Welcome to the Sustainability Grant
Writing Workshop
Webinar participants please:
 Dial in: (888) 622-5357 / Participant code 676397
 Bottom left screen, turn down mic and speaker
volume to silent
 View grant resources here:
http://calstate.edu/cpdc/workshops/09_grant_writin
g.shtml
Grant Programs to Support
Environmental Sustainability
Elizabeth Ambos (eambos@calstate.edu )
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Research Initiatives and Partnerships
Elvyra San Juan (esanjuan@calstate.edu)
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Capital Planning, Design, and Construction
CSU Chancellor’s Office
January 29, 2009
Workshop Goals
 Increase knowledge of grant and contract opportunities
relating to environmental sustainability
 Provide opportunities for faculty and staff with shared
interests in sustainability to work together on proposals
 All attendees will leave with a defined “next step”:
– For some, the next step will be an outline of a grant proposal
– For others, the next step will be an idea for a proposal
– For a few, the next step will be a review and rewrite of a
previously unsuccessful proposal
CSU Office of the Chancellor
Sustainability Workshop Team
– Beth Ambos, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Research
Initiatives and Partnerships
– Vi San Juan, Assistant Vice Chancellor, CPDC
– Marlene Nang, Sustainability Coordinator, CPDC
– Kim Tang, Staff Associate, Research Initiatives and
Partnerships
Profile of Workshop Attendees
Workshop Schedule
 8:30-8:50 a.m.: Welcome and Introductions
 8:50-10:15 a.m.: Overview of Available Grants
and Contracts
 10:30-11:15 a.m.: Discussion Section #1
 11:15-noon: Program Officers’ presentations
 Noon to 12:45 p.m.: Lunch &informal discussions
 1:00-2:30 p.m.: Discussion Section #2
 2:30-3:00 p.m.: Wrap Up and Next Steps
Overview of Available Grants and Contracts
 Featured Grant Programs: Identifying CSUappropriate grant and contract solicitations
 “How to Write a Successful Proposal”:
Proposal development processes
 General information on CSU attributes and
CSU initiatives in sustainability
Featured Grant Programs
 National Science Foundation
– Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI)
– Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
– Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)
– Innovations in Engineering Education, Curriculum, and
Infrastructure (IEECI)
 Department of Energy
– Wind Energy
 Corporation for National and Community Service
– Learn and Serve Higher Education
 California Department of Conservation
– Recycling Program
Important Note: Federal Grant Programs
 Campuses are required to submit their federal grant
applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal
government’s online application system.
 First-time Grants.gov users, must be registered.
Registration with Grants.gov:
 Is a multi-step process
 Takes time; allow two weeks
 Must be completed before you can submit your application
 Prepare for transition in spring 2009 from PureEdge viewer to
Adobe Reader
 If you have already registered with Grants.gov, make
sure you renew/review your registration before you apply.
National Science Foundation
Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI)
 CCLI seeks to improve the quality of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
education for all undergraduate students
 Estimate 100 awards annually, anticipate $35M
 No limits on number of proposals per organization
 Cost sharing – not required
 Letters of Intent – Not applicable
 Deadlines: Phase 1 proposals are due May 21, 2009
 Phase 2 and 3 proposals are due January 13, 2010
 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5741
National Science Foundation:
Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
 ATE focuses on technician education (mostly at the two-year
college level) in high-technology fields. The program involves
partnerships between the ATE awardee and industry and/or fouryear colleges
 Estimate 75 awards annually, $46M anticipated funding
 No limits on number of proposals per organization
 Cost sharing – not required
 Letters of Intent – Not applicable
 Deadlines: Preliminary proposals encouraged/due April 23, 2009
 Full proposals due October 15, 2009
 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5464&org=DUE
&from=home
National Science Foundation
Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)
 GOALI promotes partnerships between industry and university
using a variety of avenues: undergraduate and graduate
industrial fellowships, faculty short-term funded appointments in
industry settings, post-doctoral support for work in industry,
collaboration on applied research projects of mutual interest,
research experiences for teachers in industry, etc.
 Estimate 60 to 80 awards annually; $10M anticipated funding.
 No limits on number of proposals per organization, or PI
 Cost sharing – not required
 Letters of Intent – Not applicable
 Deadlines: variable – talk with the NSF program officer
 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13706&org=EN
G&from=home
National Science Foundation:
Innovations in Engineering Education, Curriculum, & Infrastructure (IEECI)
 IEECI addresses four primary aspects of engineering
education, among them integration of sustainability into
engineering education
 35 to 40 awards annually; $8.5 M anticipated
 No limits on number of proposals per organization, or PI
 Cost sharing – not required
 Letters of Intent – Not applicable
 Deadline: March 11, 2009
 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=133
74&org=EEC&from=home
Department of Energy
20% Wind by 2030: Overcoming the Challenge
 This solicitation includes six different topic areas
addressing issues relating to moving the U.S. toward
20% of its energy coming from wind sources by 2030.
