NOAA Grants Workshop

1
Key Steps to Finding NOAA Funding Opportunities
and Developing Successful Grant Proposals
NOAA Grants Workshop January 15-16,
2008 (workshop postponed) Silver Spring, Maryland
James Lewis A. Free Program Officer and Grants
Coordinator NOAA Coastal Services Center
2
Questions Addressed Today

• Which programs in the federal government provide
  grants?
• How can you get detailed information on grant
  programs that have a coastal or atmospheric
  focus?
• What forms and documents must be submitted?
• What are key ways to increase chances of
  submitting a successful proposal?

3
Grants.gov Background

• Grants.gov is a single government-wide source for
  information about grant programs
• One of 24 E-government initiatives
• Includes gt1,000 grant programs from 26 federal
  grant-making agencies
• 460 billion in annual awards
• Administered by Department of Health and Human
  Services

4
Origins and Purpose

• Federal Financial Assistance Management
  Improvement Act of 1999, also known as Public Law
  106-107
• Goals
• Improve effectiveness and performance of Federal
  financial assistance programs
• Simplify Federal assistance application and
  reporting requirements
• Improve the delivery of services
• Facilitate greater coordination among those
  delivering services

5
Trends

• 60 of agencies were posting and receiving
  packages after year one
• Between 2005-2007, registered users increased
  from 18,000 to 57,000
• During federal year 2006, submissions increased
  by 762 from 2005 (86,321 total submissions)
• During federal year 2007, submissions increased
  by 110 from 2006 (180,659 total submissions)
• Grant funds announced on Grants.gov
• 2004 360 billion (approximately)
• 2005 400 billion
• 2006 460 billion

6
Support Resources

• On-line user support, tutorial, and training
  demonstration
• Frequently asked questions
• User guide
• Toll-free phone number
• Help Center e-mail

7
Finding Grant Opportunities
Basic search Browse by category Browse by
agency Advanced search E-mail alert notification
service
8
Search Screen

9
Basic Search
Basic searches use Keywords Funding opportunity
numbers Catalog of federal domestic assistance
numbers
10
Basic Search

11
Basic Search
A basic search on February 8, 2007 yielded the
following for these specific coastal geospatial
related keywords
Computer Mapping 42 GIS and mapping
9 Coastal Hazards 4 GPS 1 Environmental
130 Mapping 5 Geographic 20 NOAA 22
Geospatial 8 Remote sensing 13 GIS
4 Surveying 12
12
Category Search

13
23 Categorical Search Options

• All Categories of Funding Activity
• Agriculture
• Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
• Business and Commerce
• Community Development
• Consumer Protection
• Disaster Prevention and Relief
• Education
• Employment, Labor and Training
• Energy
• Environment
• Food and Nutrition

14
23 Categorical Search Options

• Health
• Housing
• Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
• Information and Statistics
• Income Security and Social Services
• Law, Justice and Legal Services
• Natural Resources
• Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of
  Other Category of Funding Activity" for
  clarification)
• Regional Development
• Science and Technology and other Research and
  Development
• Transportation

15
Categorical Selections with Possible Coastal
Connections Environment Natural
resources Science and technology and other
RD Disaster prevention and relief
16
Advanced Searches

• Includes
• Flexibility to search on numerous criteria
• Active and archived documents
• Funding opportunity number
• Dates and time frames
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number
• Funding activity category
• Funding instrument type
• Agency

17
E-mail Subscription Service

• To receive notification of funding opportunities,
  you need
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number
• Agency
• Category of activity
• Instrument type
• Eligibility

18
Sample E-mail Notification about a Coastal
Related Opportunity -------- Original Message
-------- Subject Grants.gov Opportunities
Posting Update Date Wed, 07 Feb 2007 003545
-0500 (EST) From notifier_at_grants.gov To
James.L.Free_at_noaa.gov DOI Department of the
Interior U. S. Geological Survey 2007 National
Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreement
Program Category 4 Extension Modification
1 http//www.grants.gov/search/search.do?modeVIEW
oppId12487
19
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
An index of all programs
and their Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
numbers are at www.cfda.gov
20
Main Catalog Web Site

