A Reflection on Grantsmanship Techniques Part Two

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A Reflection on Grantsmanship Techniques Part
Two

• Douglas Green
• December 3, 2004

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Proposal Writing

• Writing a proposal is like writing a novel
  totally self consistent.

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Yellow Books Titles

• Federal Yellow Book
• State Yellow Book
• Congressional Yellow Book
• All three of these books can be found in the John
  F. Moss Library.

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Where to Begin

• Write the Budget First!!

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Budgetary Requests

• Budgets should be written to ensure that the
  reviewer will understand it.
• Awards are not made to the lowest bidder.
• Asking too much or too little will both be viewed
  as negatives.

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Budget Development

• Binghamton University, Office of Research and
  Sponsored Programs has provided a Sponsored
  Program Proposal Development Manual which can be
  found on the web at http//research.binghamton.ed
  u/RDS/pimanual.pdf

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Indirect Costs

• What is it?
• How is the federal indirect cost rate determined?
• New formula for sharing of indirect costs.

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Zero Tolerance

• Follow the prescribed budget format precisely
  no exceptions!

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Remember

• If you need cost sharing, seek financial
  approvals as soon as the budget is firm. Funds
  may not be available.
• Your target audience is a reviewer who is
  probably not in your exact area.
• To my knowledge no reviewer has ever funded a
  proposal they did not understand.

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Another Key to Budgetary Success

• Polish
• Polish
• Polish
• Make it easy for the reviewer to understand.

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Sample Proposals and Budgets

• NSF Proposal
• Helpful websites
• http//www-2.cs.cmu.edu/sfinger/advice/advice.htm
  l
• https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/servlet/faq.Faq
• https//www.fastlane.nsf.gov/servlet/faq.Faqjsess
  ionid3a303006261101940276000?areaIndex1
• Budget for Generic Large Program With Multiple
  Institutions.
• Tom Gandys DOE Budget

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Congressional Appropriations

• Is it really pork?
• Executive Branch vs. Legislative Branch

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Congressional Appropriations

• Coordinated through TAMUS
• Except for College Station, other System schools
  can expect to apply for a maximum of one
  Congressional appropriation request per year.

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Congressional Champions Needed

• Members of the Senate and House Appropriations
  Subcommittees
• Also Members of the overall Senate and House
  Appropriations Committee.

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(Senate) Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education

• Majority Members
• Arlen Specter (R-PA)
• Chairman
• Had Cochran (R-MS)
• Judd Gregg (R-NH)
• Larry E. Craig (R-ID)
• Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
• Ted Stevens (R-AK)
• Mike DeWine (R-OH)
• Richard C. Shelby (R-AL)

• Minority Members
• Tom Harkin (D-IA)
• Ranking
• Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)
• Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
• Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Herb Kohl (D-WI)
• Patty Murray (D-WA)
• Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA)
• Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
• Ex Officio, Non-Voting

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(House) Labor, Heath and Human Services,
Education and Related Agencies

• Majority Members
• Ralph Regula (R-OH)
• Chairman
• Ernest J. Istook (R-OK)
• Roger F. Wicker (R-MS)
• Anne Meagher Northup (R-KY)
• Vice Chair
• Randy Duke Cunningham (R-CA)
• Kay Granger (R-TX)
• John E. Peterson (R-PA)
• Don Sherwood (R-PA)
• Dave Weldon (R-FL)
• Mike Simpson (R-ID)
• C.W. Bill Young (R-FL)
• Ex Officio, Non-Voting

• Minority Members
• David Obey (D-WI)
• Ranking
• Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD)
• Nita M. Lowey (D-NY)
• Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

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Agency Champions Needed

• Consult the Federal Yellow Book or the Web.

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Congressional and Agency Working Level

• Most of your interactions will be with staff.
• An expanded white paper of 2 to 3 pages helps to
  initiate these interactions.
• Demonstration of local support is essential.
• The Congressional staff will usually recommend an
  appropriate Bill.

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Funding Potential

• The maximum for non-military requests is
  typically between 15M and 20M.

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Schedule

• Each Senator or Representative has their own
  schedule to consider Congressional appropriation
  requests.
• Typically the process begins between mid-December
  and mid-January.
• Successful requests can usually collect funds in
  October.

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White Paper Specifications

• A very brief cover letter with your contact
  information is acceptable.
• The White Paper itself is on white paper.
• No more and no less than one page, unless
  otherwise specified.
• Never submit more that three White Papers at a
  time. Two would be better.
• Use at least 12 point font (I like 13 point).
• Use ragged right margin.
• Do not make the left and right margins too narrow.

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White Paper Format

• The first quarter page of the White Paper
  introduces the need and impact of the proposed
  work.
• The second quarter page is a brief literature
  review to prove you know what others have done.
• The next three eighths of a page contains a clear
  and pointed explanation of what you propose to
  do.
• The last one eighth page is pure sales. It should
  relate back to the introduction.

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Questions and Comments