September 18, 2025

Efficient Grant Discovery for PUIs: Franklin & Marshall’s Atom Story

Overview

A One-Person Research Office, A Big Research Portfolio

Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a liberal arts institution with 1,800 students and about 180 faculty. Despite its size, the college consistently ranks in the top 10% of PUIs nationwide for research and development spending.

Managing that activity falls to Dr. Rene Munoz, Director of Sponsored Research — who runs the office with just himself and a few students.

“It’s a lot to manage for one person, so if there’s a way to make the operation more efficient, that’s what I want to do.”

The Challenge

Outdated, Click-Heavy Systems

When Dr. Munoz arrived at F&M, the existing grant discovery tool was clunky and inefficient.

Too many clicks to find deadlines and details
Difficult for faculty to scan quickly
Unreliable email alerts that missed relevant opportunities

With faculty juggling teaching and research, he knew they needed a tool that was intuitive, fast, and accurate.

The Solution

Atom’s Clean, Faculty-Friendly Platform

After exploring other options like Pivot and Grant Forward, Dr. Munoz chose Atom for its usability and precision.

“Atom immediately stood out. What really impressed me was how digestible the information was compared to other platforms.”*

Why Atom worked for F&M:

Clean presentation: Easy-to-scan listings, color-coded by funder and deadline.
Accurate email alerts: Faculty receive tailored recommendations they actually use.
Intuitive filters: Quick narrowing of results without overcomplication.
Shareable bundles: One-click sharing of multiple opportunities with faculty.

Real Impact

Keeping Research Moving

When one of F&M’s political scientists lost NSF funding in a highly competitive division, Atom helped identify new opportunities to keep the international collaboration alive.

“We used Atom together and found programs through the Sloan Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation. We were able to move quickly, submit letters of interest, and keep that research on track.”

The Results

Time saved: Faster discovery and dissemination of opportunities
Faculty engagement: Professors trust and act on the weekly Atom emails
Better alignment: Atom surfaces research-focused funding instead of irrelevant applied programs
Scalable efficiency: One-person research office supports a top-10% PUI portfolio

What Rene Tells Other Research Offices

“If you’re at a PUI or a small office like mine, Atom makes operations far more efficient. You get more tailored results with less input. For a single-person office managing a high volume of research, it’s a labor-saving device.”

Key Takeaways

Small teams can punch above their weight with the right tools.
Faculty adoption improves when recommendations are accurate and easy to scan.
Atom is built for research-first institutions, surfacing relevant opportunities without noise.