U.S. Government Funding Sources

Government support is about 300 percent greater than private support with the U.S. Federal government being the largest grantor in the world. Most federal government grants are projects relevant to the funding agency. The government accepts both solicited and unsolicited proposals.

• A solicited proposal is in response to a formal government agencies program announcement.
• An unsolicited proposal is prepared and submitted by an institution on its own initiative. Before preparing an unsolicited proposal contact the government agency's program officer to determine if preparation of a formal proposal is appropriate; are funds available, are they interested in the topic, etc.

INFORMATION ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a government-wide compendium of all 1,368 Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. These programs provide grants, loans, services, information, scholarships, training, insurance, etc., to millions of Americans everyday. The catalog is updated every six months in June and December.
• Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered the United States federal government.  This site allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies.

CONTACTING GOVERNMENT FUNDING SOURCES

Begin with a telephone call or an email to the government agency and request to speak with a program officer. Convey a positive attitude about IEEE and the project. Be prepared to discuss IEEE, your association with the organization, and the project. Once you have obtained initial interest in the project begin asking the following questions:

• Would you or someone on your staff be willing to review the proposal before the deadline
• What will the average grant award be this year?
• What is the most common mistake in the proposals you receive?
• Would you explain the review/evaluation process to me?
• Do you have any recommendations related to how to write the proposal?
• Would you recommend a previously funded proposal for us to read?