One of the areas is workforce development, others are
applied research and commercialization focused
 Estimate 18 to 39 awards; $4 M anticipated funding.
 No limits on number of proposals per organization, or PI
 Cost sharing – 20%
 Letters of Intent – Not applicable
 Deadline: March 3, 2009
 Website: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/
Learn and Serve Program
 Major focus this year is on initiatives that aid in the U.S. economic
recovery
 Federal agency – Corporation for National and Community Service
 Deadlines: Applications due on March 26, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Awards to be announced by the end of August 2009.
 California State University’s Center for Community Engagement will be
submitting a consortia grant proposal to Learn and Serve America for
the 2009-2012 grant competition (please contact Judy Botelho
(jbotelho@calstate.edu) for additional information)
 http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp
 Special note: next technical assistance call will be 2/11/2009
California Department of Conservation
Recycling Program
 The Division of Recycling (DOR) offers grants to assist
organizations with establishing convenient beverage
container recycling and litter abatement projects, and to
encourage market development and expansion activities
for beverage container materials. The Multi-Family
Beverage Recycling Grants are open to Colleges and
Universities.
 In the 2008-2009 cycle, awarded $15M to 62 projects,
including $365K to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, $58K to
CSU Los Angeles; $40K to CSU Long Beach
(Associated Students)
 http://www.conservation.ca.gov/dor/grants/Pages/mfbcrg.
aspx
Other Promising Federal Opportunities
 Program: Environmental Health Sciences Research
 Agency: National Institutes of Health
 Deadline: 6/5/2009
 http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/
 Environmental Education
 Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
 Deadline: likely – 12/09
 http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html
Other Private Foundation Grant Possibilities
 American Honda Foundation. Projects that support
youth, STEM, and environmental education improvement
 http://www.foundation.honda.com
 Compton Foundation. Peace & Security, Environment &
Sustainability, & Population & Reproductive Health
 http://www.comptonfoundation.org/
 PepsiCo Foundation. Global Health, Environment &
Global Inclusion
 http://www.pepsico.com/PEP_Citizenship/Contributions/index.cfm
How to Write a Successful Proposal: Part 1
 Establish need for and viability of program
– existing partnerships – particularly K-12, community foundations and
organizations, business, and industry – need to be discussed in
narrative and letters of support
– campus must usually have a large, diverse team to carry out the
program activities – in terms of faculty, staff, and students
– long term change will be achieved at your institution and communities
through the particular grant
 Establish strong program elements
– Prepare your $budget$ before identifying program elements
– Identify roles and responsibilities for all members of the proposal
“team” who will implement program on campus
 Clearly specify those of program coordinator – the individual who
will carry out the “nuts and bolts” of running the program
– Letters of support from school district, businesses, community
foundation partners and Deans, etc. should be substantive (no boiler
plate)
How to Write a Successful Proposal: Part 2
 You may need to build in a project evaluation
component
– Check with your institutional IRB before submittal
 Establish PI and institutional credentials
– PI (principal investigator) should have experience managing
grant funded programs
– Institution should have track record in partnerships with K-12,
CCC, community foundations or organizations, businesses
 Establish evidence of institutional priority,
infrastructure and program sustainability
– Institution should commit to continuation of some program
elements/outcomes; if this will be a $$ commitment, need
commitment before the proposal is submitted
– Disseminate program outcomes; this can be through
conferences, websites, YouTube, etc.
Sustainability…in the Grant-Funded
Project Sense…
 Seek additional support for grant activities’
continuation in the first year of your funded
program
 Explore synergies between federally funded
programs and state and CSU funded programs.
Institutional Infrastructure is Key
 You can only be funded (and successfully implement!)
most grant-funded programs if you have a solid
infrastructure in place
 Solid infrastructure means:
– A program coordinator who can work with you as PI to
implement the day-to-day management of the program
– Good support from Chair, Dean, Provost, VP for
Finance, Facilities Offices, Advancement, etc.
– Good financial management support from your grants
and contracts office
The “Tool Kit” Approach – How do I get started
on a Grant or Contract Proposal?
 DO: have a firm vision for what you want to accomplish as
a result of the grant funding
 DON’T: write a grant for the sake of the $$ when the grant
topic isn’t aligned with your needs and vision
 DO: start the grant proposal several months in advance,
and be sure to get the “blessing” of your supervisor and
campus grant approval process
 DON’T: wait to the last minute…or try to do the proposal
totally on your own…people want to help you achieve your
goals…but only if they can set aside time in advance!
Pre-Award Process: Focus on Proposal Preparation
 Step 1: Identify a grant or contract opportunity
 Step 2: Notify your supervisor, and your sponsored
programs/pre-award office of intent to apply; if opportunity is
to a private foundation or corporation, also notify the
appropriate development officer
 Step 3: Meet with representative of your pre-award office to
discuss the proposal solicitation; prepare budget (often best
to do this before finalizing narrative), narrative, and all other
materials required for the grant submittal
 Step 4: Complete grant clearance process, including
prospect clearance: obtain approval from supervisors, and
from sponsored program office; submittal of grant will be by
the campus office with that specific responsibility
 Step 5: Complete proposal and your campus office will
forward to agency or foundation
Proposal Preparation:
 Step 1: Identify a Grant or
contract opportunity
– Colleagues
– Professional groups
– AASCU Grants Resource
Center service
– Funding agency websites
– Workshops like these!
