Greg Kagira-Watson's presentation to Grant Writing Class

Finding Federal Money for your Project:

Presentation to Harvard Extension School Grant-Proposal Writing Class

by Greg Kagira-Watson, invited guest speaker

Dear Friends,

I assembled this information from the time I served as a grant reader "from the field" for the U.S. Department of Education. (More on that at the very bottom of the page.) Everything underlined on this page is a link to some Federal site. Some links are no longer active, and anything specific to 2004 you will have to update yourself to 2005-- just follow the pattern. Also, from time to time the Federal government deactivates or relocates standard documents so some of the links may have changed. (In some cases when this happens unexpectedly you can google the web for the document name-- i.e., the last part of the URL http://address and find its relocation -- or dig through the menus on the Federal sites.)
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Originally, this page was designed to be used online and also "locally" without being dependent on the web URLs. Now that this page has been posted on the web, however, the links associated with the word "LOCAL" (links on this page) have been deactivated in most cases. They were designed to work only with the external CD (in-class presentation), but will usually be next to an underlined BLUE link (this one is mock for illustration only) that actually DOES work and will actually take you to the referenced document on the web. However, the information right after the word LOCAL may still give you a clue as to the same sequence for finding the right sections on the menus on the web.

In other words, now that you are using this online, simply ignore the LOCAL links. Links followed by a icon identify documents that cannot be opened without a program (Adobe Acrobat Reader) to be installed on your computer. ( click here to Download Acrobat PDF reader. More technical help on Adobe using link at the bottom of this page.)

How applicants representing program area, or a particular community, or area of inquiry (research) learn about the "Combined Application Notice" (CAN): A notice is published by the Department of Education in the Federal Register that "identifies programs and competitions under which the Secretary of Education has invited, or plans to invite, applications for new awards for a particular Fiscal Year." The notice provides the actual or estimated information on the following: 1) the date the competition will be announced in the Federal Register; 2) the date application packages will be available; 3) the application deadline date; 4) the deadline for Intergovernmental Review; 5) the range of awards; 6) the average size of awards; and 7) the number of awards. The CAN also provides a contact name and phone number to get further information.
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HOW TO WRITE A FEDERAL GRANT PROPOSAL: (Local) (This is good general information, for ANY Federal grant -- not just for the Dept. of Education. It is a generic guideline.) http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show

Searching for Federal FUNDS: What Grants are Available? The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance [or select LOCAL then go Types of Assistance, then Project Grants << or click on these for local derivatives] Taken from http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html

Federal Register Documents Announcements Application Notices Requests for Comment etc_ July 2004 to Present.htm (LOCAL ) Announcements; Application Notices, Requests for Comment, etc. Contains the CFDA (Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance) for Federal Grants.

Main SEARCH page: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html [LOCAL] (and more specifically for EDUCATION: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html, as further example of CFDA listings). For complete listings see Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - PDF Catalog.htm << link on the web (and here>> LOCAL) Browse the Table of Contents in HTML format (also PDF, but the HTML version has URL LINKS to each of the DAILY UPDATED notices concerning the broad categories of funding. These are links to the very page numbers, such as page number 46477, and at the bottom it will tell you the last day that page was updated). Also see the following link to ALL Federal grant making agencies: http://www.grants.gov/Find

Much of what follows is specific to the field of Education, though some is generic and is thus generalizable. (I have also tried to make the scoring chart below as generic as possible.)

IF ALL THIS SEEMS COMPLICATED, remember there is help on the web: (HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES within the EDUCATION sector.)
What Should I Know About ED Grants - September 1998.htm (<< local copy of >>) http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/about/knowabtgrants/index.html
What Should I Know About ED Grants - Table of Contents.htm -1998 (local only) http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/about/knowabtgrants/pt398.htm

Who is Eligible (qualified) to receive grants? ED_govELIGIBILITY ( LOCAL copy) (find programs by eligibility, by the classification of the applicant: Individuals, Institutions of Higher Ed., Local Education agencies, Non-profits, Other organizations (such as NGOs), State Education agencies.) http://www.ed.gov/programs/find/elig/index.html?src=ln Don't miss the section on INDIVIDUALS. Notice that you would have to then look at the COMPETITIONS for 2005. When you are writing the proposal you would have to take a look at the specific CFDA#'s page listed on there, even though there are no links provided there. (This you will do later just to make sure that you have fully considered the original mandate in the Federal governing statute.) For now, however, you only have to look at the "REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS NUMBER" referenced there. By the time you see that number you will most likely already be on that page or have a direct link to it. For example, let's take the first one on "Reading Comprehension and Reading Scale-up Research, which refers to
CFDA Number: 84.305G. Note, that there is NO link for the 84.305G on that page. But if you click on the "REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS" link you will see a reference to a RFA#: NCER-05-01. (Now you are actually looking at THAT RFA#.) You can use the "Ed.gov" search engine to find the CFDA document or even www.google.com, which I often prefer these days since it gives you "everything everywhere": 84.305G = http://www.cfda.gov/public/viewprog.asp?progid=1061.

