In this Section:

CURRENT SE/A Funding Opportunities (Updated 8/09)

Class and Exhibit Calendar (External Link)

Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Recovery Resources

Evaluation Guides, Planning and Evaluating Outreach Projects (External Link)

Funding Opportunities in SE/A Region

Grant and Proposal Writing Tips

Network Membership Form

Printable Materials

Projects Funded by SE/A

Promotional Materials Distribution Policy

Search for Network Members (External Link)

Staying Informed in SE/A Region

Suggested Outline for Outreach Project Proposals to the NN/LM Southeastern/Atlantic Region:

1. Cover sheet

1. Title of the project
2. Date of submission
3. Name of the library and institution
4. Name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address of the primary contact(s)
5. LIBID
6. Please see Section X about the institutional signature and approval that should accompany your proposal.

2. Summary
   1. Provide a short summary statement of the project.
      
      
3. Statement of Work

1. Introduction and background
   1. Explain the need for the information outreach project to the target population.
   2. Include important demographic information that supports the need for the project or about the target population.
   3. Describe what information resources or services are available, what are needed, and any relevant barriers to access.
   4. Cite any known needs assessments, formal or otherwise, any relevant statistics or literature that support the needs identified.
2. Target Population
   1. Identify and describe the target population and geographic area covered. Describe the characteristics and health issues of the population and/or geographic area in which the project will take place. In addition, describe the specific target group (including numbers and types of health care professionals, librarians, and/or consumers) and estimate how many of these you expect the project to reach.
3. State the goal(s) of the project and the specific objectives you expect to achieve with the project.
   1. Consider process objectives about what will be done (outputs) and outcome-based objectives that specify what will happen or change as a result.
   2. Indicate the rationale for the plan and relationship to comparable work elsewhere, if known.
4. Methodology
   1. Discuss the methods to be used to reach the stated objectives. Methods may include needs assessments, training and demonstrations, equipment purchase and installation, web development, promotional activities, etc.
   2. Discuss in detail how the project will be implemented, that is, what tasks will be performed and who will perform them.
   3. Provide an implementation schedule for all activities to be undertaken during the project. (See section IV.)
   4. If training and/or demonstrations are included as a methodology, please describe what will be taught or demonstrated, who will do it, where it will be done, what training materials will be used, and a description of the target audience for each event.
   5. Describe any relationship to work already in progress, possible problem areas, or unusual circumstances that might be encountered.
5. Promotion Plan
   1. Provide a detailed plan for promoting the project to the targeted organization or community.
6. Evaluation Plan
   1. Describe how the success of the project will be measured and the methods to be used to measure that success.
   2. Evaluation should be tied to project objectives.
   3. Describe the measures of success for each objective. Output/process objectives are usually measured quantitatively. Outcome measures may be quantitative or qualitative.
7. Continuation Plan
   1. Describe the activities that will continue project services to targeted community after completion of the project or the institution's intent to maintain communication or service to the target population.
8. Qualifications
   1. Provide a list of project personnel, briefly describing their positions and applicable experience to their project responsibilities. Curriculum vitae or resumes can be supplied as an appendix.
   2. Describe the institution, its resources and services, as it pertains to the statement of work. Describe the services that will be provided to project participants.
   3. Include a letter of commitment from the institution's administration, and letters of commitment from the administration of all libraries and agencies involved in or targeted in the project.

4. Schedule
   1. Provide a timeline for the project including delivery of items specified in the statement of work.
5. Other Funding
   1. Provide a statement of any other funding received from NLM and/or NN/LM SE/A.
6. Attachments
   1. Curriculum vitae/resumes of key personnel
   2. Letters of support from partnering institution(s)/organization(s)
   3. Other relevant information to support the Statement of Work
7. Cost Proposal Instructions

Submit a budget providing a detailed breakdown of and justification for the costs included in each category. A narrative justification for the budget items is required and must accompany the budget form.

Note: The University of Maryland, Baltimore will provide a subcontract agreement for all approved projects. All subcontracts are cost reimbursement. Line item invoices must be submitted for reimbursement of expenditures. Invoices may be sent monthly or quarterly.

Allowable budget expenses include:

1. Salaries of project personnel
2. Rental or purchase of equipment and software to support training and demonstration
3. Travel necessary to support the project.
4. Reproduction: developing, producing, and distributing promotional materials.
5. Supplies
6. Communication
7. Reproduction
8. Other costs
9. Indirect costs: allowable if the institution has a federally approved indirect cost rate agreement.

Note: Food should not be included as separate line item. It may be included as a per diem in travel expenses or subsumed in "meeting expenses."

Definitions and Instructions for Budget Narrative Justification

Personnel:
May include professional and support personnel for the project.
Supplies:
May include paper, pens, software, display items, etc.
Equipment:
May include rental or purchase of equipment and bundled software
Communications:
May include telephone, postage, parcel and other delivery services and communication line charges.
Travel:
May include air or land travel, ground transportation, parking, hotel, and per diems for meals
Reproduction:
May include costs for printing/photocopying of project related materials.
Other Costs:
May include honoraria, exhibit fees, or any others items that do not fit into one of the other lines. Please provide a breakdown of what has been included in this category.
Indirect Costs:
Please provide a copy of the federally approved indirect cost rate agreement.

8. Proposal Review Process

The NN/LM SE/A staff and the National Network Office review all proposals. When a request for proposal is advertised, a review team is assembled to review proposals.

Questions and comments from these review bodies may be sent to the applicant for clarification and revision of the proposal.

9. Technical Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate most proposals.

1. Technical approach/methodology presented
2. Target Population: Identification of need, description of the target population(s), geographic area covered
3. Project support and experience

10. Before you submit
    

    Since this project will require a subcontract with the University of Maryland, Baltimore, all proposals must come with an approval letter signed by the institutional official authorized to sign contracts. This confirms that the proposal and budget have been reviewed and approved by the institution. Please include also the official's name, address, phone number and email address.

    If your project involves a "survey" or "focus group", have your Internal Review Board review the proposal to determine if it is considered human subjects research. You can submit the proposal before completing the IRB review - information about the IRB review will be requested later if your project is chosen for funding.

    Recipients of NN/LM funding are strongly encouraged to consider publishing results from NN/LM funded projects in journals that make their contents freely available on the Web. In addition, if project results are accepted for publication, NIH Policy on Enhancing Public Access to Archived Publications Resulting from NIH Funded Projects requests that authors submit an electronic version of the final manuscript to the NIH National Library of Medicine. The Policy requests that beginning May 2, 2005, NIH-funded project investigators submit to the NIH National Library of Medicine's (NLM) PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of the author's final manuscript, upon acceptance for publication, resulting from research/project supported in whole or in part with direct costs from NIH. NIH defines the author's final manuscript as the final version accepted for journal publication, and includes all modifications from the publishing peer review process. The PMC archive will preserve permanently these manuscripts for use by the public, health care providers, educators, scientists, and NIH. The Policy directs electronic submissions to the NIH/NLM/PMC: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov
    
    Additional information is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-022.html