FAQ
Program Application Process
Program Eligibility
No, grants will only be awarded to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) organizations by the Internal Revenue Service.
Yes, country of interest and study context are not determining factors for these grants.
Yes, however, the same proposal may not be submitted for multiple requests for applications in a given cycle.
Yes. If there is an open grant, it must be demonstrated that there is no budgetary and/or scientific overlap between the open grant and the new project. If there is, the applicant must indicate their plan to close the open grant in the event the new application is selected for funding (e.g. relinquish the current grant or complete the current grant to start the new grant).
Yes, during an open application period, a grant application may be resubmitted.
Yes, other sources of revenue for the project must be indicated on the project budget form.
Completing and Submitting Program Applications
Applicants must fill out the online application form. Mailed/emailed applications are not accepted.
The current application period closes on April 12, 2024. There will be no extensions for the application period.
10% of the total grant award can be applied to indirect costs.
Please email [email protected] with any questions about submitting applications.
Grant Notification and Contracting
Notifications will be sent to applicants informing them of the grant decision by May 13, 2024.
You can start your proposed project upon execution of a grant agreement between RSF and your institution.
Post-Award Process
The period of your grant begins upon execution of the grant agreement between RSF and your institution. The duration is up to two years, as specified in your proposal and codified in the grant agreement.
The first payment is contingent upon execution of the grant agreement, final payment will be made upon provision of deliverables.
Yes, any funds not used by the PI for the purpose of the project must be returned to RSF. RSF reserves the right to audit any institution that received grant funding. The sponsoring institution is required to retain all records and reports related to the grant contract for a period of three years from the date of the end of the contract term.
Extensions
Yes, a one-time extension, which shall not exceed 12 months, may be requested if additional time beyond the established expiration date of the grant is required to assure adequate completion of the research project. Additional extensions will not be permitted.
Extension requests must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the end period of the grant. The following information is needed as part of the extension request:
- – A letter signed by the PI and authorized organization representative. The letter must include justification for the request, including progress to date, and the length of extension requested.
- – A progress report.
- – Detailed expense reports of funds received to date from your institution’s accounting/finance department.
Reporting Requirements
Deliverables are considered overdue if they are two weeks late from the original due date. A delinquency notice will be sent by RSF to the PI and the organization’s authorized representative, indicating a final deadline for deliverables. RSF will withhold any pending grant payments until deliverables are received, and grant recipient will not be eligible to apply for any other RSF funding opportunities until all terms of the original grant agreement are fulfilled.
If extenuating circumstances will prevent a grant recipient from submitting deliverables by the deadline set in the delinquency notice, the grant recipient and grant administrator must notify RSF in writing and request an extension. RSF will review and accept/decline the request. If declined, the grant recipient must submit the outstanding deliverables within two weeks of notification. If deliverables are not received RSF will proceed with closing the grant.
Foundation Acknowledgement
RSF funding can be acknowledged as follows: “This research/project/program was made possible by a Progress of Ideas grant from the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.”
Transfers
You must contact the Program Manager at RSF to make them aware of your intention to transfer to a new institution. An outline of the procedure is below:
- – A formal request from the PI to move the grant to the new institution must be sent to RSF.
- – The grant must be closed with the current institution. This will necessitate a “final” report including an accounting of grant money spent to date. Any unspent funds will be returned to RSF.
- – A new proposal for the balance of the grant will need to be submitted through the new institution and reviewed and approved by RSF prior to executing a grant agreement with the new institution.
