 Don't miss Grants Office's Free Webcast on 2007 Intelligent Transportation Systems Funding - Sponsored by Cisco Systems. The Webcast will be held February 1, 2007 at 1PM EST. Register today at https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/453180464!
Sign Up Now to Receive ITS Email Updates! In 2007, nearly $100,000,000 will be available for ITS projects across the US. This site will provide you with information, tips, and updates to help make you more successful at securing earmark funding for your intelligent transportation systems project. Be sure to register for ITS e-mail updates, then take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the site. The News section contains updates and happenings in three categories: ITS Grants News has information about ITS Grants and funding specifically. Other Funding News describes news and events of other transportation-related funding. Funding Developments includes more general state and federal developments that could impact transportation funding. The ITS Grant Program Workshop provides guidance and support to help you along the path to obtaining funds for your ITS project. Cisco Systems ITS Packages include case studies and other helpful information specific to deploying a Cisco ITS solution. In this section, Cisco has included an ITS solution description to jump-start your proposal development. Finally, the Grants Office Resource Guide outlines Grants Office's service offerings and includes a few documents to help you begin planning your grants development strategy. Please note that this site is not intended to replace official guidance that may be available from federal or state governments, but rather to provide grantseekers with valuable know-how based on our years of experience with grants development. In any case, the official guidance provided by the grantmaking agency supercedes any information provided in this site. ITS Grants Workshop Earmark requests are different from grant applications in a number of ways, but there are strategies you can use to make your earmark request more likely to get funded. The pages in this section detail the steps and strategies associated with winning an earmark. Congress provided more than $100 million in funding in 2007. Will your agency get its share this year? ~ Congressional Earmarks: A Quick Guide ~ Congressional Earmarks: Proposal Guide Winning a Congressional Earmark Earmarks are: • Assigned By/For Congress • Broad Latitude in Spending • Primarily to Nonprofits and Municipalities • Funds Are Limited Who is your representative? • Click on http://www.house.gov/ • Enter your zip code or the zip code(s) covered by the proposed project To request an earmark: • Put your proposal in the form of a letter addressed to your Congressman. Format your letter stating that the city/town/village/county is currently seeking funding for the enclosed project to enhance the impact of community policing in the region. Further, request that (s)he consider funding the request from available state homeland security dollars, as it will directly impact the capacity of the department to respond to man-made and non-man-made disasters and emergencies. • Sketch out goals, activities, and budget. • Secure phone conference or face-to-face meeting with your representative(s), at which you'll describe the project. • Be prepared to submit a formal written request, if requested. Additional Tips: • Bring as much broad-based community support as you can to the table, including institutions (such as labor unions or commerce organizations) that have played a role in the rep's election. • Be patient, but persistent. • Ask for funding for the entire project, but be prepared to respond to reduced offer. • Remember that you share a common interest in serving the public, so focus on how the funding you request will improve the health, safety, and security of your shared constituency. Application Forms Earmark requests do not follow traditional grant application procedures, so you will need to be prepared with several documents that you can produce when needed. Here are a few to dos that take the place of application forms in securing your ITS earmark: • Put your proposal in the form of a letter addressed to your Congressman. Format your letter stating that the city/town/village/county is currently seeking funding for the enclosed project to enahnce the impact of community policing in the region. Futher, request that (s)he consider funding the request from available state homeland security dollars, as it will directly impact the capacity of the department to respond to man-made and non-man-made disasters and emergencies.
• Sketch out goals, activities, and budget.
• Secure phone conference or face-to-face meeting with your representative(s), at which you'll describe the project.
• Be prepared to submit a formal written request, if requested.
Approved Uses Since the Congressional Earmark program is primarily a political function, approved uses are broad and largely dependent on locally identified needs. Typically, projects that win earmark funding build upon successful implementations in other communities and address some nationally recognized issue. In this case, the issue may be traffic congestion or emergency response time.
