This article explores issues that had to be confronted over a three-year period in terms of two New York State funded grants for which I was the evaluator. Major, critical challenges are presented, described, and discussed. Specifically, the paper addresses issues related to lack of planning at the grant design stage that resulted in challenges…

Call it innovation, creativity, imagination, cutting edge, paradigm shift, or any other term for new information, an assessment of innovation may now impact the final decision on awarding grants to investigators. What exactly is innovation and how does the reviewer perceive innovation in the research approach? Procedures, the approach, and…

The authors present an approach for educating future evaluators by connecting evaluation theory and practice, organizational development, and grant making through experiential learning. They position this discussion on the conceptual framework of a newly developed graduate-level evaluation course, Advanced Program Development and Evaluation, which…

When it comes to grant writing one thing is certain: once the application is sent in, its fate is at the mercy of the readers who pick it up at the other end. At that point, there is nothing that can be done to impact the future of the grant. However, before placing the fateful stamp on the envelope and driving to the post office, there are things…

Based on 3-year evaluation of Utah State Office of Education (USOE) programs funded and operated under Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, this manual suggests steps and procedures for use by the USOE or other similar agencies responsible for soliciting and reviewing proposals for funding of educational programs. Steps include:…