Applying for a Grant - Where and How

 by: Rebecca Game

Applying for a grant used to be a difficult and tedious process. The applications were long and often difficult to obtain. Even worse, loans used to be difficult to locate. Unless you were extremely familiar with government loan programs, in all likelihood, finding a grand and applying for a grant meeting your specific needs may have been nearly impossible to find.

Fortunately, that has changed in recent years. Grants.gov, a web site listing all available government grants, was created as part of the President's Management Agenda (PMA) and related e-Government Strategy. Grants.gov is one of 24 PMA initiatives devoted to improving services offered by the government over the Internet. According to Grants.gov, the site was created as a partnership with the 26 Federal agencies that offer grant programs. It is organized by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, which is also the largest grant-making agency.

By visiting Grants.gov, it's easy to see how simple it is to apply for a grant. Gone are the days of preparing extensive paperwork and printed documentation, as well as mailing the paperwork to the agency awarding the grant. Instead, applying for a grant is now done electronically through the site, offering individuals and businesses the opportunity to flawlessly submit a grant application online.

There are five steps involved at Grants.gov in applying for a grant.

1. Find an appropriate grant opportunity in which you'd like to apply.

Visit Grants.gov/search/searchHome.do for specific information on grants available to you. Be sure you meet all criteria, or your time spent will be wasted because your application will be voided in that instance. Jot down the grant's CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number, which will be needed for Step 2, below.

2. Download the application package.

Once you've determined which grant or grants you'll apply for, you're ready to download your grant application package. Visit http://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html for information. Your first step is to download PureEdge Viewer, which is a free software package required for filling out the application. The software is available to both Macintosh and PC users. Instructions are included as to how to install and use the software. After installing PureEdge Viewer, you're ready to download your specific application package. Have the grant's CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number for this step, which should have been obtained in Step 1, above.

3. Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR).   (continued...)

Applying for a Grant - Where and How
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About The Author Rebecca Game is the founder of Digital Women ®, an online community for women in business. A 30 year entrepreneur and dedicated to helping other women find business loans and business grants. Visit her site: Business Grants for Women or at her main site: http://www.digital-women.com.

Additional Government Grants Resources

Funding Opportunity Announcement: Developing Sustainable Healthy Behaviors in Children and Adolescents
The FOA is designed to encourage the use of Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Awards in employing innovative research studies that would help in determining mechanisms that could promote and influence positive sustainable health behaviors in children and in adolescents, from birth to 18 years old.

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Small Business Administration's Recovery Capital Loans
The Recovery Capital Loans Program provides financial assistance to small business with less than 500 employees to obtain a deferred payment loan from the agency, in order to meet existing debt payments, thereby giving the business the opportunity to refocus their business strategy.

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Early-Stage Innovative Technology Development for Cancer Research Program
The National Institutes of Health has collaborated with the National Cancer Institute(NCI) in order to establish Early-Stage Innovative Technology Development for Cancer Research Program, wherein both agencies intend to solicit grant applications expressing intents to conduct funded exploratory research projects that concentrate on the inception and development unique, innovative technological advances that could potentially be utilized in the study of cancer.

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Special Research Grants Program - Pest Management Alternatives
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has recently established the Special Research Grants Program - Pest Management Alternatives in an attempt to provide support for the development and implementation of integrated pest management practices, tactics and systems for specific pest problems while at simultaneously reducing human and environmental risks.

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Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health: Integrating Mental Health into Chronic Disease Care Provision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
The National Institutes of Health has recently formed a partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in order to establish the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health: Integrating Mental Health into Chronic Disease Care Provision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Program.

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Exploratory Clinical Trials for Small Business Grant Program
The National Institutes of Health has formed a partnership with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in order to establish the Exploratory Clinical Trials for Small Business Grant Program wherein they aim to establish a vehicle for Small Business Concerns (SBCs) in the process of submitting Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications for exploratory clinical trials directly to the NIND

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How to Get Free Money to Save for Your Child's College Education
Did you know that a college educated person will earn 2.5 times more over a lifetime than someone without a post secondary education? College educated people are more likely to keep their jobs when ...

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