21
Catalog Search Page

22
Entire Catalog List

23
Catalog Keyword Search

24
Coastal Keyword Search Results (76 Total Listings)

25
Grant.gov Opportunity Announcement Screen
Contains Three Buttons
Synopsis Full announcement How to apply
26
Full Announcement Format

• I. Funding opportunity description
• II. Award information
• III. Eligibility information
• Application and submission information
• V. Application review information
• VI. Award administration information
• VII. Agency contacts
• VIII. Other information

27
Full Announcement Format (cont.)
V. Application review information VI. Award
administration information VII. Agency
contacts VIII. Other information All federal
agencies are required to follow this format.
28
Specific Announcement Sections

• I. Funding Opportunity Description
• A. Program Objective
• B. Program Priorities
• C. Program Authority
• D. Cost Principles

29
Specific Announcement Sections

• Award Information
• A. Funding Availability
• B. Project / Award Period
• C. Type of Funding Instrument

30
Specific Announcement Sections

• Eligibility Information
• A. Eligible Applicants
• B. Cost Sharing or Matching
  Requirement

31
Specific Announcement Sections

• IV. Application and Submission Information
• A. Address to Request Application Package
• B. Content and Form of Application Submission
• C. Submission Date and Time
• D. Intergovernmental Review
• E. Funding Restrictions
• F. Other Submission Requirements

32
Specific Announcement Sections

• V. Application Review Information
• A. Evaluation Criteria for Letters of Intent
  (LOIs)
• B. Evaluation Criteria for Full Applications
• C. Review and Selection Process
• D. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

33
NOAA Standard Evaluation Criteria
1. Importance and/or relevance and
applicability of proposed project to the program
goals (40 points) 2. Technical/scientific merit
(30 points) 3. Overall qualifications of
applicants (15 points) 4. Project costs (10
points) 5. Outreach and education (5 points)
34
Specific Announcement Sections

• VI. Award Administration Information
• A. Award Notices
• B. Administrative and National Policy
  Requirements
• C. Reporting
• Agency Contacts
• Other Information

35
Apply Feature

• Allows users to
• Download application packages based on Catalog of
  Federal Domestic Assistance number, Funding
  Opportunity Number, or Competition Number.
• Complete application packages off-line
• Submit application packages
• Track the status of submitted applications
• Receive updates on application package changes

36
Application Package
37
Required Grant Forms

• SFs-424 Application for assistance
• SF-424A Non-construction budget
• SF-424B Assurances
• SF-424C Construction budget
• SF-424D Assurances for Construction

38
Required Grant Forms

• 6. SF-LLL (if activities are being reported)
• CD-346 (by non-profits or for-profits only)
• CDs-511 and 512 Certification regarding lobbying
• CD-512 Certification regarding
• 10. Project and budget narratives

39
User Roles

• The e-business point of contact (POC) determines
  who is allowed to submit grant application
  packages on behalf of an organization.
• The authorized organization representative (AOR)
  has the ability to submit applications on behalf
  of an organization.
• The application author (AA) prepares grant
  application packages but does not have signature
  authority to submit the applications.

40
Increase Your Chances of a Successful Grant
Proposal

• Anticipate federal announcements of major
  competitions
• NOAA typically announces every June and December
• Follow and address submission guidance stated in
  announcements
• Pay close attention to FFO Sections IV and V
• - Section IV content and form of application
• - Section V application review information
• (used verbatim by merit review
  panel)

41
Increase Your Chances of a Successful Proposal
(cont.)

• Provide sufficient and consistent budget
  information
• Clearly state the resulting impact of your
  project and products
• Maintain Grants.gov registration
• Study on-line grant writing resources (Grants.gov
  and www.cfda.gov)
• Look into technical assistance/grants writing
  from Congressional offices, non-profits, etc

42
Grant Writing Resources
Proposal development www.grants.gov/resources/rela
tedlinks.jsp http//12.46.245.173/cfda/CFDA_Static
/grant_proposal.html Logic model development
(outcomes impacts) www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/
43
Successful Grants Management