How to leverage smart search tools to find the next grant

Event Recap:

Smarter Grant Discovery: From Keywords to Knowledge with AI” was an engaging and forward-looking session led by Dr. Crist Khachikian, Professor of Environmental Engineering at CSUN and founder of GrantPuma. With over $60 million in grant funding experience, Dr. Khachikian guided attendees through the evolving landscape of grant prospecting, introducing AI-powered tools that go beyond basic keyword searches to uncover more meaningful and relevant opportunities. He explained how traditional search methods often miss valuable grants due to exact-match limitations, and introduced smarter approaches powered by semantic understanding and vector embeddings. A highlight of the session was a demonstration of GrantPuma, a free AI tool designed specifically for nonprofits and researchers. GrantPuma uses natural language input to deliver tailored, ranked funding opportunities aligned with an organization’s mission.

Crist Khachikian is a seasoned leader in research development with a career that spans over 25 years in higher education, where he has garnered more than $60 million in grant funding to fuel transformative educational and community initiatives. As a professor of engineering and former associate vice president of research at California State University Northridge, Crist has championed efforts to build robust research infrastructures, mentor future leaders, and foster strategic partnerships between universities and nonprofit organizations. His commitment to growing research capacity has driven him to co-found Idea9, creator of GrantPuma. This innovative platform is dedicated to democratizing access to grant funding by equipping nonprofits and grant writers with intuitive tools that simplify the grant discovery process, enabling impactful projects and meaningful change.

AFP Members - $10

Non-Members - $20

Zoom login details sent prior to event.