PROPOSAL APPLICATION PROCEDURES

• Proposal Application Items
  • Project Abstract
  • Application Form
  • Project Narrative
  • Project Evaluation
  • Proposed Budget
  • Budget Narrative
  • Letters of Agreement
  • Resumes for Personnel
  • Additional Material (if necessary)

Proposal Application Items

All applications for funding must be submitted online and must include the following information:

• Project Abstract
  Write a brief one page abstract(approximately 300 words). Include the principal objectives, program description and assessment criteria.
  
• Application Form
  The application is divided into sections. You must complete all sections before submitting your application. You do not need to complete all sections in one session but may save your work and log back in later to complete the application. Saving your work in a section does not submit your application; to submit you must click the Application Review and Submission link.
  
• Project Narrative – provide a detailed description of the proposed program which addresses the following:
1. statement of the need for the project;
2. overview of the project;
3. project objectives, stated in measurable terms with outcomes;
4. major activities designed to meet the stated objectives;
5. a timetable indicating the implementation and completion dates of the proposed activities and related tasks;
6. a description of the target population (e.g., ethnicity, gender, grade levels, teacher/preservice teacher/administrator/other) and target school districts or schools;
7. documentation of previous successful experience in implementing professional development programs for educators;
8. dissemination plan - describe how the project will make performance information available to other participants, and other interested parties.

The Project Narrative should not exceed 5 double-spaced pages. This is the maximum length permitted; shorter, more concise narratives are encouraged.


• Proposed Budget – Indicate the direct costs for implementing the project, as well as in-kind contributions, indirect costs, and funding from all other sources by amount and source (use only whole dollar amounts). The budget must identify which partners will be using the resources of the specific line items (see "special rule" information). Use the following descriptors of the line items on the budget form:

1. Salaries:
• Administrator: Supervises project staff and/or directs the project. Costs included under this line item must be directly attributable to the project and documented as such.
• Staff: Instructional and Professional: Professional staff that provide direct educational/instructional services in the project and are paid a salary through the project.
• Staff: Support: Other project staff that provide services necessary to support direct educational/instructional services in the project.
2. Fringe Benefits: If fringe benefits are offered to project staff, these benefits must be granted under approved plans and be consistent with the applicant agency’s standards for similar costs supported with other than project funds.
3. Contractual Services: Services that cannot be provided by other full- or part-time staff employed by the project. Generally, these services are for a short-term period and provide a specific and identifiable product or service. Recipients must adhere to relevant procurement standards when advertising for or soliciting potential service providers. If this line item exceeds $10,000, then attach a detailed breakdown of these expenses to the end of the application under "Additional Materials."

Costs for substitute teachers, if warranted, would be reflected in this budget line.

4. Supplies and Materials: Supplies are defined as “expendable” personal property having a useful life of less than one year or an acquisition cost of less than $5,000 per unit.
5. Travel: Costs for employees on official business incident to the project. All projects should budget for attending at least one statewide meeting of key project partners.
   
   Costs must be consistent with the Massachusetts Travel Guidelines:
   1. The current reimbursement rate is forty-five cents per mile.
   2. For travel of one day's duration, there are no meal allowances.
   3. For travel status of 24 hours or more, the following are allowances on the first day. When travel status begins between 6:00 a.m. and noon, the traveler will be entitled to mid-day and evening meals. When travel status begins between noon and evening, the traveler will be entitled to the evening meal. When travel status on a 24-hour period or more ends between 6:00 a.m. and noon, the traveler will be entitled to breakfast. For travel ending between noon and 6:00 p.m., breakfast and mid-day meals will be allowed.
   4. Meal allowances may not exceed $30.00 per day.
   
   
6. Other Costs:
• Advertising: Costs for newspaper, magazine, radio, television, direct mail, trade paper, or other advertising, provided that the costs are solely for: (a) recruitment of personnel required for the project, or (b) solicitation of bids for procurement of goods or services required for the project.
• Maintenance and Repairs: Costs incurred for maintenance or repair of equipment purchased with project funds necessary to keep it in efficient operating condition.
• Memberships and Subscriptions: Costs of membership in civic, business, technical and professional organizations provided that: (1) the benefit from membership is related to the project, (2) the expenditure is for agency membership, (3) the cost of the membership is reasonably related to the value received, and (4) the expenditure is not for membership in an organization that devotes a substantial part of its activities to influencing legislation.
• Printing and Reproduction: Costs incurred for printing and reproduction services necessary for project administration, forms, reports, manuals and informational literature.
• Telephone/Utilities: Direct costs for telephone/telecommunications service and utility expenses that relate exclusively to the project.
• Rental of Space/Equipment: Direct costs for rental and space/equipment that relate exclusively to the project, provided that the total cost does not exceed the rental costs for similar space or equipment supported with other than grant funds.
• Mailing/Postage: Direct Costs for postage and mailing of materials required to implement the project.
• Non-classified: Use this category for allowable costs not included in the above line items. Note that expenditures for student travel are not an allowable cost.
7. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs for grantees are not to exceed 8% of the total operating costs. Indirect costs cannot be charged on tuition, stipends or equipment.
8. Tuition and/or stipends: Stipends for teacher participants (e.g., payment to a teacher for participating in a professional development activity) should be consistent with local school district policies. No stipend is allowed for teacher participants if the project pays for substitutes or for tuition of credit-bearing professional development activities.
9. Equipment: Equipment is defined as tangible, non-expendable personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. Only equipment necessary to carry out the project should be included.
   
   Subtotal of Project Expenses
   
   
10. Statewide Evaluation Cost: Projects must set aside 4% of subtotaled project expenses to cover the cost of the statewide evaluation.
    
    
Total: The total amount of funds requested to cover the project expenses and statewide evaluation.

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• Budget Narrative - Provide a detailed Budget Narrative that includes calculations and breakdowns of budget amounts, description of budget items. If any contracted services are included, provide detailed explanation of such.
  
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• Letters of Agreement – Letters of agreement from schools and/or districts, endorsed by the superintendent and/or principals, indicating how they have participated in developing the proposed professional development activities, how implementation of these activities will assist them in achieving content standards, improving student performance and implementing the curriculum frameworks.
  
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• Resumes for Personnel – Abbreviated resumes (maximum of two pages) for all project directors, faculty, and consultants who will be managing the project or providing professional development activities.
  
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• Additional Material – Material absolutely pertinent to the project and which does not fit any of the above categories may be appended to the narrative. Additional material is limited to five double-spaced pages. For example, include a budget breakdown when Contractual Services exceed $10,000.
  
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