University of Sharjah
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies
How to Use SPIN Funding
Opportunities Database
Contents
Introduction To InfoEd SPIN
1.
Accessing SPIN
2.
Specifying Your Location
3.
Searching for Funding Opportunities Three Search Modes
3.1.Text Search (Basic Mode) 3.2. Keywords Search
3.3. Advanced Search 4. SPIN Quick Searches 5. Filtering Search
5.1. Filtering Search: Editing Current Settings 5.2. Filtering Search: Reset Filters
6. Saving Searches
7. Managing Saved Searches 8. Exporting Search Results 9. Contacting Sponsor
10. Using SPIN Training Videos
Introduction To InfoEd SPIN
SPIN is the world’s largest funding opportunities database where users can search for grants to sponsor their research projects.
SPIN’s unique feature is that it enables researchers to set and save a multitude of funding opportunity searches. Once set and saved, searches will run
automatically and opportunities matching the search criteria will be delivered as ‘smart alerts’ to the
user’s email inbox.
In short, SPIN is a funding opportunity search engine that works for benefit of researchers among
students, post-docs, faculty, academic staff, and other professionals across a large spectrum of disciplines.
This presentation details the process of accessing
SPIN and learning about its functionality.
1- Accessing SPIN
There are two ways to access SPIN:
Authenticated Access: to access SPIN users need to open the SPIN website (www.spin.infoedglobal.com) then log in to the application with a username and password which can be
obtained with the assistance of the database Administrator.
Authenticated users will have the ability to save settings, preferences, and search data. They will also be able to save searches to receive email alerts and can bookmark
opportunities after navigating away from the opportunity. This applies to UOS faculty.
SPIN’s access will be soon added as a link to ‘Find Funding’ on the UOS’s research portal.
Anonymous Access: A standard “anonymous” IP-based access where the SPIN application will allow access to users at
subscribing institutions without a username and password as long as they are accessing from an “on-campus” network.
Anonymous users do not have the ability to save settings in
the SPIN application.
Specify Your Location before Starting your Search
Click on ‘Preferences’, then Select ‘Applicant Location’ and
‘Project Location’
2- Specifying Your Location
Specifying location is necessary for two reasons:
- First, it helps you identify only the funding opportunities that concern residents in the United Arab Emirates
- Second, it narrows down your search, saves your times and displays only funds to which you are eligible.
Further eligibility requirements will be
explained in slides 13 and 14
Type ‘United Arab Emirates’ here then press ‘Select’
Press ‘Save and Exist’ then ‘Close’
3- Searching for Funding Opportunities Three Search Modes
Once users have accessed the SPIN application, they have three search modes to choose from: in SPIN: Basic
Search, InfoEd Keyword Search and Advanced Search.
1- Text Search (Basic Mode)
This is the default search mode upon access or refresh of the SPIN application. The Text Search is a way to search for programs using a simple word or term which is then run against the entire SPIN record – every field is
searched (ex. Sponsor Name, Opportunity Title, Funding Opportunity Number, CFDA Number, Synopsis, Eligibility, Keywords, etc.).
The system will refresh to whatever search mode you
were last in. It does not return you automatically to the
Text Search Mode.
Type you search here using a word or words related to your subject
Choose opportunity and click on its title to display its details
Click on eligibility requirement to check if you are eligible or not
Search Modes Continued
2- Keyword Search Mode
The Keyword Search mode operates in a similar manner to the text search - basic mode., except that the user needs to select from a
proprietary list of keywords to perform the search instead of typing a word or a phrase in the search field.
Select Keyword Search Mode from the search menu on the top left side of the SPIN page
Click on Select Keywords
Search Modes Continued
After selecting the Select Keyword link chose one item from the keyword list (indexed by subject). After selecting the subject field, a detailed list of subtitles will be displayed in the right side box. You click on the items you want to
exclude then click save Selection and Continue, which will close the popup and display the selected terms in the SPIN search box. Click locate fund and the results will be displayed as shown in the next slide.
Click to exclude
Click Save Selection and Continue
Search Modes Continued
3- Advanced Search Mode
Another way to search for results is to use the Advanced Search. This customized search mode allows users to tailor their search using advanced AND/OR logic function to
narrow down their search to retrieve more specific results.
