Get Started on Your Proposal

Faculty and staff from all departments must work with the Grants Office in seeking grant opportunities and navigating college grant procedures. Whether your inspiration springs from a specific funding opportunity (e.g., Notice of Funding Availability, Request for Proposals, etc.), a successful model at another institution, or your own experience working with students, you must consider the following to determine if your ideas are the basis for a potential grant proposal:

1. Student Success. How will this project help Seattle Central students succeed? Think about the need the project will address and the evidence/data that demonstrate that need.
2. Mission, Visions and Values and Strategic Plan. Does the project align with the mission, vision and values and the strategic directions and priorities identified in the strategic and operational plans?
3. Division/Department Priorities, Implementation and Responsibilities. Does the project align with the priorities of your division or department? Discuss your ideas with your dean or director to gain their support and help in developing your ideas, as well as to discuss potential barriers to applying for and/or implementing your project. It is important to review the grant/contract checklist (pdf) to understand the responsibilities the project director and department will assume. The project director/primary investigator should be prepared to sign the project director/primary investigator agreement (pdf).
4. College Capacity and Sustainability. Does the college have the capacity to carry out the project if the proposal is successful? Consider the grant’s requirements for staffing, equipment and space. Think about what will happen when the grant funding ends.
5. Partnerships. Will the project require partnerships with other organizations? If so, what will be the role of each organization? The college has specific procedures and monitoring responsibilities (pdf) if federal grant funding is passed through to another entity through a "sub award" and it is important for partners to be aware of these responsibilities early in the grant planning process.
6. Timeliness. Is there enough time to develop your ideas, gather necessary data, get input from colleagues, and write the grant proposal before the submission deadline? Remember that the final project proposal should be ready for review by college administration at least two (2) weeks before the submission due date.

If you are encouraged by the answers to these questions, you are ready to gain institutional support for your project proposal. Contact the Grants Office for guidance and support in the process.

Stephanie Wong
Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives
206.934.4389
Stephanie.Wong@seattlecolleges.edu