Grant-Writing Support

Step 1: Work with your Dean 

Begin by working with your dean to determine if the grant is a small area-specific grant or a grant with impacts beyond one area. (See corresponding areas below on this webpage for more information.)

Step 2: Notify PRIE

Notify PRIE of your intent to write a grant before starting to write. This will allow the PRIE office to help as needed as you work through the grant-writing process.

Step 3: Make Collegial Contacts

Contact people who may be affected by the grant. Make sure that everyone who needs to know is informed. The appropriate Vice President should be included in the collegial contacts. You may need to contact individuals at other LRCCD colleges.

Step 4: Technical Reviews

This step is different for small local grants and for major college-wide grants.

For area-specific grant with local effects (departmental technical review):

• Conduct a departmental technical review of the grant. Include a review of the benefits of the grant for the college, the impacts of the grant activities on budgets, administrative processes, staffing, student services, curriculum, information technology, facilities, etc., and the “fit” of the grant activities to the department and college mission and goals.
• Decide whether to pursue the grant.

For major grant with college-wide impacts (full technical review and Vice President review):

• Submit a grant summary/ abstract and impact checklist to the PRIE office for a full technical review. Briefly address the following:
  • Need or problem being addressed (including how the need is currently being met)
  • List of grant activities and the SCC areas involved in each grant activity
  • Community (academic or business) partners included
  • Relationship to ongoing or past activities
  • Plan for sustaining grant activities after the grant period
  • Demonstrated eligibility for the grant
• After the technical review by the PRIE office, there will be a review by the college Vice Presidents and/ or President. They will make a recommendation about whether to pursue the grant and help identify a broad grant-writing team if one is needed.

Step 5: Begin Writing & Submit Budget

Begin writing the full grant proposal.

Submit your proposed grant budget to the District Fiscal Services as early as possible and before the final draft is completed. Fiscal Services will check that salaries are consistent with the appropriate pay scale and that benefits are included at the correct percentage. 

Step 6: Written Consents

Obtain a written consent for any in-kind or reimbursed labor required or implied by the grant.

Examples are:

• Responsible administrator time
• Faculty release time
• Secretarial support
• Research staff support
• Information Technology staff support
• Operations/ Facilities
• Maintenance time for installation of furniture, equipment, etc.

Step 7: Submit Grant Proposal

Submit a final copy of the proposal along with the grant guidelines to the PRIE office one week prior to the grant deadline. PRIE will prepare the required forms for the district, obtain the president’s signature, and ensure delivery of the grant to the district office. Once this is complete, submit the proposal to the granting agency and the grant-writing duties are now complete.

Next Steps

When you hear from the granting agency concerning its decision about your grant proposal, notify the PRIE office promptly with an award/ denial letter and the PRIE office will assist you with the next steps in the grant process.

Consult the Grants Handbook for guidance for more information concerning the grant-writing process and administrative items to be aware of beyond the grant-writing phase, as there may be additional paperwork you must submit to District Office as you are implementing the grant.

Planning Stage

• Develop an overview of proposed grant activities.
• Discuss with Department Chair and Division Dean. This discussion will help determine the impact of the grant activities on the department and division and suggest who to contact outside of the area.
• Conduct collegial contacts with the people and offices that will be affected by the grant (including the appropriate Vice President). This is a critical step that is often somewhat neglected. Try to be sure that all departments, and their deans, that may be at all affected by the grant activities are included, even indirectly.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Stage

• Prepare full grant proposal including the narrative, tasks and timeline, budget, etc.
• Submit budget to district office for review
• Submit proposal to the PRIE office with the grant submission form (green sheet) for analysis, tracking, and signatures
• District Office processes grant submission form (green sheet)
• Submit proposal to granting agency

Planning Stage

• Develop an overview of proposed grant activities
• Discuss with Department Chair and Division Dean. This discussion will help determine the impact of the grant activities on the department and division and suggest who to contact outside of the area
• Conduct collegial contacts with the people and offices that will be affected by the grant (including the appropriate Vice President). This is a critical step that is often somewhat neglected. Try to be sure that all departments, and their deans, that may be at all affected by the grant activities are included, even indirectly.

Review Stage

• Submit a summary/ abstract of the project and a grant impact statement to the PRIE office for a technical review.
• The PRIE office sends grant summary and technical review notes to the appropriate Vice President or the President for review. You may be asked for additional information. A recommendation is made about whether or not to pursue the grant.
• If needed, a grant-writing team will be identified.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Stage

• Prepare full grant proposal including the narrative, tasks and timeline, budget, etc.
• Submit budget to district office for review
• Submit proposal to the PRIE office with the grant submission form (green sheet) for analysis, tracking, and signatures
• District Office processes grant submission form (green sheet)
• Submit proposal to granting agency