Assignment: Grant-Funding Process and Funding Sources
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCING IN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS:
Professional grant writers acknowledge the writing of a grant proposal takes time, effort, research, and thoughtful consideration (Rattihalli & Field, 2011; Bordage & Dawson, 2003; Madden & Wiles, 2003; and Thompson, 1997). Although the process seems daunting to the novice grant proposal writer, the information presented here summarizes principles to use when seeking and applying for public health funding sources.
Principles of Grant Proposal Writing
Accessing Funds
Accessing funds can be challenging and time consuming. How do you know which funding source to select, and how do you approach potential funding sources? It takes effort to develop these skills, and the information below may help provide some tips on accessing funds for your community public health initiative.
• Plan ahead and know your specific needs
o Clearly define resources you need to accomplish your initiative.
o Identify what resources you already have access to within your community.
o This is an important step for sustainability and is a crucial part for what funding sources look for.
• Clearly understand funding goals and guidelines
o Research funding sources/resources that align with your project or goal (see page 4).
o Customize your proposal with the funders' goals and objectives.
o Follow all technical guidelines as requested by the specific funding agency.
• Have a clear picture of success
o What are the funding agencies purchasing with their money?
o How will you deliver your product?
o How will you measure your progress toward reaching your goals?
• Have measurable outcomes
o Who is the individual/population that will benefit and how?
o How will your initiative be evaluated?
• Plan for sustainability
o Funding agencies want projects that will continue once the grant period is over.
o How will you sustain the program?
Direct Costs for Grants
For many grant proposal writers, the budget component can be very intimidating. Understanding basic principles of writing grants (e.g., how costs are presented) may lessen the stress of writing a grant proposal.
Direct costs for your grant proposal are perhaps the most important component in your grant's budget. They represent the funds you are seeking from the funding source. The costs described below are considered direct costs.
• Personnel:
o If your program requires that you cover staff costs, you will include that salary under the category "personnel." If you are hiring new staff, determining the actual salary can be tricky. One place to start is by checking with similar organizations to find out what they are paying program employees. State whether wages are based on annual salary or hourly wage If hourly, show the breakdown of hours and weeks (i.e., $10.00 per hour X 40 hours per week X 52 weeks = $20,800).
• Fringe Benefits:
o Fringe benefits are those taxes and benefits that the employer must pay for an employee. They are primarily based upon gross salary and average about 21 percent to 27 percent. Fringe benefits that are required by law include FICA (Social Security and Medicare), FUTA (Federal Unemployment Taxes/Insurance), SUTA or SUI (State Unemployment Taxes/Insurance), and Worker's Compensation (on-the-job accident insurance). Other benefits include medical insurance and paid sick leave. When listing fringe benefits in your budget, be sure to note "Standard Government Fringe Benefits Package as Required by Law," in case a reviewer does not know what fringe benefits include.
• Travel:
o Many times, travel can be included in the proposal's budget. While travel expenses are a heavily scrutinized item, there are ways to get them approved. Make sure to provide clear formulas and documentation for why travel is necessary. Include the cost for a plane ticket, the cost of a hotel per night, the number of nights you will be staying, and a food allowance.
o Be sure and use realistic but conservative figures, and avoid using round numbers (i.e., use $1,280 instead of $1,000).
• Equipment:
o Funding sources often scrutinize the purchase of equipment. To help them understand equipment costs, provide them with documentation of the program need for the equipment. Equipment costs should be well defined and include specifications. For example, you might include a high speed copier system to be used to reproduce reports and other documents for committees, staff members, and volunteers. You should explain how the copier will help you in administering the program.
• Supplies:
o Funding sources qualify or define supplies differently. Always check with the funding source before proceeding with this section. It is also important to explain how the supplies will assist in running the program. It is also helpful to break down supplies into categories such as general office supplies, educational and training supplies, and computer supplies.
Writing a Grant Proposal
Whether you are writing a grant proposal for a fellowship or as a project grant, it still requires a number of issues that need to be considered. As Madden and Wiles (2005) assert, "it is important to be aware that preparing a competitive proposal is a time-intensive process which requires considerable resources .... [and] the preparation of the proposal itself will involve considerable research" (page 518). To simplify the grant writing process Rattihalli and Field (2011, page 60) and Bordage and Dawson (2003, page 377) developed key learning points with questions to consider when developing a grant proposal.
Task
Generic:
o Is this the right funding body (amount of funding, duration of funding, priorities of funding body)?
o Are all of the right people involved in this study (collaborators/specialists/lay involvement)?
o Is the background work optimal (pilot data/conducting thorough literature review/background research knowledge)?
o How important is the topic you selected for the field?
Study Design:
o Has the methodology been discussed with relevant experts (i.e., statistician, local community, etc.)?
o If relevant, have you thought of ways to optimize recruitment?
Costs:
o Does the amount fall within the remit of the funding body?
o Are you aware of the process and timelines of the University or Business or Non-Profit or Public Health or NHS finance departments involved (for a project related grant)?
o Would it be relevant to involve the Local Research Network for Service Support Costs (for a project-related grant)?
The application itself: o Have you highlighted the importance of the research topic, the strength of the research team and the business/industry/department?
o Would a pre-submission wider review of the grant application be relevant?
o Do you need letters of support (from lay representatives/local Research Network/clinicians who have agreed to participate)?
Other important considerations: o Timelines: preparation and application tasks take a lot of thought and time.
o What topic or idea of study are you interested in?
o What is the "best" research design to answer your question?
o What has already been done in this area (the literature review)?
o What intervention (independent variable) are you interested in?
o Are you looking for differences or a relationship (association)?
o Have you thought about any ethical issues likely to be raised?
o Have you considered relevant legislation and regulation issues (e.g., data handling and storage)?
o How will you control for confounding variables?
o Do you want to intervene or simply observe?
o How much will your study cost (budget)?
o How will you keep track of your study (research protocol)?
o What is the granting agency that would be interested in funding your project (funding sources)?
o Who will be doing what tasks and function in what roles (personnel)?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Attachment:- GRANT-FUNDING.rar