Grants Q & A – Best Practices Les Fout and Dave Cazalet Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Pellissippi State Community College

What is PSCC’s administration level of commitment to the grant writing effort?  

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Dr. Wise became president in 2011. He moved the grants responsibility to the Foundation Department and assigned responsibility for obtaining new grants to Les Fout, Director of Major Gift Development. Dr. Wise authorized the employment of two new, full-time positions: a grant developer and an administrative assistant. Dr. Wise has authorized 32 grants for submission since January 2012.

These decisions are concrete examples of the administrations’ commitment to obtaining grants for the college.

How many grants actually get funded? Of course, the simply answer is, it depends. When the Grants Office researches a grant opportunity, generally, the granting agency states:     

The total amount of funding available. The number of expected awards. The maximum amount of a single award. The minimum award. The average award expected.

This information helps determine PSCC’s chances of being funded for a particular grant.

How many grants actually get funded? If a grant request for proposal is released and it reads that only one grant will be awarded nationally, then the chances of Pellissippi State getting that one award are low. On the other hand, if there will be 50 grants awarded, Pellissippi State’s chances of winning that grant are much better.

What types of grants are being funded? President Obama and his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness have made community colleges a priority. Community Colleges are now being encouraged to apply for federal grants more than ever before. For example, The Trade Adjustment Act Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program has been funded at $500 million a year for the past two years. Another round of $475 million in funding was announced last Friday. PSCC was a partner in two TAACCCT grants which were awarded last year. Our awards totaled nearly $1.4 million. The college is currently investigating being a part of three consortia of community colleges planning to apply for TAACCCT funding in 2013. The three are Cyber Security, Advanced Welding and Manufacturing, and Industrial Maintenance.

Has Pellissippi State obtained any grants since 2011?

Yes!!! Since January 2012, $2.7 Million

What grants has the college received since January 2012? Here are some of the $2.7 million in grants Pellissippi State has received over the past 16 months.    

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$800,000 for an Advanced Manufacturing program. $600,000 to expand the Nursing program. $400,000 for Additive Mfg. (mostly for scholarships) $300,000 for TRIO Student Support Services. (renewal) $98,000 to improve access for Veterans to college. $98,000 for a tnAchieves summer bridge program. $23,000 for prior learning assessments. $11,000 for Nursing equipment. (computerized drug dispensing and record system) $10,000 for services for students with disabilities.

What’s our batting average? 

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PSCC submitted three TAACCCT grant applications last year. Two grants were funded. PSCC submitted five TBR Access and Diversity grant applications. Two grants were funded. PSCC was one of eight Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping awardees nationally. Since January 2012 PSCC has submitted 32 Grant applications and 19 were funded. If we were playing baseball, PSCC is batting .594. 59% of the grants we submitted were funded.

Why is it important for Pellissippi State to seek and obtain grants? Over the past 10 years, state funding of Tennessee community colleges has declined from 70% to 41%. Grants present a wonderful opportunity for Pellissippi State to obtain new money.   

to replace lost state funds. to purchase the most modern equipment for teaching and training students. to employ new faculty and staff to achieve the college’s strategic goals.

How do grants benefit the college?  

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New faculty. New staff. Money obtained through grants can free up state funding and tuition dollars to advance PSCC’s teaching mission. Release time for faculty working on funded grants. New programs. New equipment and technology. New students. Better service for students.

How do the grant writing efforts fit in line with the College’s projected mission? During the Strategic Planning Retreat in February, Ron Kesterson, the Vice President Business and Finance, reported that state funding will continue to decrease. The consensus was that Pellissippi State “needs an additional revenue stream.”

Grant funding presents an opportunity for a new revenue stream for Pellissippi State.

Where can I find grant opportunities?  

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Federal - Grants.gov is the best source of information about federal grant opportunities State - Tennessee grant opportunities can be found on the websites of the various state agencies. There is no central clearinghouse for state grants. A search of state agency websites is the best way to find a state grant. The Grants Department can and will help you to find state grant opportunities. Private - For private grant opportunities, the Grants Department has subscribed to two search engines devoted to private sources of grant funding. The Grants Department can and will help you search for private funding opportunities through corporate or foundation grants.

