A proposal requesting support from any funding agency will most often consist of the following:

A. Title Page

Title Page – For those funders that do not provide application packages or have other specific requirements, the Grant Coordinator, with support from the Grants Office, must construct some form of title page. Generally, the title page will contain:

• Title of the proposed project
• College and Department
• Name and title of the Grants Coordinator and/or Co-Grants Coordinator
• Time period and inclusive dates of the proposed project
• Total support requested
• Name and address of the funding agency
• Table of Contents – with page numbers
• Abstract – A brief description covering the purpose, important features, and significance of the project.

B. Project Description

Project Description – A typical description of the project may contain many or all of the following details:

• Project Rationale
  • Introduction
  • Statement of the Needs and Problems
  • Goals and Objectives of the Project
  • Relation of the Project to the State of Knowledge in the Field
  • Significance of the Project
• Procedures
  • Statement of Approach
  • The Means by which Objectives will be met
  • Anticipated Problems
• Evaluation
  • Methods and Tools of Data Collection and Assessment
• Management
  • Organization of the Project
  • Project Staff and their Roles
  • Project Schedule

Personnel – Generally, biographical sketches including pertinent experience or publications of the Grants Coordinator, Co-Grants Coordinator(s), and key project personnel should be included.

C. Budget – Direct Costs, Indirect Costs and Matching Costs

Budget – The budget serves to identify the cost of the project to the sponsor. The budget also serves as a measure by the grant funder of the PI's capabilities since there must be a reasonable relationship between the project described and the PI's estimate of the cost:

Direct Costs – Some or all of the following may be included as direct costs:

• Salaries include all personnel, titles, the time (percentage of role or hours) each will devote to the project, the rate of pay, and amount requested to support each person per year (or for the budget period). Salary costs must be planned in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements or College salary schedules for non-unit professionals. Key considerations for budgeting staff include:
  • For multi-year budgets, salary calculations should include scheduled raises.
  • The work of certain GCC staff/offices supporting a grant are covered by the Indirect Cost rate, including staff time from Administration and Finance, Marketing & Communications, IT, and Facilities. If work detailed on a grant exceeds the capacity of the department, per judgement of the department head, they may choose to outsource work to a consultant or utilize overtime. In this case, the budget may need to include funds for this purpose.
• Other professional research staff and technicians may be compensated for periods during which their services will benefit the project.
• Fringe benefits include the College's contributions to retirement programs, health insurance, and unemployment compensation.
• Permanent equipment needs must be itemized and justified. Permanent equipment is defined as an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. In addition, the Grants Coordinator must determine that the equipment requested is not already available within the College. The cost of equipment generally includes needed accessories, installation, and delivery costs. In some cases, the sponsor may provide the equipment directly rather than provide acquisition funds, or short-term rental may be preferred.
• Consultant fees may be paid only to experts outside the College who provide a unique contribution to the project. Federal agencies specifically prohibit the payment of consultant fees from Federally-supported projects to persons employed by the Federal government and often set a limit on the daily rate that can be paid to non-Federal government employees.
• Supplies and expendable equipment items should be identified and justified. Examples of these items include chemicals, glassware and small electronic components, as in the preparation and distribution of questionnaires or other brochures and forms, and minor fees for informants in anthropological or sociological studies.Key considerations for budgeting supplies include:
  • Be as specific as possible with what supplies are needed, as different kinds of supplies require different Banner accounting codes to be assigned by the Grants Accountant. For example, separate administrative, educational, food, equipment, and software costs.
  • Marketing and communication materials, such as printed flyers or t-shirts, should be included in the budget as they are not covered by the Marketing & Communications departments budget.
  • If you are planning on handing out technology to students, such as laptops or iPads, it is good practice for auditing purposes to have students sign a document stating they received the technology.
• Travel is an expected practice and an accepted cost in most projects if there is a need for the Grants Coordinators to consult with colleagues and disseminate new knowledge through scholarly discourse (i.e. meetings, conferences, symposia, etc.). There must be a correlation between the project and the purpose of the meeting. Such costs may include transportation and room and board. Travel should take place in accordance with the College’s Travel Policy unless the terms and condition of the grant award provide for different requirements. When the grant employee submits paperwork for a conference, meeting off campus or travel, they must also provide an agenda or meeting minutes as back up and proof.
• Other direct costs may have to be identified such as:
  • Subcontracts with other entities which provide a substantial programmatic contribution to the project require specific approval of the sponsor. Thus, the proposal must include documentation (i.e., a work statement budget and institutional endorsement) by the subcontractor of the services to be performed and their cost.
  • Rental of space that is necessary in order to carry out the project.
  • Communication costs such as paid marketing campaigns, long distance telephone costs and postage charges where large volumes of mailing are required.
  • Stipends for participants in special training programs, when specifically allowable by the funding agency.
    Wrap-around supports for students.

Indirect Costs – overhead and administrative costs which cannot be identified specifically with a particular program, project, or activity. They are costs that are incurred for several purposes which are necessary to the operation of the College for example, library resources, building maintenance, and general administration. A negotiated indirect cost approved by a cognizant Federal agency is used for all Federally-funded projects, as allowed.

Matching Costs – a cash amount and/or in-kind contribution (the estimated or actual dollar value of volunteered services such as donated personnel time, free use of equipment, etc.) that a funder may require. The term is often used interchangeably with cost-sharing. Typical match requirements fall around 30% match, meaning that you must document and show cash and/or in-kind contributions that equal the value of required percentage of match of the grant funds you’re requesting.

D. Other Documentation
Additional documents may be required as part of the grant submission, including financial statements. The Grants Office will oversee the submission of all required materials.

If the proposed project includes external partnerships, you may be required to submit a Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding (MOA/MOU) or a Letter of Commitment/Support (LOC/LOS). These formal documents provide official recognition of partnerships that will be important to the success of the proposed program. A newly developed MOA/MOU should be approved by the GCC Comptroller or the VP of Administration and Finance, and in some cases requires legal review, before being sent to partners for signature.

For certain equipment purchases, it may be necessary to obtain a quote or contract from a vendor detailing the cost to include in the grant proposal. This process should be coordinated with the Purchasing Office to ensure it is in compliance with vendor policies and procedures. Even if a quote or contract is not required for the proposal, it is recommended that any planned large equipment purchases are reviewed by the Facilities and Purchasing offices before the grant is submitted. In some cases, if a new vendor needs to be established, this process may begin before the grant is awarded so that if the project does move forward, the purchasing can happen within the required timeframe.