management

Five Crucial Aspects of Grant Management

You have been awarded the grant that you so diligently developed. There is no question that everyone on your team is elated, but now the hard work of implementing and managing the grant begins. If you start immediately, the task will go smoothly. If, on the other hand, you wait, serious issues can occur that… read more

confused

Why You Should Not Hire an External Grant Writer

If you do not want the implementation phase of your proposal to suffer, do not hire a grant writer. Earlier in my career I served as a grant writer on a contractual basis for various organizations as well as wrote many grants for the institutions where I was an employee. I was hired because I… read more

support

Justifying Your Proposal: The Budget

I often hear over and over again how difficult it is to create a budget. In many ways I can understand that this is a problem, as most grants are about specific ideas and will need a budget figure. It is difficult to budget ideas; thus, many people struggle with this particular part of the… read more

not your money

Whose Money Is It, Anyway?

“You’re taking my money away from me!” the Project Director cried. He glared at me with contempt while I explained our institution’s position. A grant for which he was the PI had met all of its programmatic goals a few months early, and a progress report had been sent to the sponsor. Although satisfied with… read more

Hiding from and Audit

Surviving an Audit: How to be Ready

For grantees, an audit can mean life or death for a project. The word “audit” has the ability to put even the most well-organized administration team on edge. I have had the good fortune to be part of an organization that went to great lengths to be prepared for audits. I have also been part… read more