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Grants General Information

TYPES OF 
ASSISTANCE:

 Discretionary Research and Demonstration Project Grants/Cooperative Agreements. Grants.gov logo

RANGE AND AVERAGE 
OF GRANT AWARDS:

 $20,000 to $4,000,000.  Figures may vary with type of program.

PURPOSE:

 Grants are awarded for innovative research and demonstrations which add to existing knowledge and improve methods and techniques for the management, administration, and effectiveness of SSA programs. Grant funds may not be used for construction or major renovation of buildings.

OBJECTIVES:

 (1) To conduct social, economic, and demographic research on topics important to the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs and the current and future well-being of their beneficiaries; and (2) to develop and carry out experiments and research demonstration projects to determine the efficacy of: (a) alternative ways of rehabilitating beneficiaries and encouraging their return to work; and (b) modifying conditions applicable to such beneficiaries including: (i) the trial work period; (ii) early referral for rehabilitation services; and (iii) greater use of employers and others in the rehabilitation and placement process.

EXAMPLES OF 
FUNDED PROJECTS:

 (1)Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach to SSI/SSDI Beneficiaries ; (2) Protection and Advocacy Services for SSI/SSDI Beneficiaries;(3) Trends and Differences in Health and Ability to Work; (4) Changes in the Economic Status of Aged and Disabled Beneficiaries and their Correlates; (5) How the Elderly Become Poor: The Economic Circumstances of Aged Women with Special Attention to Widows and Divorcees; (6) Immigration, Fertility and the Future American Work Force; (7) SSI Outreach Demonstration Program for Aged, Blind and Disabled; (8) Hispanic Disability SSI Outreach; (9) SSI Outreach for the Severely Mentally Ill; (10) Benefits Assistance Program for HIV-Infected Individuals; (11) Educating Special Education Students about the work incentives program; and Disability Research Institute.

APPLICANT 
ELIGIBILITY: 

 Applicants applying for grant funds may include State and local governments, educational institutions, hospitals, and nonprofit and profit organizations. Private individuals are not eligible to apply for support under the existing SSA research and demonstration grant programs. Profit organizations may apply with the understanding that no grant funds may be paid as profit to grant recipients. Profit is considered any amount in excess of the allowable costs of the grant recipient. A profit organization is a corporation or other legal entity which is organized or operated for the profit or benefit of its shareholders or other owners and must be distinguishable or legally separable from that of an individual acting on his/her own behalf.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

When grant opportunities are available, SSA usually publishes a notice in the Federal Register. Applications are to be submitted through www.grants.gov  for all programs. For those without Internet access, application packages are available from SSA when there is an open Federal Register announcement soliciting grant applications. The application shall be executed by an individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization and who will assume the obligations imposed by the terms and conditions of the grant. At least three independent reviewers prepare written assessments of each program-relevant grant application. Applications found irrelevant to program objectives are returned to the applicants.

The Federal government-wide www.grants.gov  website is to be used for the completion and submission of SSA grant/cooperative agreement applications. The steps required for an organization to make use of Grants.gov are explained on the Grants.gov website under the "Get Registered" option. The steps include:

1. Find Grant Opportunity for Which You Would Like to Apply
2. Download an Application Package
3. Register Your Organization
4. Register Yourself as an AOR
5. Get Yourself Authorized as an AOR
6. Log on to Grants.gov to submit application

Steps 3 through 5 are to be done one time for all future grant application submissions with the Federal government. Steps 3 - 5 may take up to 14 days to complete. Therefore, organizations are strongly encouraged to complete these steps NOW. The application completion steps 1 & 2 are totally separate from the registration steps 3 - 5.

Tips:

Step 2: Adobe Reader version 8.1.1 software needs to be installed on the Personal Computer of each individual who will work on the grants.gov application form, as well as the authorized representative who will be submitting the application. This software can be downloaded and installed from the grants.gov website. The Adobe software needs to be installed before downloading the application.

Step 3: Register Your Organization: Be sure to complete the CCR registration worksheet ahead of time. Also, when registering be sure to enter the E-Biz Point of Contact and MPIN information.

Step 4: Register Yourself as an AOR: The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), whose name appears in block 21 of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, is the person who should be submitting the application. This authorized representative is the sole individual who needs to obtain a credential and then register them self in Grants.gov. This step cannot be done until the CCR registration of your organization is complete and active.

Step 5: Get Yourself Authorized as an AOR: The applicant organization's E-Biz Point of Contact person must log into grants.gov to authorize the AOR to have "submit application" privileges. The E-Biz person uses the DUNS number and MPIN to log in.

Step 6: Application submission will not be possible unless steps 3 - 5 have been completed. Step 5 is not complete until the AOR receives an email from grants.gov saying they have been authorized by the E-Biz person to have submit privileges. Application submission requires the submitting AOR to enter the username and password from registering with the Credential Provider.

The Grants.gov Registration Brochure provides an explanation of the application process.

If you have problems which cannot be resolved with the Grants.gov support staff at support@grants.gov , 1-800-518-4726, and these problems prevent the submission of your application through Grants.gov, you may contact the SSA Grants Management Team for assistance.

COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS: 

 Grantees are most often required to share the cost of projects. Generally, cost sharing ranges from 5 to 25 percent of total project costs. 

DEADLINES:

 Closing dates for receipt of grant applications are published in the Federal Register announcement (usually 60 - 90 days after date of publication in the Federal Register).

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING 
PROPOSALS:

 Generally, applications are evaluated on the following criteria: (1) adequacy of project design; (2) relevance of the activity to the objectives of the program; (3) qualifications of personnel; (4) adequate facilities to conduct activity; (5) reasonability of costs; and (6) usefulness of the results.

RANGE OF APPROVAL/
DISAPPROVAL TIME: 

 Generally, 3 to 6 months after the closing date established in the Federal Register Announcement.

AWARD 
PROCEDURE:

 OAG provides a Notice of Grant Award (or a Notice of Cooperative Agreement Award) as official notice for approved applications. The notice indicates award amount, the purpose of the award, award terms and conditions, the budget period, the anticipated project period, and the grantee's cost-sharing requirement.

APPEALS: 

 There are no formal appeal procedures. If an application is not approved, the reasons will be stipulated in the denial notice.

REPORTS:

 Progress and financial reports are required on all projects. Interim progress and financial reports are due within 30 days after the end of the specified period. Comprehensive final reports are due no later than 90 days after the grant expires.

RECORDS: 

 Grantees must maintain records that include an account of all receipts and expenditures for 3 years. In the event of an audit, records must be maintained until all questions are resolved.

AUDITS:

 Audits shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of SSA regulations 20 CFR Part 435: Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, Other Non-Profit Organizations, and Commercial Organizations; 20 CFR Part 437: Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments; and 20 CFR Part 438: Restrictions on Lobbying.

GOVERNING REGULATIONS:

 SSA grant programs are subject to the provisions of SSA regulations 20 CFR Part 435; 20 CFR Part 437; and 20 CFR Part 438.

SSA Policies and Procedures relating to grants management are explained in the SSA Grants Administration Manual  and Grants Policy Handbook .

CONTACT INFORMATION:

 E-Mail Phyllis Y. Smith        Telephone: (410) 965-9518

Mailing Address:

 Phyllis Y. Smith, Chief, Grants Management Office
Office of Acquisition and Grants, Social Security Administration
1st Floor, Rear Entrance
7111 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21244
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Last reviewed or modified Tuesday Jun 24, 2008
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