Whatever need the funding addresses, the Representative who will be advocating for your earmark in Congress will want to be sure the project is implemented consistently with available standards. Innovative or undemonstrated approaches to ITS may be funded under the ITS Research and Development program of the Department of Transportation.
Deadline There is no fixed annual deadline for obtaining earmarks, however in order to allow your Representative time to properly advocate for your earmark, you should begin the process no later than February to obtain an earmark for the Federal fiscal year beginning that October. Currently, the ITS Program is going through legislation and is slated for a possible August release. For further information please click here Page Limits The earmark proposal has no specific page limitation, but since Representatives are short on time, it should be concise and efficient. Keep the narrative portion of your proposal under 10 pages, if possible. Once your Representative has decided to pursue an earmark for you, you may also be asked to complete a short form. n.
Award Amounts Earmarks vary from a few thousand to several million dollars. The size of your ITS project will vary based on the size and scope of the implementation. In FY2003, there were over $26 billion dollars in earmarks for various projects.
Decision Time Frames A Congressional Representative’s decision to support an earmark typically comes quickly, within a few weeks of your request. Final confirmation and the funding may take several months to come through. Following are some rough time frames associated with the path your earmark might follow:
1- April-Based on your Representative’s support, the earmark request goes to the Appropriations Committee for review and inclusion in one of the 13 appropriations bills that make up the federal budget.
2- September-The earmarked bill then passes the House (and/or Senate) and is considered in Conference
3- October-The Conference committee passes the final version of the spending bill, and the President signs it into law.
4- November-You are contacted for follow up and contract initiation by the agency assigned to handle the administration of your earmark.
Eligible Applicants ITS Earmarks typically go to state and local municipalities and may include public safety agencies.
FAQ . What makes a good Earmark project?:
* Community-wide benefit
* Involving many community leaders and stakeholders
* Innovative
* Not directly fundable by regular programs to the extent needed
* “Led” by a nonprofit or municipal agency
* Addresses an identified unmet community or social need or gap
. Tips on Washington:
* Keep the staff happy. The
Congressional staff are going to do the
most work on your project, it is in
your best interest to make friends.
* Be prepared. Make sure all necessary
information, including budgets,
architectural plans and program
descriptions are well thought-out and
prepared in advance.
* Use connections. Find out if your
organization has any connections in
Washington and use them!
To find your Representative, visit:
http://www.house.gov/
To find your Senator, visit:
http://www.senate.gov/
Narrative Overview The narrative that you provide for your ITS earmark may be edited by your Congressman, but the following format provides a structure that will allow you to present your information in a concise and meaningful way. Narrative Example
Expressing the Need
Articulating Outcomes
Your Implementation Plan
Future PlansNarrative Example The following narrative includes examples of need, outcomes, implementation, and future plans. For assistance with the budget section, click on Building a Budget See also: Expressing the Need
Articulating Outcomes
Your Implementation Plan
Future Plans
Expressing the Need The need statement of your proposal will drive all the remaining components of your project, including what you hope to achieve and how will implement a plan to address the need. See also:
Articulating Outcomes
Your Implementation Plan
Future Plans
Articulating Outcomes Typically, the outcomes from an ITS project will expressed as the short-term and longer-term results of implementing the ITS solution. See also: Expressing the Need
Your Implementation Plan
Future Plans
Your Implementation Plan A detailed implementation plan functions both to describe your project and to provide a roadmap for implementaion once the funding is awarded. See also: Expressing the Need
Articulating Outcomes
Future Plans
Future Plans Sustainability is a valuable quality of federally-funded programs. Plans for the future of the project will help you establish your project's long-term potential. See also: Expressing the Need
Articulating Outcomes
Your Implementation Plan
Building a Budget This section will provide information and support in creating a clear, documented budget. "Building a Budget" is split into the following: Budget Forms and Narrative Example
Formatting the Budget Narrative
Checking for Consistency
Budget Forms and Narrative Example The following format and narrative example are provided for informational purposes. See also: Formatting the Budget Narrative
Checking for Consistency
