Grantionary
A Glossary of Terms Related to Grants and Funding
| Term or Acronym | Definition | How Used |
| Grant Seeker | person, school, district, etc. who is applying for the grant | This term is used in workshops, journals, etc. |
| Grantee | person, school, district, etc. who receives the grant | This term is used in applications and instructions. |
| Grantor or Grant Maker | agency, organization, etc. who is providing the grant | This term is used in applications and instructions. |
| RFA | Request for Application | a call for grant applications—a simpler format than RFP |
| RFP | Request for Proposal | a call for grant proposals – more complex, narrative format |
| LEA | Local Educational Agency | the district education department that applies for and oversees the grant |
| SEA | State Educational Agency | the state education department that applies for and oversees the grant |
| Discretionary Grants | competitive grants | These grants are applied for directly to the Federal Government. |
| Formula Grants | grants awarded to eligible entities through allocation based on the program's authorizing legislation; block grants or categorical | These grants are sent directly to the states, who disburse monies according to the formula (ex. Title I, Migrant). |
| Block Grants | formula funds that are not allocated to a specific category and are more flexibly distributed | The grant seeker applies directly to state for these funds, and state sets up procedures for their disbursement. |
| Subgrants | formula or competitive grants made from a larger grant | Ex. Technology, Literacy Challenge, and REA |
| Project | the proposed plan, the plan for which grant funds are being requested | Projects may include instructional materials and must adhere to the criteria specified by the grant. |
| Boilerplate Materials | a mass produced proposal or one that is copied from another grant | a big DON'T in grant world—should only be used as a guide – rarely funded |
| EDGAR | Education Department General Administration Regulations | provides criteria and instruction on grant applications |
| ERIC Database of US Publications in ERIC http://www.eric.ed.gov/ |
Educational Resources Information Center | federally funded research site that provides information on current educational issues—used by many
grant seekers In January 2004, the Department of Education will begin to implement a reengineering plan for ERIC. |
| Private Sector Grants and Funding | foundation and corporate grants that allocate funds to strengthen education | easier to obtain than federal and state grants and often have community-based interests |
| CFDA Number | Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number—the identifies the federal grant. | The CFDA is the encyclopedia of all funding programs—the way all grants are catalogued |
| FR The Federal Register (1994 to present) http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ fr/index.html |
Federal Register | Public notice of all grants appears on site once they are approved by Congress. |
| NOFA | Notice of Funding Availability | information on program's purpose, eligibility requirements, application deadline, award amounts, etc. |
| SSPOC | Single State Point of Contact | state contact that district must use when applying for certain federal grants. |
| E-Application | electronic grant application system | Most federal grants can now be applied for online. |
| Replicability | a project requirement of most demonstration grants | Federal and state grantors want to know if the project can be replicated in other places. |
| OESE | Office of Elementary and Secondary Education | one of six agencies under which grants are organized and authorized |
| OELA | Office of English Language Acquisition | one of six agencies under which grants are organized and authorized |
| OSERS | Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services | one of six agencies under which grants are organized and authorized |
| ESEA | Elementary & Secondary Education Act | legislation that authorizes most education grants Reauthorized in 2002 as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Legislation |