Narrowing your search — See what is CURRENTLY OPEN and whether you qualify as individual or institution:
EXAMPLE:
FY 2004 Discretionary Grant Application Packages [also LOCAL] (Packages that are CURRENTLY OPEN. E.g., Education Dept. only)
Other EXAMPLES:
INDIVIDUALS in Education: http://www.ed.gov/searchResults.jhtml?qt=%2Bdc.type%3A%22Program+Home+Page%22+% and Individuals who are Inventors: http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PROGRAM_TEXT_RPT.SHOW?p_arg_names=prog_nbr&p_arg_values=81.036 Applicant Eligibility: Individuals that are U.S. citizens, either native-born or naturalized, small businesses (as defined by the Small Business Administration) that are U.S. owned as defined in 10 CFR 600.501. Individual inventors and very small businesses (15 or fewer employees) are especially encouraged to participate. Beneficiary Eligibility: Individual inventors and small businesses will benefit.

Example of a FORECAST of future funding opportunities: US Dept_ of Education Grants Forecast FY 2004.htm [LOCAL] Find the CFDA document that governs your project and determine the level of the award.

Find - Find Grants - Administrators - ED_gov.htm [<< LOCAL -- example in Education] http://www.ed.gov/admins/grant/find/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln

CFDA ranking process (score-card grading) of applications competing for the same $ dollars. (The following chart is NOT an official U.S. document! It represents my recollection of the process within the Dept. of Education. For official guidance see http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show and http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html )

Competitive review process. The following chart emulates the criteria used (on the left) by the Department of Education to select discretionary grant and cooperative agreement applications for funding, in which applications are scored by subject-area experts and the most highly scored applications are considered for funding. On the right side of the chart, notice that different kinds of applicants are competing for the same money, against the same criteria. The numbers under them are a hypothetical indicator of the categorical preference for some applicants over others, at the same time showing how an applicant might get scored on a particular criterion. For example, universities have a better chance of getting funded than individuals, but of course an individual might have a 10 in any one category/criterion.

Scoring criteria for assessing quality of the application	An Individual	An Institution: university, etc.	Local (city) agency	State agency	Non-profit organization
Purpose and problem statement: Demonstrate need and present the project as uniquely addressing that need. Most importantly, the specific manner through which problems might be solved or improved. Identify beneficiaries and how they will be served in ways they are not, or how overlapping services will be coordinated with other agencies.	4	10	5	9	8

Goals and objectives stated clearly (and measurable) -- in terms of the CFDA# (R.F.P.)	4	10	5	9	8

Program methods and program design: A plan of action. Comply exactly with the RFP. Must address EVERY point. Convince the reader of the likelihood of success. (Might even be a separate grading system for this last point.)	4	10	5	9	8

Funding: Explain where you will get it if you also expect funds from other sources. Try to get money from more than one source even if a small amount to start. It gives you added credibility when approaching your second donor for more money. (Also tell the small donor who you plan to go to for the larger donation.) List or contributions "in kind" from your own organization -- anything that covers an otherwise real expense. Explain plans for future funding; i.e., LONG TERM PLANNING. Sustainability: will the project likely continue after this first funding? How will lasting outcomes be guaranteed?	4	10	5	9	8

Applicant's credentials (qualified to do the job -- especially the principal investigators, etc.) If you are an individual, consider creating a consortia, or a team for the project, and/or recruit a well-known non-profit organization as your 501(c)(3) conduit, which you need anyway so that the funder is not taxed for the donation. If you are an organization, your funder will want to know if you are adequately staffed. Make the biographical information relevant to the grantor agency's goals. The history of previous work important, esp. if similar or in the same area. CV's and biographies are a must, track record, etc. Organizational flow chart. Overarching QUESTION: "Can these people pull it off? Are they convincing?"	4	10	5	9	8

Budget: Many fail here. Do not sacrifice quality by striving for economy. But this must be highly detailed and justifiable. Every line item will be closely examined. Percentage of time the P.I. and others who will contribute to the project should be considered if they have other jobs. Half time is .5, three-quarters is .75 etc. Salaries must be based on the current rate for level of education, degrees, qualification and experience and at those percentages of time commitment. Overarching QUESTION: Is the project realistic and achievable within the budget?	4	10	5	9	8

