Stimulus Package Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know when funds are available?

Agencies have announced that they will be using their traditional means of broadcasting any new requests for proposals.  The requests may come in somewhat different forms or with different titles, such as “broad agency announcements”, “funding opportunity,” and “funds availability announcement”.  It is also important to know that, in some cases, program officers may not actually make an announcement but may be able to respond to a simple one-page request for a supplement to an existing award. They may also make an award for a proposal that was submitted in a prior funding cycle which has been reviewed but not yet funded.  If you have such a proposal, contact your program officer to see if it is suitable for the two-year funding that is a focus of the ARRA.  If it can be re-scoped so that some part of it can be performed within two years as required by ARRA, bring that to the attention of the program officer.

Should I submit an unsolicited proposal?

The agencies will consider all projects that meet ARRA criteria and are offered by researchers with a good track record.  If you have a project that can create jobs and be completed by Sept 30, 2010, you should write it up and submit it.  Make the relevant program officers aware of your capability to meet these requirements.  You may want to use some of the proposal enhancement language provided by ORA to reinforce the fact that UCSD researchers can deliver on the stimulus objectives.

When will agency requests for proposals appear?

By law, every agency must have its plan in place by May 1 (90 days after enactment of the bill.)  Most are in active stages of finalizing their plans now and two major science agencies, NIH and NSF, expect to release their plans in March.  The plans must be approved by OMB.  Some agencies still have many personnel vacancies due to the transition; DOE is one of these agencies, and it may take longer for full deployment of its plan, although they have begun to issue statements of intent.

Will the requirements for matching funds be waived?

The preference of agency heads and OMB is to waive matching fund requirements on stimulus projects, and we can expect to see that in many cases.  Some programs - for example, the Major Research Instrumentation account at NSF - were stipulated by law to require matching for the top 100 research universities.  It would take a change in the law to enable the Director to waive the match.

I’ve heard that there will be additional reporting requirements on these grants. Will we be able to accommodate them?

UCSD has an agile financial reporting system and will be able to accommodate the requirement of a separate accounting system for stimulus funds.  We have also developed formulas to use to assist you with determining the number of jobs created through your expenditures.  The need to have expedited final reporting will require the full cooperation of the PIs, departments and central administrative offices.

Please contact us at stimulus@ucsd.edu with questions or suggestions regarding economic stimulus information.