Formatting the Budget Narrative Since the earmark budget request doesn't typically have a specified format, you may format your project's budget in any clear way. Grants Office has recommended a traditional format that describes the project in alignment with standard federal budget categories and provides a place to describe any matching funds the grantseeker will provide to the overall project budget. See also: Checking for Consistency Checking for Consistency Errors often occur with the budget, between the budget narrative and forms, and between the budget and the overall project plan. A final check for consistency will avoid confusing your readers and may help avoid diverting attention from the points you are trying to make. See also: Formatting the Budget Narrative . Reference Materials The Department of Transportation's ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) collectes information on ITS and publishes it to a publicly available Web site at http://www.its.dot.gov The JPO also collects reports and studies across ITS topics into a large Benefits/Costs Database, in conjunction with Mitretek Systems, Inc. Printed reports and updates can be ordered by sending an e-mail to itspubs@fhwa.dot.gov. The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) is an association of public and private sector members involved in ITS research and deployment across the country. The following links and resources come from these and other sources. ITS Outcomes Click on the topical area for which you're seeking outcomes: Freeway Management Emergency Management Incident Management Roadway Operations and Maintenance Tips for Writing a Proposal Earmark-Specific Tips • Bring as much broad-based community support as you can to the table, including institutions (such as labor unions or commerce organizations) that have played a role in the rep’s election.
• Be patient, but persistent.
• Ask for funding for the entire project, but be prepared to respond to reduced offer.
• Remember that you share a common interest in serving the public, so focus on how the funding you request will improve the health, safety, and security of your shared constituency.
More Tips Be specific in your budget Most funders have no restrictions or very broad allowances for budget narratives, because they want to see specifically what you plan to buy with grant funds. Be as specific as you can, with some justification for estimates you will inevitably have to make.
Be judicious in involving others in your project
It may seem like a good idea to include as many officials and partners as possible in your project, but be sure each partner you have contributes to the project in a meaningful way.
Make sure your letters of support for the project demonstrate real commitment
Like pieces to a puzzle, your support letters should document the commitment of the project collaborators toward meeting all the objectives and milestones of the project.
Be sure your narrative and budget are consistent
Everything in the budget should be justified in the narrative. Generally, you'll also want to explain, either in the project narrative or budget narrative, why you chose to use one approach, solution, or technology over another.
Customize each proposal
Although certain funding sources may have similar guidelines and your project plan may be the same for the sources you're applying to, build each proposal based on what you know (and what you can learn) about the funder or program.
Specify Who will do What by When and Why
Include a detailed workplan in your narrative that identifies responsibilities and timelines for each activity and that connects each activity to one or more of the objectives you have articulated in the proposal.
Use statistics to document need
Statistics are available from a variety of sources, and they help justify the need you will use to build a case for support. The statistics you use may be general, as in census data, or specific to your field, such as fire metrics.
Make your objectives measurable and realistic
If at all possible, avoid broad, unfocused objectives. Instead, try to focus on specific, realistic outcomes that will result from implementing the project you propose. The objectives should be measurable within a certain time frame, so you will know whether you have been successful at meeting certain objectives by a certain date.
Learn all you can about the funder before you submit a proposal
Attend bidders' conferences and call the funder program staff to make sure you understand what the program is all about. Most funding programs have personalities, aspects common to all funded projects. Get to know the personalities of the grant programs to which you intend to apply.
Submit good reports on time
Funders at all levels spend a great deal of time tracking down reports from their awardees. Even if the results of your project are not great, submit your reports on time. In doing so, you'll begin to build a good working relationship with the funder. Most funders understand that many issues can influence the successful achievement of your project objectives, but they all frown on failing to file complete reports on time.
