CNCS FY2018 Community Conversations Research Competition 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Where can I find information about the 2018 Community Conversations research grant 

opportunity? How do I apply for this research grant? 

o We ask that you please visit our Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) webpage 

(https://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/fundingopportunities/2018/community-conversations-research-competition), read all the 

documents posted, especially the NOFO and the application guidance, as that will tell 

you about the requirements, and follow the specified directions for submitting your 

proposal. 

2. Does this grant competition allow for multiple submissions from a single institution? If yes, is 

it possible to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply for each proposal, or is only one 

Notification of Intent to Apply allowed per legal applicant (via the surveymonkey link)? 

o Yes, the 2018 Community Conversations Research Competition allows for multiple 

submissions from a single institution. But often times, institutions of higher education 

have policies that limit multiple applications for the same grant, so check with your 

Office of Sponsored Programs (or the equivalent) and check on your institution’s policy. 

Also, see Notice, Section C.1. Eligible Applicants, “Legal applicants can submit more than 

one application from Program Directors. CNCS seeks to fund a diverse pool of applicants 

and it is therefore unlikely that more than one application per legal applicant will be

funded.”

o Institutions can submit separate Notifications of Intent to Apply for each proposal. We 

recommend that a separate letter of intent be submitted for each proposed application. 

3. How do I submit the letter of intent? 

o Please visit our NOFO webpage (https://www.nationalservice.gov/build-yourcapacity/grants/funding-opportunities/2018/community-conversations-researchcompetition), and read the NOFO for information on how to submit the letter of intent. 

Alternately, you may visit 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/communityconversations2018 and submit your 

intent to apply. 

4. Where can I find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on this research grant competition? 

Which website should I check? 

o Please visit our NOFO webpage (https://www.nationalservice.gov/build-yourcapacity/grants/funding-opportunities/2018/community-conversations-researchcompetition), and scroll down or click on Notice of Funding Opportunity to find the 

FAQs. 
5. I am interested in applying for the Community Conversations Grant and have a list of 

questions for the Program Officer. Would someone be able to give me this person’s contact 

information? Or, can I call the number that is listed in the Notice of Funding?

o We recommend you send in your questions to the competition email inbox 

(nationalserviceresearch@cns.gov), as our program officers are monitoring this email 

frequently, and can answer any questions you send in. 

6. I am a non-profit research organization working with communities in need. We work with 

universities too. Can we apply for this grant?

o Unfortunately, at this time, this research grant competition is only open to institutions 

of higher education within the United States. In other words, the legal applicant on this 

grant has to be an institution of higher education within the United States.

7. My prospective Principal Investigator (PI) is part-time faculty at our University. Would this 

meet the grant requirements for the Principal Investigator, or do I need to find a full-time 

faculty member to join the research team?

o A part-time faculty member is eligible to apply for this grant on behalf of the institution 

of higher education. However, please remember that the legal applicant is the 

institution of higher education, and not the PI. If the PI chooses to move institutions, the 

grant stays with the legal applicant.

8. Our institution is considering an application for the 2018 Community Conversations Research 

Competition. Is this the first year that this particular competition has been offered? Will the 

same research grant opportunity be offered next year? We are trying to determine our ability 

to respond effectively prior to the upcoming deadline.

o Yes, this is the first year that this particular research grant competition has been 

offered. Funding is subject to the availability of annual appropriations, so we cannot say 

at this point if we will be offering this research grant opportunity in future years.

9. Can graduate students apply for this grant? Or is it strictly for institutions of higher education?

o The 2018 Community Conversations Research Competition grant is open to only 

institutions of higher education. We offer other research grant competitions that are 

open to dissertators too. We ask that you please visit our Funding Opportunity webpage 

(https://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities) 

periodically to search for such opportunities.

10. When does the period of performance start for the 2018 Community Conversations research 

grant?

o The period of performance for the 2018 Community Conversations research grant starts 

on October 1, 2018.

11. Does the total funding level of $100,000 include indirect costs?

o Yes, the funding level includes indirect costs.
12. For the purposes of the Community Conversations research grant, how is community defined? 

Does it have to be a geographically defined community or can it be a community as defined by 

occupation?

o Please refer to the NOFO (available at https://www.nationalservice.gov/build-yourcapacity/grants/funding-opportunities/2018/community-conversations-researchcompetition), to review how we define community (on page 3). Please also review the 

funding priorities (on page 5) to see which of the priorities would apply to your 

situation.

13. Is the maximum funding level $100,000? Is that for one year or over two years?

o CNCS expects to make awards in the range of $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Receiving 

Year 2 funds is dependent on the availability of funds, as well as the grant recipient 

meeting the review criteria after year one. See Notice Section B (page 6). 

14. Since funding is for each year, should the application list what year two work might entail?

o Yes, the application should include the research design and plan for both years. CNCS

will want to see the plan for Year 2 to determine the overall merit of the proposal.