The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) offers the following tips for grant applicants:

  • Allow plenty of time to prepare your proposal carefully and thoughtfully. Do not rush through the process.
  • Read the application package in its entirety before starting to write. Be sure you are an eligible applicant and your proposed project addresses the funding priority for the current fiscal year.
  • Follow the formatting guidelines carefully and precisely.
  • Structure your narrative according to the selection criteria. This helps to ensure that you cover all of the required information and makes it easier for reviewers to evaluate your proposal.
  • Be clear, concise, and specific in your responses to the selection criteria.
  • Justify your funding request in accordance with project activities, keeping in mind that all costs must be reasonable and necessary to carry out your project. Be specific about how the funds will be used and link them to items in your program narrative.
  • Check your budget figures for consistency. The amounts on the application face sheet (ED Form 424), the Budget Information Form (ED Form 524), and the narrative justification for your budget request must be identical.
  • Proofread your proposal. Reviewers cannot give your proposal the benefit of the doubt if information is missing.
  • Use the checklist provided in each application package to ensure that all required
    information is included. Make sure that your agency’s authorized representative has signed all required forms.
  • Submit your proposal by the deadline date. Extensions for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted.
  • If you have any questions or need additional information about a grant competition, contact the competition manager listed in the application package for clarification.

From: Grant Application Technical Assistance Resource, OSDFS. Available online at: www.ed.gov/admins/ grants/apply/techassist/
index.html.



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Support from Officials

OSDFS grant applicants are required to have their application signed by their organization’s Chief Executive Officer or other such authorized representative. This signature verifies that the application has been duly authorized by the governing body of the applicant and that the applicant will comply with federal program regulations if the grant is awarded.

Applicants should ensure that their proposed project is fully supported, not just signed off on, by senior officials. “Occasionally, we encounter a grantee who has submitted a signed application, but when it comes time to do the project, the senior official is unaware or unsupportive of project activities,” Williams noted. Therefore, applications should include evidence of sincere commitment to the project by senior officials. This might include personal letters of support by senior officials or an intrinsic role for them in project management and oversight.

Budget Hints

The budget narrative is often one of the most difficult sections for new grant applicants to complete. The budget narrtive provides a detailed explanation of all proposed expenditures for the project. Funding requests should be made in accordance with
the project activities and all costs must be reasonable and necessary.

Just what does this mean? It means that expenditures should be allowable (either permitted or not specifically prohibited), allocable (can be directly allocated to the project); and reasonable (costs that would be incurred by a “prudent person”). Any costs not fully described or justified can be deleted from the funding request during the budget review conducted by ED staff.

“For example,” Williams explained, “in your budget narrative, you may include a line item for cellular phones which may or may not be allowable according to the specific competition. An applicant should not just put cell phones in their budget, but explain in the narrative exactly why those phones are necessary for meeting the goals of the project.”

“Our ultimate goal is to help applicants submit the best proposals possible so that we can do our job to provide them the funding they need to help students live safer, healthier lives,” said Williams.

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