1	Supportive Professional Staff Development Grant Writing Seminar
2	Outline Purpose of the grants Eligibility Activities Supported Activities Not Supported Deadlines and Duration Proposal Requirements Proposal Details Proposal Preparation Some Clarifications Grant Review Process Final Report
3	Purpose of the Grants To support new learning related to professional development, and job or career redirection related training that benefit SPS and their units Development grant activities must be Unique to the responsibilities of SPS Workshops or training programs Beneficial to applicant’s department Unavailable at NIU
4	Eligibility Must have completed as SPS 2 years of employment at least at 50% at NIU Demonstrated interest in professional growth benefiting one’s department Must not be retiring the year following funding Individuals or departments can apply to benefit SPS Can apply for a maximum of $1,000
5	Activities Supported Attending job-related Training programs Workshops Conferences Institutes that are not available at NIU Arranging Workshops or training programs for a group of SPS at NIU through invited presenters
6	Activities Not Supported Salaries and stipends Purchase of items Tuition for courses or completing a degree Professional society memberships/meetings Training programs available from NIU Several SPS applying to attend the same program at the same time outside Same program for which a grant was awarded to the applicant before Regular work activities that must be supported by applicant’s units
7	Deadlines and Duration Two grant cycles per year January to June July to December Deadlines for proposal submission April for July – December cycle November for January – June cycle Funds must be spent within the 6-month period of the grant award Cannot carry funds to next fiscal year
8	Proposal Requirements Five copies of each proposal with the following should be submitted: Proposal cover sheet Proposal (not exceeding 5 pages) Project Description Project Benefits Project Schedule Proposed budget Letter of support from supervisor Attachments as necessary
9	Proposal Details Project description can be 2 or 3 paragraphs and address the following: What is the proposed activity? What are the objectives? Why is it needed? Why does it require funding from this grant instead of your own department? How is this activity related to your professional development goals?
10	Proposal Details (Cont.) Project Benefits Identify the outcomes Identify the benefits to you, your unit and/or NIU Identify how the benefits will be assessed and reported This section can be a list of anticipated benefits of your activity
11	Proposal Details (Cont.) Project Schedule List of activities and completion date Activities must be completed within the funding cycle (Jan-June or July-Dec) Other activities can be completed within the following six-month period Include actual dates of workshops or training programs Must be realistic
12	Proposal Details (Cont.) Proposed budget Expense items must be itemized Expenses must be related to the activity Funds requested must not exceed $1,000 Attach paperwork to show the cost of the expense items when possible Some expense items can be estimates Cash or in-kind matching from your unit is not required but encouraged Smaller request has better chances
13	Proposal Details (Cont.) Letter of support Must be from your immediate supervisor Should indicate his/her support of your proposed development activities Can include a statement of matching contributions, if any Attachments (examples) Brochure describing a workshop Registration form showing fees
14	Proposal Preparation Step 1. Analyze the need Analyze your responsibilities Identify a new learning or skill that can benefit your position and your unit You are assigned a new role You are assigned a new responsibility You need job-related training Make sure the need is related to your professional development
15	Proposal Preparation (Cont.) Step 2. Plan for development Decide on what to learn and how to apply the new learning Make sure the new learning is not available at NIU Discuss the plan with your supervisor and get support Do not apply for this grant if you can get funds from your unit Apply for this grant if you cannot get funds from your unit for a valid reason
16	Proposal Preparation (Cont.) Step 3. Identify the benefits What are the outcomes of your activity? e.g. obtaining a particular training needed to perform a job-related responsibility What are the benefits of your activity? e.g. your job performance or unit is improved as a result of the activity How will the benefits be measured or realized? e.g. improved performance, client satisfaction
17	Proposal Preparation (Cont.) Step 4. Develop a budget Identify the expense items Estimate the cost of each item Get paperwork on costs (e.g., brochures) Make sure the amount requested from the grant is within the $1,000 maximum If yes, prepare the proposal If no, make sure the additional expenses can be covered by other sources or redesign the development activity
18	Proposal Preparation (Cont.) Step 5. Prepare the proposal Step 1 should provide enough information to prepare the project description section Steps 2 - 4 should give enough information to prepare the project schedule, benefits, and budget Next prepare the proposal cover sheet and obtain letter of support Make 5 copies of the entire document
19	Some Clarifications Grant funds can be used only for program registration, travel expenses or speaker fees Checks cannot be issued directly to recipients and expenses reimbursed One cycle funded by HRS and another cycle funded by Faculty Development solely from its operating budget Grants are not funded from any special sources, allocations or endowments A total of only $3,000 is available for each funding cycle
20	Grant Review Process Proposals are Reviewed by the SPS Awards Committee Not reviewed by Faculty Development Evaluated on the criteria mentioned in the call for proposals Selected based on ranking and budget Sometimes partially funded due to budget constraints Given lower priority if applicant was funded for the previous cycle or year
21	Final Report A final report is required within 60 days after completing the activity The final report submission is through a simple online form that requires Description of activities Implementation Benefits/Outcomes Impact on NIU
22	Additional Information Use the sample proposal available on the Faculty Development Website Do not take it personally if your proposal is declined Proposals can be declined due to budget constraints Use this grant writing experience to write proposals for external funding sources Good luck with your development activities Feel free to contact us with questions Thank you!