Federal Grant News

Matching federal grants for agriculture research projects now available to states.
The Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP) which is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides matching grants for state-funded market research projects. Project examples include exploring new markets for U.S. agriculture, agricultural training, and environmental benefits. Proposals for the $1.2 million in 2012 grant funds must be received by March 23rd, 2012. Continue reading more at USDA.

Grants from the $800 billion stimulus bill revived the electric car industry.
President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided $2 billion in federal grants to support the manufacture of environmentally-friendly electric cars. These grants revived the nearly dead electric car industry by helping build 30 U.S. factories for batteries and parts, by funding mines for lithium production, and by creating thousands of permanent jobs. . Continue reading more at ProPublica.

President Obama proposes an increase of over $10 billion per year in education grants and loans.
During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced a plan to make college more affordable. The plan calls for billions of dollars a year extra in federal grants for low interest loans, work study programs, better spending of education dollars, and new tools to help student figure out which colleges offer the best value. Continue reading more at Yahoo.

$2.7 million awarded by the Kessler Foundation to increase employment for people with disabilities.
The Kessler Foundation announced that $2.7 million in grant money will go to organizations that help employ those with cognitive and physical disabilities. The foundation is currently taking applications for its 2012 grants. Continue reading more at Kessler Foundation.

State bill could force South Carolina to accept education grants from the federal government.
New legislation would prohibit South Carolina's top education official from refusing to accept federal education grants. Superintendent Mick Zais has rejected $144 million from the Ed Jobs grant program and $200 million from Race to the Top. Continue reading more at Free Times.

New York risks losing hundreds of millions in Race to the Top government grant funds.
New York's $700 million in grant money from the federal Race to the Top program may be at risk. The state has failed two requirements of the program: to adopt a teacher and principal evaluation system and implement a database to track student records. Continue reading more at Observer Today.

Detroit Police plan to repurpose federal grants for new hires to instead pay current officers.
Detroit officials are hoping to use federal grants designed to hire officers to instead save the jobs of 75 of the 100 officers to be laid off in the coming weeks. The layoffs are part of a plan to reduce the city's $200 million budget deficit. Continue reading more at SFGate.

Grants for free civil legal aid to low-income Americans have been reduced.
Federal grants for the non-profit Legal Services Corporation, which provides pro bono lawyers and other free civil litigation services for the poor, were cut by around 20% in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations Bill. Continue reading more at Hampton Roads.

Con-artist lures victims with advance-fee government grant scam.
The scam target is asked for a small upfront fee in order to receive a significantly larger sum of money in the form of a free government grant. In reality, grants from the government involve an application process and never charge a fee in advance. Continue reading more at The Leaf Chronicle.

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center providing funds to match federal small business grants.
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which is tasked to implement the state's 10-year $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative, is now accepting applications from new life sciences companies that wish to be awarded grants matching those already received from a federal agency. Continue reading more at Mass Life Sciences.

Pressure is on the nine Race to the Top grant winning states to improve prekindergarten education.
The nine states which are sharing a half billion dollars in federal grant money must now initiate their plans to prepare more at-risk and low income children for kindergarten. Continue reading more at EdWeek.

Pell Grants will be cut for an approximately 145,000 college students nationwide.
As a cost saving measure, the 2012 Omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress will reduce or cut completely the Pell Grant money for about 145,000 college students while still keeping the maximum grant amount at $5,550. Continue reading more at U.S. PIRG.

Proposed bill will provide grants for cities to lower public transit fares during gas price spikes.
The Gas Price Spike Act of 2012, which will be introduced to Congress by Representative Dennis Kucinich next year, will also provide tax credits for energy-efficient vehicles and be paid for by taxing oil companies that participate in price gouging. Continue reading more at WKYC.

Cuts to Community Development Block Grants are hurting America's already struggling cities.
Community Development Block Grants, the federal program which provides grant money directly to cities, has been cut a billion dollars in 2 years. Because of these cuts, cities are having a tougher time dealing with high unemployment and foreclosure rates and increases in the number of vacant properties. Continue reading more at NY Times.

HUD proposes improvements in performance and oversight of HOME program grants.
The Housing and Urban Development Department has proposed changes to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides federal grants for low-income housing. The changes would clarify requirements, enhance accountability, and strengthen housing standards. Continue reading more at U.S. Government Printing Office.

Nine states will share $500 million in federal grant money to improve preschools.
The federal grant money was awarded to the nine winning states under President Obama's Race to the Top competition. The goal was to make plans to get more young children ready for kindergarten. Continue reading more at BusinessWeek.

The maximum allowed Pell Grant award remains unchanged in the 2012 appropriations bill.
$5,550 will remain as the maximum money a student can receive from a Pell Grant. The number of Pell-eligible semesters is being reduced from 18 to 12 and a GED or high school diploma will now be required. Continue reading more at Education Week.

Google announces $1.5 million in grants to bring technical innovation to local governments.
Google's Code for America will provide the grant money to tech startups that help city governments breakthrough the bureaucracy and experiment with new innovative ideas. Continue reading more at Portfolio.

New bill introduced that would stop federal grants to companies that outsource call centers.
The U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, recently introduced in Congress, prohibits the awarding of federal grants and loans to companies that move call center jobs overseas. Continue reading more at Think Progress.

Seven states receiving federal grants for exchanges have governors that oppose the law.
Of the 13 states receiving a combined $220 in grant money to setup health insurance exchanges, 7 are run by Republican governors who are suing the Obama administration over last year's health care law. Continue reading more at NPR.

Innovation Research Conference helps small businesses get federal dollars.
Tech startups meet to learn how to gain access to $1.4 billion in Department of Defense federal grant money from eleven different government agencies. Continue reading more at KHON2.

Aurora schools get federal grants for two on-campus health clinics
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that public schools in Aurora, Colorado will receive a $475,000 federal grant to put permanent health centers on two school campuses. Continue reading more at Denver Post.

California school-based health centers get $1.6-million in federal grants
The federal government awarded $1.6 million to school-based health centers in California for expansion and modernization. These funds will help the clinics treat more students and community members, officials announced. Continue reading more at Los Angeles Times.

Hillsborough Affordable Housing under fire for not helping more low income families after getting $19 million in federal grants
Although Hillsborough County was given the grants in 2009, a report shows that only 18 families have been placed in affordable housing. Continue reading more at WTSP 10 News.

Kentucky provides $1.8 million in federal grants to ease water pollution
The grants have been made available to protect already clean waters and to pay for cleaning up polluted streams, rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Continue reading more at Business Week.

U.S. universities feast on federal student grant money
Federal grants designed to make college affordable to low income students may have encouraged higher education institutions to raise tuition fees. Continue reading more at Bloomberg.