SIG Project Funding Application
Please submit your project funding application(s) through the link below. To help you prepare, components of the application are as follows:
- SIG name
- Requester’s name and email
- SIG Chair name and email
- Project description (300-word limit)
- Total funding requested (up to $1,000)
- Brief budget narrative
- Budgeted line items
- Project timeline (to inform disbursement of funds)
Review Process
Each project application will be reviewed by the NSGC SIG Subcommittee for the following components. Each "Yes" will be worth 1 point with 7 being the highest final score. Scores will be reviewed by the NSGC SIG Subcommittee to determine a funding decision. The NSGC SIG Subcommittee will inform SIG Chairs and applicants of funding decisions.
The following components of each project proposal will be responded to with a "Yes" or "No".
- Membership: Is at least one submitter of the project proposal a member of NSGC?
- Project: Is this submission a project? (see below for definition and examples)
- Clarity: Is the project purpose and timeline clearly described?
- Benefit: Will the product/outcome of this project benefit the SIG and/or greater NSGC membership? How will outcomes be measured?
- Total Amount: Do all the budget lines add up to the total amount of funding requested?
- Feasibility: Is the project timeline feasible?
- Fund: Based on your above responses, should the project be funded?
Online Application
The next application will be available on April 1, 2025.
Definition & Examples of Projects
Definition:
"A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result."
Citation: "What Is a Project, Examples and the Project Lifecycle." Project Mangaement Institute, www.pmi.org/about/what-is-a-project. Accessed 6 June 2024.
Examples
- Development of educational modules or resources for SIG members and/or NSGC Membership.
- Dissemination of educational resources to SIG members and/or NSGC Membership.
- Completion of topic-specific activity that benefits SIG members and/or NSGC Membership.
- Non-CEU eligible educational presentations that require speaker honoraria or consultant fees (all CEU-eligible educational presentations take place through the NSGC Webinar Series)
General Questions
What is the total SIG project funding available for 2024?
$10,000 in total funding is available for the 2024 fiscal year.
Is there a cap on the total funding awarded to any given SIG?
2024 is a pilot year where we will collect data to determine whether in future cycles there will be a cap on how much can be awarded each cycle, and/or to each SIG.
What are acceptable/unacceptable expenses?
Examples of acceptable expenses include:
- Costs for publication or distribution of materials
- Costs for subscriptions, dues, books, or software
- Honoraria or consultant fees
Examples of unacceptable expenses include:
- Non-expendable resources such as computers, tablets, printers, etc.
- Events where most of the fnding is for renting space or providing food and beverage.
- Conference travel
- Exception: Conference travel may be considered if attendance is directly related to the outcome of a project (i.e. interviews, focus groups, or other methods of data collection require attendance of the awardee and attending the conference is the most efficient or cost-effective way to collect the data). Conference travel should not be a majority of the project budget and should not overlap with a research grant.
- Employment such as a paid position for GC student(s)
To whom will SIG project funds be awarded?
Grant funds can only be used for expenses incurred after the date of the award. With this being mentioned, SIG project funding awards may be made to a SIG leader or member directly, or may be reimbursed as expenses through submission of NSGC expense reports to the Staff SIG Liaison by emailing nsgc@nsgc.org, Attention: SIG Liaison, after the funds have been awarded and the corresponding approval date has been granted.
What will be required of SIGs to document use of the project funds?
SIGs will submit an update on their Quarterly Report about the status of any funded project status. At the conclusion of the project, SIGs will be required to submit documentation of expenses, including the budgeted expenses compared to actual expenses with receipts.
What happens to any unspent funds at the conclusion of the project?
Any unspent funds will be returned to NSGC.
My SIG has a project that we want to complete but the required budget is >$1,000. Can we use this application process?
No, for requests >$1,000, the Membership Committee SIG Subcommittee has developed a separate application that will be sent to the NSGC Finance Committee for consideration for next year’s Membership Committee budget. These funding requests will be due July 31, 2024 and will be reviewed by the Membership Committee Chair and Vice-Chair before sending to the Finance Committee.