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EXTENSION FINANCE OFFICE
2280 Beardshear Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011
FAX: 515-294-9781

Extension Field Programs: Checklist for Grant Seeking

 

Applicant Eligibility

"Who" should be the applicant-- university (ISU) or the county agricultural extension district (CAED)?
Grants affecting the CAED may be received & administered by the county extension office, processed through ISU, or managed by another organization. This is determined at the time of application. See the handout titled "incentives/disincentives" in the training section of the ISU Extension Grants and Contracts web page.

 Before You Apply

Is the project idea appropriate for CAED? Obtain approval to proceed from the CEED and
Extension Council.
Is the project appropriate for ISU Extension? Obtain approval to proceed from your area
extension education director (AEED) and program director. Contact the Extension Finance Office.

 Budget Issues

Is a commitment of ISU staff time being proposed? Before submitting the proposal, the AEED
and staff involved must approve a commitment of FS or CEED staff time.
 
Can CAED recover indirect (overhead) costs? If allowed by the granting agency and no federal
dollars are involved, the CAED may charge a percentage for indirect costs (see sample REAP budget). For grants involving federal dollars, the CAED must have an Indirect Cost Rate Proposal (ICRP) on file to charge a percentage for indirect costs. If the ICRP is not on file, the CAED may recover indirect costs by listing those as direct costs to the project and having appropriate documentation of the expenses (i.e., office assistant time, telephone, supplies, postage, usage of space, etc.).
 
Will ISU take out indirect costs from every grant award it administers? No, ISU
Administration only requests indirect costs when allowed by the sponsor.

 Authorized Signature

Who must sign proposals and grant agreements for the applicant organization?
Council Chairperson signs for the CAED.
Director, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, signs for ISU.

 After Receiving a Grant

Who is legally responsible for fiscal management?

  • The Extension Council is legally responsible for county-administered grants. The Council and CEED regularly review and authorize payment of bills. The CEED presents to the Council financial reports for each grant award.
  • Councils may send lengthy contract documents to Linda Wilson for review prior to signing.
  • ISU Sponsored Programs Accounting handles the fiscal procedures for ISU-administered grants, including invoicing sponsors and generation of fiscal reports.

How do I report a commitment of ISU staff time on county grants?

The EASE system is set up to track ISU staff time committed and spent (cost share) on grant-supported projects, including county- and other agency-administered grants. Send a copy of the approved budget to your AEED and the Extension Finance Office (Shirley Jean Woodward fax: 515-294-9781) to insure that your staff time is recorded against the sponsored program.

 

For questions, contact Linda Wilson, lwilson@iastate.edu or Shirley Jean Woodward, sjkeith@iastate.edu.

 

 

Last updated: 10-24-05

Contact: Sharon Larwick larwick@iastate.edu