Grant Writing Basics: How to Start Working on Future Funding Opportunities

Posted on by Grants.gov

As with many projects in life, it is best to begin your planning and writing as early as you can. When applying for federal grants, the OMB Uniform Guidance sets forth a 30 to 60 day range for federal funding opportunities to be open:

“(b) The Federal awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The Federal awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the Federal awarding agency head or delegate.” §200.203(b)

A reasonable follow-up question to this is what to do if you would like to begin working on a grant application more than two months in advance.

grant writing basics icon

Continue reading Grant Writing Basics: How to Start Working on Future Funding Opportunities

What Is a Contract? 5 Differences between Grants and Contracts

Posted on by Grants.gov

All tray tables and seat backs must be in an upright and locked position prior to take off. We expect turbulence on this blog post, so the author has turned on the fasten seat belt light.

This seemingly simple question requires a complex answer, so we have simplified it to four sections: (1) basic definitions, (2) five differences between grants and contracts, (3) examples of a grant and contract to illustrate these differences, and (4) resources for more information.

What Is a Grant? Grants.gov Community Blog Series banner

Continue reading What Is a Contract? 5 Differences between Grants and Contracts

Gil Tran on What Is Coming Up for the OMB Uniform Guidance in 2018

Posted on by Grants.gov

While telling a story about a vacation to Venice, Italy, Gil Tran, Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), described Venice as a beautiful and unique city where, “you’re always going to get lost when you’re in it.” Despite its layout, he said, “When you get lost, that’s when you discover all the gems.”

According to Tran, this is how grant professionals ought to dive into and enjoy the OMB Uniform Guidance (or the “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards” for those who prefer its full name). Immerse yourselves and get lost, only to discover the wonderful “nuggets” of regulations governing your federal award experience.

While many of you may have a less enchanted, more pragmatic approach to grant administration, you nonetheless need to know the latest about the Uniform Guidance.

OMB's Gil Tran, Senior Policy Advisor, presenting at the OGAPA Grants Management Conference

Continue reading Gil Tran on What Is Coming Up for the OMB Uniform Guidance in 2018

What Is the Office of Management and Budget? (And How Does It Relate to Grants?)

Posted on by Grants.gov

What is blog series logoThe Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is an Executive Branch office that oversees the implementation of the President of the United States’ vision across government agencies (WhiteHouse.gov – OMB).

This relates to the grant programs implemented by federal agencies, how they are managed, their budgets, and the forms applicants complete when applying for a grant.
Continue reading What Is the Office of Management and Budget? (And How Does It Relate to Grants?)

What Is the OMB’s ‘Uniform Guidance’ for Grants?

Posted on by Grants.gov

With a name like Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly called “Uniform Guidance”), you’re unlikely to mistake this government publication for a comic book or romance novel. But, unless you’re a federal grants expert, you may have some difficulty pinning down the Uniform Guidance’s main goal.

What is blog series logo

In plain English, the Uniform Guidance is simply a set of authoritative rules and regulations about federal grants from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This “guidance” is designed to keep everyone in the federal grants community – Congress, grant-making agencies, and applicants – on the same page.

Continue reading What Is the OMB’s ‘Uniform Guidance’ for Grants?