# Presentation: 728159

## Key Steps to Finding NOAA Funding Opportunities and Developing Successful Grant Proposals

***NOAA Grants Workshop***
***January 15-16, 2008***
***(workshop postponed)***
***Silver Spring, Maryland ***

**Key Steps to Finding NOAA Funding Opportunities and Developing Successful Grant Proposals**

***James Lewis A. Free***
*Program Officer and Grants Coordinator*
*NOAA Coastal Services Center*

## Questions Addressed Today

**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?

## Grants.gov Background

**Grants.gov Background**

- Grants.gov is a single government-wide source for information about grant programs
- One of 24 E-government initiatives
- Includes >1,000 grant programs from 26 federal grant-making agencies
- $460 billion in annual awards
- Administered by Department of Health and Human Services

## Origins and Purpose

**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

## Trends 

**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

## Support Resources

**Support Resources**

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

## Finding Grant Opportunities

- Basic search
- Browse by category
- Browse by agency
- Advanced search
- E-mail alert notification service

**Finding Grant Opportunities**

## Search Screen

**Search Screen**

## Basic Search 

**Basic searches use:**
- Keywords
- Funding opportunity numbers
- Catalog of federal domestic assistance numbers

**Basic Search **

## Basic Search

**Basic Search**

## Basic Search 

- 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

**A basic search on February 8, 2007 yielded the following for these specific coastal & geospatial related keywords:**

**Basic Search **

## Category Search

**Category Search**

## 23 Categorical Search Options_x000b_

- _[All Categories of Funding Activity](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=*)__ _
- _[Agriculture](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=AG)__ _
- _[Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=AR)_
- _[Business and Commerce](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=BC)__ _
- _[Community Development](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=CD)__ _
- _[Consumer Protection](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=CP)__ _
- _[Disaster Prevention and Relief](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=DPR)__ _
- _[Education](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=ED)__ _
- _[Employment, Labor and Training](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=ELT)__ _
- _[Energy](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=EN)__ _
- _[Environment](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=ENV)__ _
- _[Food and Nutrition](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=FN)_

**23 Categorical Search Options**_**[_x000b_](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=*)**_

## 23 Categorical Search Options

- _[Health](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=HL)_
- _[Housing](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=HO)__ _
- _[Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=HU)__ _
- _[Information and Statistics](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=IS)__ _
- _[Income Security and Social Services](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=ISS)__ _
- _[Law, Justice and Legal Services](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=LJL)__ _
- _[Natural Resources](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=NR)__ _
- _[Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification)](http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=CATSEARCH&fundActivity=O)__ _
- Regional Development
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Transportation

**23 Categorical Search Options**

## Categorical Selections with Possible Coastal Connections

**Categorical Selections with Possible Coastal Connections**
- Environment
- Natural resources
- Science and technology and other R&D
- Disaster prevention and relief

## 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

**Advanced Searches**

## 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

**E-mail Subscription Service**

## Sample E-mail Notification about a Coastal Related Opportunity

**Sample E-mail Notification about a Coastal Related Opportunity**
- -------- Original Message --------
**Subject: **Grants.gov Opportunities Posting Update
**Date: **Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:35:45 -0500 (EST)
**From: **notifier@grants.gov
**To: **James.L.Free@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?mode=VIEW&oppId=12487

## Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

- An index of all programs and their Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers are at:
_*www.cfda.gov*_

**Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance**

## Main Catalog Web Site

**Main Catalog Web Site**

## Catalog Search Page

**Catalog Search Page**

## Entire Catalog List

**Entire Catalog List**

## Catalog Keyword Search

**Catalog Keyword Search**

## Coastal Keyword Search Results (76 Total Listings)

**Coastal Keyword Search Results (76 Total Listings)**

## Grant.gov Opportunity Announcement Screen Contains Three Buttons:

- Synopsis
- Full announcement
- How to apply

**Grant.gov Opportunity Announcement Screen Contains Three Buttons:**

## 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

**Full Announcement Format**

## 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.*

**Full Announcement Format (cont.)**

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

**Specific Announcement Sections**

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

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

**Specific Announcement Sections**

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

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

**Specific Announcement Sections**

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

## 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

**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

## 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

**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

## 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)

**NOAA Standard Evaluation Criteria**

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

**Specific Announcement Sections**

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

## 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

**Apply Feature**

## Application Package

## 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

**Required Grant Forms**

## 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

**Required Grant Forms**

## User Roles

**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 a**pplication author (AA) **prepares grant application packages but does not have signature authority to submit the applications.

## 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)*

**Increase Your Chances of a Successful Grant Proposal**

## 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

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

## Grant Writing Resources

- Proposal development
*www.grants.gov/resources/relatedlinks.jsp*
*http://12.46.245.173/cfda/CFDA_Static/grant_proposal.html*
- Logic model development (outcomes & impacts)
*www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/#*

**Grant Writing Resources**

## Successful Grants Management

**Successful Grants Management**