to cancel Pivot after counting 206 users in a year shows that usage numbers drive renewals.
How long does a funding database trial take?: Plan on several weeks to a semester. UNM's GrantForward trial began in December 2025 and was extended to January 31, 2026 so faculty could compare it with Pivot.