Proposal Preparation:
 Step 2: Send email to Sponsored
Programs Office – notifying them
of intent to submit
– Pre-award offices
– For private foundation – also
send notification to
appropriate development
officer
– Place grant submittal on
calendar
– Makes sure people are in the
office to help you!
– Intensive writing occurs in
this time period
– Try to schedule pre-review
with trusted colleague
Proposal Preparation:
 Step 3: Talk with Sponsored
Programs Office/Create
Budget/Start Clearance
– Talk with Sponsored
Programs Office/pre-award
Office:
 Go over grant
requirements
 Discuss cost-matching
 Create Budget
 Consult with staff who
know forms
 Consult with facilities, IT,
or other offices, as
needed – particularly
important for any
construction-oriented
proposals
– Start Clearance
Proposal Preparation: Focus on Chancellor’s Office Role:
When is the CO the Lead Institution for a Grant or Contract?
 Sponsor approaches the system to submit a proposal on behalf
of the system or multiple campuses
 The effort will be inter-segmental or in partnership with a national
affinity organization (e.g. American Council on Education)
 Existing system-wide office (e.g. Center for Community
Engagement; International Education) submits proposal, with
cognizance of campus offices
 At campus request, when a system proposal is deemed to be
more competitive
 CO needs to exercise fiduciary responsibility over a multi-campus
grant or contract, and doing so will result in risk minimization –
the Office of Sponsored Programs at the CO will exercise
oversight of the administration of the contract or grant
Proposal Preparation: Focus on Cost Matching
 Cost Matching means that some portion of your
institution’s resources will go toward grant or contract
activities
 Most cost matching involves facilities or personnel time
 Most cost matching is provided by supervisors from their
existing budgets
 YOU SHOULD DISCUSS COST MATCHING WITH your
Supervisor/Chair/Dean (WELL) BEFORE PREPARING
PROPOSAL
 If proposal is funded, you, your department/office, and
Sponsored Programs Office/post-award office must keep
records to document cost matching
Proposal Preparation: Focus on Facilities &
Administrative Costs (aka – Indirect Costs)
 Necessary to support infrastructure for research & sponsored
program activities
 Covers costs for ALL administrative support as well as facilities
(including labs, equipment, operations and maintenance, etc.)
 Reducing the F&A rate on your proposal does not (usually)
mean your grant will be more competitive
 Sponsors may limit F&A costs to a lesser percentage than the
campus federally-negotiated rate
– Sponsored Programs Office or Principal Investigator will
request policy/directive indicating reduced rate from
sponsor before granting exception
– If no documentation is provided, the exception may be
denied
Proposal Preparation:
Step 4: Clearance Process
 Clearance means that your proposal has been approved by
both your department/division and the Sponsored Programs
Office (note: submittals to private foundations and
corporations also need formal approval from the appropriate
development office)
 WHY?????
– Individuals (except in rare instances) cannot submit
proposals, only institutions can
– Without institutional clearance, proposal usually rejected
by agency without review
Proposal Preparation:
Focus on Clearance Process
PI – You!
Immediate
Supervisor/Chair/Dean
Academic & Finance
review
Development Office
(if private or corporate)
Sponsored Programs
Proposal Preparation:
 Step 5: Submit Proposal
– Electronic submittals
are common
– Electronic submittals
take longer
– Coordinate schedules
for submission
Summary:
Proposal Preparation/ Pre-Award Process
 Step 1: Identify a grant or contract opportunity – 3 to 6 months
 Step 2: Notify department supervisor, division leadership,
Sponsored Programs and Development (if private or corporate)
of intent to apply – 1 to 3 months
 Step 3: Meet with Sponsored Programs Office staff to go over
proposal needs, create budget – 1 month to 2 months
 Step 4: Complete clearance process: obtain approval from
department supervisor, Academic & Finance Vice Chancellors
or designees, CSU Foundation (if private or corporate), and
Sponsored Programs Office – 1 week to 1 month
 Step 5: Proposal completed and sent to agency or private
foundation – 3 days
General information on CSU attributes and
CSU initiatives in sustainability
 Often, your proposal will need some “boilerplate”
description of your campus, the CSU, etc.
 Two helpful links at the CSU CO are:
– Analytic studies – provides data on enrollments,
degrees, demographics, etc.
– http://www.calstate.edu/as/
– System-wide sustainability web page
– www.calstate.edu/cpdc/sustainability
Fall 2007 CSU Enrollment by Ethnicity
Derived from
Excel spreadsheet
Of Fall 2007
Enrollment data
www.calstate.edu/cpdc/sustainability
Questions?
Elizabeth Ambos eambos@calstate.edu