Help Desk The Grants Office Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 9AM-5PM EST for organizations currently engaged with Grants Office. You can reach the Help Desk by phone at 585-473-1430 or by e-mail at info@grantsoffice.com. ITS Grants Packages ITS uses technologies such as Cisco routers, fiber-optic cable, cameras, dynamic message signs and roadway sensors, that make traveling safer and quicker. Through these system, traffic can be monitored and transportation operation center employees can remotely type and post messages on dynamic message signs, from a centralized operations center, to alert drivers to real-time traffic conditions.
The ITS System performs numerous additional functions such as traffic and accident surveillance and reporting. This helps the police, fire and ambulance departments determine if and how much assistance is needed. In all, ITS is expected to deliver tremendous benefits by decreasing accidents, increasing highway capacity and decreasing emergency response times. Cisco Systems is making it possible for communties across the country to leverage the power of the network to realize these and other benefits, some of which are evident immediately, and others that are visible over time. Solution Descriptions Cisco Systems and Grants Office have developed a series of solution descriptions designed to jump-start your ITS earmark request. These documents contain content and ideas that could provide a framework for your request. Further, tips for each section help you brainstorm the local needs and priorities with which a successful request will align. Detailed Solution Descriptions Click on a link to download the solution descriptions you would like: ITS Internet Protocol (IP) Video Security Mobility and Mobile Network Access Introduction to Solution Descriptions
The solution descriptions above are intended to assist you in preparing a grant application or earmark request for a project that includes a Cisco solution. Feel free to use the narrative wording either as it is or edited to reflect your personal or organizational style. The information in this document is broken down into small modules so that you can use it in as wide a variety of contexts as possible.
Unlike a “grant template,” this description provides basic information about the solution, segmented into headings that align with the types of information generally required in proposal narratives, including Need, Approach, Outcomes, Activities, and Future Funding. Based on the information required by the funder or your Representative, you should easily find project-specific wording that will enhance your narrative, while still leaving room for you to articulate local needs, policies and strategies that will ultimately make the proposal narrative a relevant roadmap for administering your funded project. Tips for filling out these sections are included under each heading. Unless the funder specifically states that the structure of the proposal is entirely at the applicant’s discretion (as is sometimes the case with foundation grants), it is important to understand and follow the narrative format required by the funder. Use the headings from your solution description as guidance in position certain types of information. For example, a funder’s section entitled, “Need for project” clearly associates with the solution description heading, “Need.” A more ambiguous narrative section like, “Significance” may require some thought and further reading to determine which solution description headings ought to be included in that section. Over the course of preparing a grant application, though, you’re likely to use all, or nearly all, of the headings in the solution description, in addition to substantial documentation of your own local needs, objectives, and capacity. Why Cisco? Cisco Systems has created a comprehensive ITS solution, harnessing the power of the network for advanced traffic management. Much more information is available on the Cisco Web site. You can also find two Cisco ITS Case Studies below: Kansas City Scout ITS California Department of Transportation Traffic Management Center For information on how ITS is improving public safety, check out the following: Cisco Intelligent Roadways Integrates Systems to Increase Security, Improve Operations, and Reduce Costs "Public Safety Networks in Motion" To help give you a head start in preparing your earmark request, Cisco and Grants Office have teamed up to provide you with a series of content-rich ITS-related Solution DescriptionsContact Cisco Rep for Pricing & Configuration Of course, the best person to contact for detailed information on an ITS solution that's right for your agency is your Cisco Representative. If you don't have a Cisco contact, Cisco maintains a detailed contact page on its Web site. For more information on how to engage Cisco for your project, or for information on how to reach a local Cisco representative, contact Cisco. To locate address, phone, fax and email information for Cisco offices worldwide, click on: Office Locations.
