APST 640
Community-Based Research & Grant Writing
1. Catalog Entry
APST 640
Community-Based Research & Grant Writing
Credit hours (3)
Prerequisites: APST 610 & 620, or instructor permission
Provides education professionals, business and health professionals, and community organizers with the knowledge and skills essential to writing grant proposals. Engages these professionals in the analysis and development of a variety of research-based and place-based grant writing from state, federal, and foundation funding sources. Students will acquire the skills necessary to develop a full grant proposal in response to a request for proposal (RFP/RFA) with the intention of submitting it to a funding agency for consideration. The focus of the grant development efforts will be used to complement a place-based approach.
2. Detailed Description of Course
List topics or major units; include subtopics under major units, if appropriate.
1) Needs Assessment and Community-based Research
a. What are the needs of your community?
b. How, if at all, can these needs be partially or completely addressed through
grant funding?
c. How, if at all, can your community sustain and/scale the grant funded initiative
after the close
of the grant period?
2) Sources of grant funding
a. Federal and state
b. Foundation and corporate
3) Grant Search Engines
a. pivot.cos.com
b. grant.gov
c. foundationcenter.org/findfunders
d. donorschoose.org
4) Matching your community’s needs with funders’ priorities
5) Critically reading RFPs and RFAs
6) Reviewing the literature
7) Building a team and networking
8) Analyzing grant review panel rubrics
a. E.g., National Science Foundation
9) Writing the proposal
10)Submitting the proposal
a. E.g., Fastlane
11)Receiving feedback and following up
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Students may research, analyze, and develop grant proposals that address community-based needs (e.g., classroom, district, nonprofit service outreach, entrepenuerial endeavors, community wellness, etc.). Students may present their grant proposal ideas and products via micro-teaching and classroom presentations to explore specific grant writing methods and the most appropriate contexts and approaches for their grant proposal ideas. Throughout this course, the students may compile and archive their proposals and corresponding research on their personal electronic professional portfolio, which will serve as an archive for future grant writing efforts and as artifacts for reflection on learning growth. Students may research and apply how grant writing can be used to support diverse community needs. Students will participate in variety of assignments and assessments focused on hands-on grant proposal development and submission. The instructor will use some combination of lectures, hands-on activities, media, guest speakers, discussions, and projects to help participants understand the strengths and limits of grant proposal development to address community-based needs.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Having successfully completed this course, the student will develop the following
skills and knowledge:
1) Know, understand, and use the major concepts, principles, theories, and research
related to
grant writing to develop a proposal that addresses a community-based need;
2) Know, understand, and use knowledge of various search engines to identify appropriate
funding opportunities. This includes researching and identifying the community-based
needs
that might be addressed through grant funding;
3) Demonstrate an ability to write a competitive proposal using the various approaches,
and an
understanding of strengths and limitations of each approach relative to existing
rubrics
and review panel criteria;
4) Demonstrate technological proficiency in written assignments, instructional
planning, and
micro-teaching assignments, and presentations.
5. Assessment Measures
Include but are not limited to the following keys tasks:
1) Research and develop grant proposals to address a specific community-based
need.
2) Populate a Digital portfolio (NCATE assessment) with the research, proposals,
and
presentations resulting from the grant proposal development related to this
class.
Additionally, instructors may choose additional assessment measures from the following:
1) Written and verbal responses to case studies.
2) Small group projects related to best-practices instruction.
3) Class participation in discussion (both face-to-face and online) and small
group activities.
4) A research paper related to course content.
5) Periodic quizzes and/or tests including mid-term and/or final examinations
related to course
content.
6. Other Course Information
Examples: Bibliography of readings relevant to the course, special teaching aids, and any other information not contained in one of the above sections.
Review and Approval
February 15, 2013