Important Reminders

Grants.gov proposals must be submitted ONE WEEK prior to the agency’s posted deadline.  This advance submission will allow time to correct any errors that may be detected by the agency.

Program announcements for Department of Education tend to vary widely, so please read the specific guidelines for your project THOROUGHLY before getting started.  Also, please double-check the notice in the Federal Register, as instructions there may supersede any others.

Format Specifications for All Files

please check funding announcement

Font

Use TIMES NEW ROMAN, COURIER, COURIER NEW or ARIAL.  Applications in any other font will not be accepted.

Text must be double spaced (no more than 3 lines per vertical inch) in the application narrative (usually excluding titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, tables, and graphs – please see specific program guidelines to be sure).

Page limitations vary widely, depending on the funding opportunity.  Please read the guidelines carefully to determine the applicable page limitations.

Below is a list of standard files that need to be sent to the Proposal Administrator to complete the Grants.gov submission:

Abstract (if applicable)

The abstract narrative must not exceed one double-spaced page in 12-point (or larger) font.  Use language that can be understood by a wide range of audiences.

Read program specific guidelines for detail on what should be contained in the abstract.

The budget narrative should provide a detailed description of all expenditures necessary to carry out the proposed project, and a justification of how the money requested is intended to be spent.

Project Narrative

The Table of Contents (if applicable) will be part the project narrative (should not exceed one double-spaced page).  The project narrative (page limits vary, please check guidelines) will be uploaded as one file.

GEPA Statement

The Dept. of Education’s General Education Provisions Act, Section 427, requires that all applicants for new awards must include information in their applications to address this new provision in order to receive funding.  The GEPA Statement should provide a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its  Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. The required statement must be uploaded as a separate file in the Grants.gov application package. 

Appendices

Any resumes/biosketches, letters of support, job descriptions, etc. will need to be uploaded separately from the text.  (Allowable appendix material varies, please check guidelines.)

Budget Information

The Proposal Administrator will prepare and upload the budget into Grants.gov.  Please communicate your budget information to him or her early in the process.          

All Department of Education budget requirements remain the same.  Both an itemized budget and a detailed budget narrative are required.

If subcontracts are involved, detailed budget information will be needed from them before the total budget can be finalized.

*ED Form SF424
*Detailed budget and justification

*Statement of work
Resume/biosketch
ED Form 80-0014 (Certification Regarding Debarment – Lower Tier Transactions)

*These items need to be mailed in hard-copy format from the subcontracting institution to Texas A&M Research Foundation.

Human Subjects Narrative

If the project will involve human subjects, there are several questions that must be addressed in a narrative section.   These questions are listed on the last page of instructions for the ED 424 cover page.  If this applies to your project and you need this form, please ask your PA.

AFTER THE PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED

• The Signing Official (SO) will receive an e-mail from Grants.gov with the tracking number.
  
  
• Once the proposal is sent by Grants.gov to Department of Education, it will be reviewed and a notice will be sent to the SO.
   If there are validation errors with the application package it will be rejected.  If this e-mail is received after the proposal’s deadline, it will be too late to correct the errors.  The early submission will allow time to make all corrections before the agency deadline.