Use the Partners & Resellers Locator to find Cisco partners and resellers that are closest to your geographical location. Grants Office Resource Guide Grants Office has services to meet the grants development needs of any organization or municipality. For more information, click on: www.grantsoffice.com Federal and State Grants Information Resources Grants.gov, the Federal source for grants information: www.grants.gov The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: www.cfda.gov State Government Home Pages: www.firstgov.gov Grants Office Services Grants Office, LLC provides innovative grants development services that enable corporations, municipalities and non-profit organizations to maximize their grant initiatives and develop more strategic and integrated processes for seeking, managing and administering grants. We provide research and advisory services to organizations looking for grant funding directly and to for-profit enterprises that provide products and solutions to the public sector. Our consultants focus on proven ways of developing integrated grant programs by leveraging our years of experience in creating long-term grantseeking strategies.
Based in Rochester, NY Grants Office has a unique business model that incorporates the company's strong history of grant consulting and unique approach to grant funding, enabling it to build a truly credible bridge between public sector business needs, vendor solutions and the funding necessary for program and solution success. Grants Office's growing customer base is a testament to the business and the quality of its services.
Grants Office focuses on providing both for-profit and nonprofit clients with the solutions necessary to manage and grow their specific grant development programs. Our solutions allow our clients to execute their grant strategies efficiently by reducing cost, lowering their risk and shrinking the typical investment of time and resources needed.
Based on the idea that grants development is an integrated system made up of four key areas; Intelligence (research), Training, Support, and Proposal development; Grants Office offers our clients a systematic approach to securing grant funding. Leveraging a proven, systematic approach allows our clients to build upon an existing grants development infrastructure or embark on implementation of a completely new grants development program.
Grants Office provides a wide range of services encompassing all facets of successful grants development programs. In combination with one another or leveraged unto themselves each of our solutions plays a pivotal role in building and executing a robust grants development program.
Some of our solutions:
Intelligence (research) – custom grant program research, online grants database, grants development portal, program solution alignment, and annual grant planning.
Training – general grant process training, specific grant program training and national speaking engagements.
Support – web and phone based grants development help desk, grant program website development, and grant application review and editing.
Proposal Development – grant writing, program solution narratives, and grant application development
General Grants Development – outsourced grants development infrastructure, organizational needs assessment, grant strategy development, and organizational process implementation. Contact Grants Office Contact Cisco Systems Cisco maintains a detailed contact page on its Web site. For more information on how to engage Cisco for your project, or for information on how to reach a local Cisco representative, contact Cisco. Contact Grants Office Grants Office provides grants development support to municipalities, non-profit organizations, and industry partners through a variety of customized services. To find out how Grants Office can help you, contact Grants Office: On the Web: www.grantsoffice.com Phone: 585-473-1430 Fax: 585-473-1436 E-mail: info@grantsoffice.com Snail Mail: 25 Canterbury Road, Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14607 5 Easy Steps for Grant Submission 1 - Who is your representative? Click on http://www.house.gov/ and enter your zip code or the zip code(s) covered by the proposed project. 2 - Request an earmark: Put your proposal in the form of a letter addressed to your Congressman. Format your letter stating that the city/town/village/county is currently seeking funding for the enclosed project to enhance the impact of community policing in the region. Further, request that (s)he consider funding the request from available state homeland security dollars, as it will directly impact the capacity of the department to respond to man-made and non-man-made disasters and emergencies. Tips on Addressing Correspondence 3 - Sketch out goals, activities, and budget. 4 - Secure phone conference or face-to-face meeting with your representative(s), at which you'll describe the project. 