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Graduate School USA

Developing a Federal Grant Application Course

via Graduate School USA

Overview

This two-day, practice-focused course covers the full process of preparing a compliant, competitive federal grant application. It focuses on translating funding opportunity requirements into clear, responsive components that align program design, budgets, performance measures, and compliance expectations.

Participants learn to analyze funding opportunity announcements, interpret eligibility and selection criteria, develop coherent narratives, build compliant budgets, and integrate evaluation and sustainability considerations while avoiding common weaknesses that lead to disqualification, low scores, or post-award complications. Applied exercises and realistic examples strengthen participants’ ability to submit complete, organized applications that demonstrate readiness to manage federal funds and support successful award and implementation.

Syllabus

Module 1: Understanding the Federal Grant Application Process

  • Explain the federal grant application lifecycle.
  • Identify applicant roles and responsibilities.
  • Recognize differences across agencies and programs.

Module 2: Interpreting the Funding Opportunity Announcement

  • Analyze FOA structure and required sections.
  • Identify eligibility and threshold requirements.
  • Interpret selection and scoring criteria.

Module 3: Program Design and Narrative Development

  • Develop clear problem statements and objectives.
  • Align activities with funding priorities.
  • Avoid common narrative weaknesses.

Module 4: Budget Development and Cost Considerations

  • Build budgets consistent with program design.
  • Apply cost principles to budget development.
  • Prepare clear budget justifications.

Module 5: Performance Measures and Evaluation

  • Define outputs, outcomes, and indicators.
  • Align performance measures with program goals.
  • Integrate evaluation expectations into applications.

Module 6: Organizational Capacity and Readiness

  • Demonstrate organizational capability and experience.
  • Address staffing, systems, and partnerships.
  • Respond to capacity-related evaluation criteria.

Module 7: Compliance, Risk, and Certifications

  • Identify compliance representations and assurances.
  • Address risk and oversight considerations.
  • Avoid disqualifying compliance errors.

Module 8: Partnerships, Subawards, and Letters of Support

  • Structure partnerships appropriately.
  • Distinguish subrecipients from contractors.
  • Prepare effective letters of commitment.

Module 9: Application Review, Quality Control, and Submission

  • Conduct internal reviews for completeness and compliance.
  • Apply quality control checks.
  • Manage submission systems and deadlines.

Module 10: From Application to Award Readiness

  • Anticipate post-award requirements during application development.
  • Align application content with award implementation.
  • Prepare for pre-award risk assessment and negotiation.

Taught by

Seitu Stephens, J.D.

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