How do I find grant opportunities? As a faculty or staff member at Pellissippi State, you belong to professional associations, attend conferences, and belong to listserves and discussion boards. Meet

with the Grants office to discuss what you would like to do. Ask your colleagues at other institutions what grants their colleges have. Bring up grants in conversation. Listen when others are talking about grants. Pass the information along to the Grants office.

Will someone help me write a grant and figure out the various parts? SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING IS A GROUP EFFORT

It takes strong collaboration, teamwork, and trust between the faculty, staff and the Grants team to write a successful grant.  If you find a grant opportunity, tell us.  If we find a grant opportunity, we will tell you.  Some folks want to write the grant themselves.  Others would rather work with the grant developer to write it. Either method is fine. The main thing is to get the grant written and submitted. We can’t win grants, if we don’t apply.

Introducing Kim Wilks  Assistant

Professor/Site Coordinator Nursing  Blount County Campus  B.S. in Nursing, West Virginia Wesleyan College  M.S. in Nursing, University of Phoenix  865-981-5342

What help is available in writing a grant?     

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The Grants office can not write grants without YOU. You are the content expert. You can either write all or part of the narrative or you can explain it to us and we will write it. We will assist you with research and find data that will support the case for your grant. We will help you obtain the necessary approvals. We will assist you with all parts of the grant including the narrative and budget. We will give you all the help and support you want or need.

What exactly does the Grant Development Office do?   

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Research and develop grant opportunities for the College. Match grant funding with the needs of the College and the requests of faculty and staff. Work as a team member with faculty and staff to write, compile, and submit grant applications. Remember, you are the expert in your field and your input is vital in composing a successful grant application. When a grant is awarded to the College, the grants office will conduct a post-award meeting to determine roles and responsibilities. Provide technical assistance with grant reports and regulations. Obtain feedback from grant agencies about the quality of grant applications. Records retention of all grant submissions and grants awarded to the College.

What should I do, if I find a grant I want to apply for? 

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Step One: Schedule an appointment with the grants office about your project. Even if you plan to write the grant application you will need to speak with the grants office. Step Two: Complete the Permission to Proceed Form with the necessary approval signatures, scan and email to [email protected]. Step Three: Work with grants office to complete the grant proposal, application, letter of interest or intent, narrative, budget, forms, etc. Complete the Authorization to Submit Grant Form with the necessary approval signatures, scan and email to [email protected]. Step Four: Work with the grants office to obtain final College approval for grant submission.

Can I apply for any grant I want to? We can talk about applying for any grant you find, but, ultimately, the president and the vice-presidents will decide if that grant furthers the mission of the college. Grants require the college to commit space, personnel, and other resources, so not all grants fit in to the college’s overall goals and objectives.

What other types of grants are being funded?  

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). National Science Foundation (NSF) This usually has a research component. If YOU are interested in doing research, we would very much like to talk to you about what type of research you want to do, so we can be looking for that type of grant. TBR Access and Diversity/TBR Access and Success State Department grants for American colleges working with international colleges. The federal government is focusing on grant applications that develop partnerships and collaborations among colleges, universities, government agencies, and the private sector.

Who manages the money, if I receive a grant? In grant language, the Principle Investigator (PI) manages the execution of the grant and the money. Pellissippi State has two excellent people (Elisa Simmons and Li Gao) in the business office, who help the PI keep track of expenses and manage the money. After a grant is awarded, the budget is the guiding outline for implementing the grant. Money is allotted for personnel, travel, fringe benefits and so forth and the PI must stay within the budget.

I have plenty to do, why should I do something like this? While we can not speak for everyone, some of the faculty members we have worked with have a passion to upgrade their equipment or improve and expand their programs. Others have a sincere desire to help students succeed or advance the mission of the College. Obtaining a grant can enable someone to do something they want to do, but haven’t been able to achieve through other means.

We are happy to answer any of your questions at any time. Come and talk to us about your ideas! We sincerely look forward to working with you to obtain grant funding for Pellissippi State.

Make an appointment with the Grants Department to discuss the grant you want to apply for. Les Fout – 694-6529, [email protected] Dave Cazalet – 539-7350, [email protected] Sharmon Suit – 539-7353, [email protected]

The Grants office has submitted updated webpages for the Pellissippi website and is currently waiting for those new pages to be approved and posted.