Applying for Federal Grants

Applying for Federal Grants Dr. Irem Kiyak, Associate Director International Business Center Michigan State University

Potential Sources of Funding Good starting point:http://globaledge.msu.edu/academy/grant-opportunities/

Potential Sources of Funding U.S. Department of Education (Title VI and Fulbright-Hays) U.S. Department of Commerce (ITA MDCP program) FIPSE USIA (Affiliations Program) Department of Defense Small Business Administration (SBDC Program) State Agencies Local chambers, trade/industry groups Large corporations, banks, utility companies Foundations (Annenberg, Ford, McArthur, Comerica) Revenue-seeking programs/executive training

Title VI: Business and International Education (BIE) • Provides grants for up to two years to 2- and 4-year colleges and universities • Projects range in federal funding from $50,000 to $95,000 per year • 80-100 applicants apply and US/ED funds between 20-25 new applicants per year • 20-25 community colleges apply each year and 4-5 are funded each year • A panel of international business specialists review the applications

BIE: Eligible Applicants • Institutions of higher education that enter into a written agreement with a trade association, chamber of commerce or business that is engaged in international economic activity. • All applicants must also provide one-to-one matching funds in the form of cash or in-kind contributions.

BIE: Two Requirements • Improve the academic teaching of the business curriculum. • Conduct outreach activities that expand the capacity of the business community to engage in international economic activities. The external community in many cases complains they’ve never heard of the universities. The universities have never left their campuses to go ask the business folks what they want and what they need. The BIE program is designed to strengthen the university’s ties with the external community.

BIE: Authorized Activities • Innovation and improvement in international education curricula to serve the needs of the business community; • Development of program to inform the public of increasing international economic interdependence; • Internationalization of curricula; • Development of area studies programs and interdisciplinary international programs;

BIE: Authorized Activities (continued) • Establishment of export education programs through cooperative arrangements with regional and world trade centers and councils; • Research for and development of specialized teaching materials, including language materials; • Establishment of student and faculty fellowships and internships;

BIE: Authorized Activities(continued) • Development of opportunities for junior business and other professional school faculty to acquire or strengthen international skills and perspectives; • Development of research programs on issues of common interest to institutions • The establishment of linkages with overseas institutions; • Summer institutes in international business

Examples of Eligible Activities • Improve business and international education curriculum • Develop area studies programs and other interdisciplinary international programs • Establish export education programs for business • Develop specialized teaching materials • Create opportunities for business and faculty to strengthen international skills • Establish internships overseas to develop foreign language skills and experience foreign cultures • Establish linkages with overseas institutions

Partnerships • Teaching and Research • With faculty within department • With other departments on campus (i.e., language dept.) • With colleagues at other universities • Outreach with business community • Conferences • Executive-in-Residence • Outreach with academic community • Visiting Scholars • Overseas linkages

Suggestions for Institutional Internationalization • Set specific goals • Plan around those goals • Follow guidelines explicitly • Obtain strong administrative support • Documentinstitutional support • Measure interests of faculty and students • Establish working dialogue with program officers -- take advice • Volunteer to serve as a reader of other grants • Network among international educators

Suggestions for Institutional Internationalization contd. • Obtainsupport of community leaders • Recognize the significant time commitment needed • Obtain release time for writer • Developa team of colleagues -- delegate • Elaborate proposal under clear schedule/pert chart • Readpast applications • Prepare meaningful evaluation plan • Select outside expert as evaluator • Use proposed evaluator in preparation • Buildon failures

BIE: “Proposal” Development Timetable March/April • Conduct analysis of capabilities as well as ‘needs assessment’ • Develop a team of committed faculty & administrators to contribute • Plan specific activities for each area • Academic/Curriculum • Faculty Development • Outreach/Business community

BIE: “Proposal” Development Timetablecontd. May • Start drafting the proposal • Start by developing exhibits/tables June/July • Secure “Letter of Agreement” from key outreach partner • Get letters of commitment from administrators, faculty, outside evaluator August/September • Have proposal draft reviewed by others and external evaluator • Refine proposal budget

BIE: “Proposal” Development Timetablecontd. October • Continue review and refinement • Finalize proposal • Obtain required signatures November • Electronic submission of the proposal

Grantsmanship • Be sure to consult with the program officer at USDOE • Review abstracts of funded projects in Washington, D.C. • Address each component of the legislation • Propose realistic activities and costs • Develop key objectives or thrusts; limit your proposal to 3-5 major initiatives • Designate a management team with international and grants experience • Prepare a specific and detailed budget: demonstrate cost effectiveness

Grantsmanship contd. • Provide summative and formative evaluation plans of grant activities • Address issues of institutional commitment and sustainability • Format the proposal so that it is easy to read • Maximize the use of exhibits (tables, charts). • Be positive and passionate! • If not funded, request the reviewers’ comments and RE-APPLY!

BIE: “Proposal” Panel Review • Reviewers are all international business professors • A community college professor sits on each panel • Each reviewer reads 15-20 applications. • Three reviewers per panel— panel members discuss each application with the program officer • The reviewers follow the guidelines in the application packet

BASIC GENERAL BUDGET* (*This budget does not include details of the matching costs which you must include on the budget you submit.)

TECHNICAL REVIEW: BIE Proposal

TIPS! • Start early – TODAY! • Contact federal funding agency and become familiar with agency staff • visit the program officer • read funded proposals • see if agency will review your drafts • Ask about the evaluation process • is it peer review or by federal officials? • is there a pre-application process? • Seek out support internally and externally for your proposal

More TIPS! • Look at return on investment • Be as specific as possible • Avoid generalities • Site examples • Name clients • all faculty who will work on grant • who will replace the project director if that person leaves during the project • Keep it simple

Tricks • Read funded proposals from similar institutions • Keep in touch with organizations who know what is in the pipeline • Write an international focus into your mission statement at your institution

More Tricks • Use a sense of urgency when recruiting partnerships • Seek a partner and draft a letter of agreement • Have the agreement signed by both partners • Be sure the agreement encompasses both components of the IB program • international business curriculum development • outreach

Traps • Insufficient commitment and follow-through problems • Resource limitations • Inertia -- faculty resistance to change

Contact Person: BIE Grant Name: Susanna C. Easton E-mail Address: susanna.easton@ed.gov Mailing Address: U.S. Department of Education, OPEInternational and Foreign Language EducationBusiness and International Education Program1990 K Street, N.W., 6th FloorWashington, DC 20006-8521 Telephone: (202) 502-7628 http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/index.html

BIE Grant Application Booklet: Only Available Online

Web Resources • http://www.grants.gov Grants.gov is the web submission system APPLY for most federal government grants.

BIE webportal: http://bieweb.msu.edu/

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsbie U.S. Dept. of Education’s International Education Programs website

Good Luck with Your Grant Initiatives!Questions?

Applying for Federal Grants