1. Read below transcript. Offer any key points.

2. What are the roles of reviewers in the grant process? What things make the reviewers' jobs difficult? What are some ways that you can make your grant easier to review?

3. What would you do if you received notification that your grant was not funded? How would that affect future attempts to obtain funding from that source?

4. Thanks for sharing your experience working in the publishing world. You are right that submissions are looked at in the exact same manner in the grant world. I know one guy that will not pick up a package from some organizations because he is familiar with their shoddy work.

Now imagine that you replace someone that had previously submitted poor packages. What's the best strategy to fix your organization's reputation?

5. In discussing responses to a grant proposal being rejected, I wanted to add my idea of the importance of developing a strong and friendly working relationship with the funding agency. A personable relationship with the decision makers can be the difference between getting your package back with a "hey, rework your budget and doublecheck your fringe benefits on the salaries page and resubmit" or the "we regret to inform you that your proposal was not selected."

What are your thoughts class?

6. I agree completely that it's super important to make the grant reviewers' job as easy as possible. That's one reason I'm an advocate of always using the exact format of the funding agency. I prefer using a template of a recently approved grant as a go-by.

Just put yourself in the reviewer's shoes. Would you be likely to approve poorly presented applications?

Transcript

PROJECT SUBMISSION AND POST-FUNDING ACTIVITIES

Narrator: Welcome to the Week Five Podcast. This week's topic is project submission and post-funding activities.

Narrator: What do students need to know about project submission and post-funding activities?

SME: Submission guidelines can be one of the most perplexing parts of the grant process. Some organizations want one copy, while some organizations want four copies. Some agencies want an application plus an executive summary. Some agencies require that a grant arrive by a specific date, while others only require that the application be post-marked by a certain date. These seem like little things, but failing to comply with the guidelines will result in a rejected or unconsidered application. That's a bitter pill to swallow after you've put so much effort into the grant process.

Narrator: What key point should students focus on this week?

SME: The most important thing to understand is that the grant application process is often the easiest part. After you're awarded the grant, you have to submit multiple reports, account for how the money is spent, and determine whether or not your program worked. This process can go on for years after the money was received and used. Be sure to pay attention to the ways you can determine success. Becoming good at program evaluation is just as important as the grant writing process.