To choose the Advanced Search mode, the user needs to
click on the Advanced Search menu item in the Search
Menu., as shown below:
Once you click on the Advanced Search menu, the
screen will be displayed as shown below:
Advanced Search Continued
In the Advanced Search Mode, the default search is set to
“full Program” as explained above. This means that SPIN will search the entire content of each opportunity for any word or phrase the user enters into the search field.
Users, then, can narrow down their search by selecting one from 36 criteria displayed as the users clicks on the arrow on the right of the box where “Full Program” is shown. These criteria include: eligibility, deadlines, funding detail, sponsor website, contact phone, finding
opportunity number, etc. (as shown below)
After selecting a criterion, the user needs to click on the arrow of the next box on the right to specify the details of the chosen criterion. For example, the “Eligibility”
criterion requires the user to choose between “contains”
and “does not contain”. Choosing the “Does Not
Contain” option and typing “citizen” in the search field
will show opportunities that do not require applicants to
be US citizen.
1- Choose a criterion and click on it
3- Type eligibility detail 2- Choose eligibility option
4- SPIN Quick Searches
As previously mentioned, the bottom part of the Search Menu contains a few SPIN Quick Searches – pre configured searches to get you to five commonly employed SPIN search options. This option allows users to save time and to go to the opportunities they have identified earlier. Following are the pre-configured searches
New/Modified Opportunities
Impending Deadlines
FedBiz Opps (US)
Federal Register Guide (US)
Non-Traditional Sources
5- Filtering Search
Just below the SPIN Search box for all of the search modes (Text, Advanced and Keyword Searches) there is a user guidance link that informs the user whether or not additional filters are active for the search.
If a user has not edited any of the Category Filters, then this SPIN Filter User Guidance link will appear as ‘You have no additional filters active.’
with the blue link for Click here to edit them. As shown below
If a user has edited/set any Category Filters, Search Options or Export Data Options, then this User Guidance link will appear as
‘You have additional filters active.’ with the blue link for Click here to
edit them.
5. 1. Filtering Search: Editing Current Settings
To edit the Current Settings, the user needs to click on the blue link “Click here to edit them”,. The page will be displayed as below:
After setting filters, click here to go back to ‘Locate Funding’
You can edit filters at any time
5.2. Filtering Search: Reset Filters
Filters can be reset at anytime. The user needs to click on the blue link ‘Reset Filters’ to get filters back to their default form.
Click here to reset filters
6- Saving Searches
After conducting any type of research (Text, Keywords or Advanced), the user has the option of saving the search, receiving email alerts of funding
opportunities and retrieving search and managing it at anytime.
After clicking on the ‘Save’ button to the extreme right of the search box, a popup window will appear where users can name their searches, select their emails from the list displayed in the ‘Receive email updates?’ box, select the frequency of updates (daily, or weekly) then save their searches and exit.
Users can manage their saved searches whenever they wish by selecting ‘Saved Searches’ from the toolbar then choosing ‘Manage Saved Searches’ as shown below:
-Select email -Select frequency
of updates
Name search Manage saved searches
7- Managing Saved Searches
As explained above, saved searches can easily be managed and displayed again, either by using the opportunity number (SPIN ID) shown at the extreme left of the search result screen or by using the ‘Manage Saved Searches’ function. On clicking on ‘Manage Saved Searches’ and selecting the saved search, a popup window will appear with a ‘Load search’ tab. On clicking on this tab, the previously-found opportunities are displayed back
Select previous search
Click to load search
8- Exporting Search Results
Any search result displayed by SPIN includes an Export Function located at the top right corner of the screen that allows users to easily transfer the information into a Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel file.
Word File
Click to export
9- Contacting Sponsor
Once the opportunity is identified and its details (opportunity description, eligibility requirements, funding guidelines and sponsor information) are displayed, the user will have to click on the last tab on the right “Sponsor Information” to get in touch with the sponsor and submit his/her project.
The user can also bookmark the program for later reference.
10- Using SPIN Videos
For further information on SPIN uses and functions, the user can use the Training Videos on the Toolbar Help Menu.
Training Videos