Timelines / Timeframes: Projections of progress, measures of progress connected to formative evaluation. Tasks and time on task should be related to the percentage of time the P.I. and others will contribute to the project if they have other jobs. Overarching QUESTION: Is the project realistic and achievable within the timelines indicated?	4	10	5	9	8

Evaluation: Convincing evaluations require collection of appropriate data before and during program operations; and, if the evaluation of the design cannot be prepared at the outset then a critical review of the program design may be advisable. Use formative & summative. Be sure to consider External versus Internal evaluation, and make sure you know the reporting requirements to the funder(s).	4	10	5	9	8

Community support for most proposals is essential. Get letters of support from community leaders and local governments. Show indication of community interest or willingness to participate from potential client surveys, etc. Prove that your project will be well-received, and that you have identified any obstacles and how to overcome them.	4	10	5	9	8

Neatness and format: Conform to the outlined formats in the RFP or application guidelines. Make the document with bullets, indents, graphics, etc. to make it easy on the eyes. The worst thing is a good proposal that is hard to read. Professional grant writers generally are recognizable. Some good project proposals will fail simply because they are not written well, even though VERY worthy. If only one aspect of the guidelines is omitted your application can fail.	4	10	5	9	8

Totals:	40	100	50	90	80

Do not go over the award amount in your budget. Understand you are competing with 30 to 60 other applicants for a limited number of slots (12 in the example below). You can estimate the total amount that the Granting agency is giving out if they don't state it.

EXAMPLE (MEES) of Awards Information (LOCAL)
Number of New Awards Anticipated 12
Average Award $300,000
Range of Awards $150,000 - $500,000 (Therefore the Dept. of Ed. budget for the CFDA# is between $1.8 million and $6 million.)

Summary of most important links online for seeking Federal Grants:

FEDERAL REGISTER: Main SEARCH page: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and http://12.46.245.173/CFDA/pdf/functional_indx.pdf Category Index of all programs. Also: http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.FIND_ASSISTANCE_PROGRAM_DYN.show (advanced search)

Additional links:
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PDF_CATALOG_DYN.show The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (Table of Contents links only to PDFs). This one is better for types of assistance>>: http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.TYP_ASSISTANCE_DYN.show (has URL links) and http://12.46.245.173/CFDA/pdf/typeasst.pdf (no URL links)

http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally -recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. After you find the program you want, contact the office that administers the program and find out how to apply.

http://12.46.245.173/CFDA/pdf/alpha_indx.pdf Alpha Index of all programs. CFDA_alpha_indx.pdf (LOCAL)

http://12.46.245.173/CFDA/pdf/functional_indx.pdf Category Index of all programs

WRITING GRANT PROPOSALS: http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show

LOCAL links
Sorry I did not have time to update this. Place your cursor over the link and you can see the document URL you are looking for, and then google the web for that document/page name.
(You can also right click on the link and look at the properties. Search for the last part.)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - PDF Catalog.htm (LOCAL) (CFDA local -- Writing Grant Proposals)

Alpha Index of all programs. CFDA_alpha_indx.pdf (LOCAL)

Important to monitor any recent developments that can affect your grant: Example: 2003 Dept. of Education Press Release: "U.S. Department of Education Elevates Office of Indian Education: Reorganization reflects the importance of Indian education programs."

CAREFUL: some WEB sites that highlight their postings to the Federal Register Documents may have information that is specific only to the agency posting them -- meaning that the information might not be generic -- might not apply to your project. Worse still, you might think you are looking at all the postings relevant to a certain interest you have and another department or agency may have posted them. SOLUTION: just be sure you have searched the MAIN site for ALL Federal Register Postings, not a subset thereof.

For example: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html and http://www.opm.gov/fedregis/ states this: "Note: This listing covers only those Federal Register documents published by this agency, or by another Federal agency in cooperation with us. All other Federal Register documents are available from the National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register website. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html "

Follow the rules: Before you copy documents you should see something like this: "Documents and comments received by the Dockets Management Branch 'MAY' be posted on the Internet."

Other useful links:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf03562/nsf03562.htm#toc Grants for the Department-Level Reform of Undergraduate Engineering Education. National Science Foundation

http://www.ed.gov/admins/grant/find/index.html finding an OLD archived "Ed.gov" URL on the new site.

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html Forms for grant applications, performance reporting, budget, and other information related to grants from the Department of Education in multiple formats.

http://whatworks.ed.gov Interesting new website to show new educational research as evidence.
If you wish to see how one of these works within a specific context -- such as programs for Native Americans (Alaskan) or migrant workers -- click here >> http://gkw.homestead.com/CV_deptEd.htm
Best regards,
Greg Kagira-Watson

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