Accessing SPIN (Sponsored Program Information Network)

The university subscribes to a searchable database of sponsored funding opportunities called SPINTM (Sponsored Program Information Network).

Setting up an Account

If you do not have a SPINTM account, click here to set up a SPINTM profile (use “Sign in using SPINTM credentials”).

Setting up a Profile allows the functionality of saving search results, and receiving automatic updates based on saved searches on a daily or weekly basis.

Note: You do not have to create a SPIN profile to use SPIN. However, you will not be able to access all features.

If you already have a SPIN account, click here to login and search SPIN.

SPIN Search Process

1. Set up a profile to:

Save search results.
Receive automatic updates regarding funding opportunities related to specific search terms from saved searches on a daily or weekly basis (called SMARTS notices).

2. Use a ‘Text Search’ under the ‘Search’ menu to type in your own search term to get a list of opportunities that contain that search term within the funding announcement.

Include quotation marks before and after search terms comprised of multiple words to capture the words in that order in the funding opportunity (e.g. “breast cancer”).
Use a + sign before a word to capture opportunities that may be relevant to all forms of a word (e.g. +farm will capture opportunities with ‘farming’, ‘farmers’, etc.)
Use a * after a search term word to capture opportunities with different suffixes added onto that word (e.g. nano* will capture nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing, etc.)
Narrow your search by including ‘AND’ to add a second search term (e.g. nano* AND agriculture)
Set filters for award amount, date, location of sponsor, location of eligible applicants, etc. to tailor the funding search to opportunities of specific interest (e.g. funding opportunities for residents in the state of Illinois, or opportunities with an award amount greater than or equal to $2M, etc.)

3. Use the ‘Keyword Search’ to find funding opportunities curated by SPIN/InfoEd staff that correlate with predetermined keyword categories, even if the keyword is not specifically listed in the funding announcement.

4. Include or exclude expired funding opportunities, US Federal Opportunities, or Limited Submissions Opportunities using the ‘Preferences’ menu.

5. Watch training videos under the Help menu to save searches, perform a Basic, Advanced, or InfoEd Keyword Search, and find other tips to navigate SPIN.

User Support

Please contact Suzanne Berry-Miller at berryse@illinois.edu or Richard Sallee at rsallee2@illinois.edu.