5 - Be prepared to submit a formal written request, if requested. Status The status of the funding opportunity detailed in this site corresponds to where the funding is in the process of making its way to the ultimate recipients of the funding. Definitions of Grant Status Grants Office defines grant status using five terms- pending, appropriated, open, closed, and special. We define these terms as follows: Pending Pending programs are those that we expect to be offered in the coming year, based on: * Past years' program history, * Political support for the program, and/or * News from Capitol Hill that funding for the program will be appropriated. However, if a program is identified as "Pending," no funds have yet been appropriated for it. To learn more about the status of a particular Federal appropriation, visit the Library of Congress's Thomas Web Site. Note that when a grant's status is listed as "Pending," the deadline we list, though based on our best information, is subject to change until it is "Open," and an official deadline is published by the administering agency. Appropriated Once funding for a program has been appropriated by Congress and signed into law by the President, its status changes to "Appropriated." Appropriated programs have a budget but have not yet been officially announced by the administring agency. Official announcement (generally in grants.gov, the federal grants information portal) defines what is required of funding applicants, including narrative, budget, and submission guidelines. Open Official announcement of a grant program by the administering agency creates an "open" grant program...and the clock really begins ticking! The official Request for Proposals (or RFP, which may also be called a NOFA, "Notice of Funds Availability," or RFA, "Request for Applications," among other things) provides the first public glimpse into the current application requirements and fixed deadline. Closed Once a program's application deadline has passed, it is "closed," meaning the administering agency is no longer accepting applications. Since many grant programs are offered each fiscal year, the status could well shift back to "Pending" as the program undergoes consideration for inclusion in the next federal budget. Special "Special" status is currently used to describe earmark funding programs, because they have loose, informal time frames and do not follow many of the rules that govern traditional grant programs. The deadlines we provide for grants in "Special" status are intended to communicate when we believe, based on our experiences, are the best times to submit requests for these types of funding. They are not based on official guidance or published opportunities. For earmarks, it is most important to follow the advise of your Representative with respect to timing and organizing your request. Success Story WyDOT making I-80 safer November 21, 2004--The Wyoming Department of Transportation has been implementing a number of elements as part of the Intelligent Transportation System along Interstate 80 to make the road more user friendly. The project, which will cost $3.7 million, added 10 message signs as well as three cameras for WyDOT use and additional lighting at some exits on the pass. Click here to read the entire article from the Laramie Boomerang Online, Wyoming. City Awarded Grant To Improve Traffic Flow LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2004 -- Inglewood was awarded a grant for the city to improve traffic flow, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, announced Friday. The $269,994 grant is for the city's Intelligent Transportation Systems Deployment Project. "I am pleased that the Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation have recognized the importance of this project," Waters said. "The ITS project will go a long way in improving the flow of traffic throughout the city and improve the quality of life for its residents," Waters said. Source: NBC4.TV, Los Angeles MassHighway is Watching You March 14, 2004 -- Paul from Stoneham is one of the many people who want to know: ''What are those long poles being installed on 93 between Stoneham and, who knows, the [New Hampshire] border?" He's referring to the poles with rectangular solar panels on top that began appearing along state roads in January. ''My guess," he wrote, ''is that it monitors speed of traffic flow. But, if I am right, where does the info go and how is it used? If I'm wrong, what are they for?" Judith Forman, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Highway Department, said that, indeed, the space-age looking poles are part of a new ''Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Program" in this and a handful of other states. In an effort to standardize traffic data, the state expects to have 63 sensors in place by April. The sensors will measure traffic volume, speed levels, number of vehicles in the different lanes, and the type of vehicles -- such as motorcycles and trucks -- on the roads. The data are sent via a wireless Internet connection to the company in Pennsylvania that makes the sensors, Mobility Technologies. They sort through the data there; then MassHighway taps into the network to collect information on local roads. Forman said the state hopes the data will allow quicker response to trouble spots and a better understanding of how certain roads are used. The data are also expected to help secure federal assistance for local roads, thanks to more accurate road counts. She said Mobility Technologies will allow other public agencies, such as regional planning groups and other state agencies, to access this information for free and will sell the data to private companies. The program in Massachusetts will cost $3 million. The federal government will pay $2 million of that, the state highway department will pay $500,000, and Mobility Technologies will contribute $500,000 in hardware. Source: Boston Globe |
