Finding a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is just the starting point in a process that presents requirements from many sectors. To acquire a grant, it has always been necessary to fulfill elaborate documentation specifications, meet rigid deadlines, and obtain approvals at multiple levels. The online portal to federal grant programs, Grants.gov converts application and administration into fully electronic processes.
However, with the benefit of electronic filing, also comes the additional burden involved in digital processing. Intense utilization by thousands of grant seekers around the world may sometimes adversely affect efficient interactions among the portal servers and the databases, websites, and other software that make up the system. Even if you have successfully sought grants many times, you will need to build an allowance into your planning, timing, and efforts to fulfill the requirements imposed by your department/division/school, the University of Washington, the Sponsor agency, and Grants.gov.
Some guides to internal processes are available online:
