GRANT FAQs
grant faqs
The following is a list of FAQs and supporting resources for the Advance Research and Advanced Collaboration Grants.
- Can we request less than the maximum award amount shown in the grant notification?
A: Yes, applicants can request up to $50,000 for the Advanced Research grant and up to $100,000 for the Advanced Collaboration grant.. - Can we change the budget, list of partners, and other project details shown in our Letters of Intent when submitting a full proposal?
A: Yes, CORE SC expects applicants to refine their proposed projects between the time that they submit a Letter of Intent and when they submit a full proposal. This includes adjustments to budgets, project teams, and methodologies. - Are personnel costs, such as salary and fringe benefits, eligible expenditures with the CORE SC grant funding?
A: Yes, personnel costs, including internships, assistantships, and post-doctoral positions, are eligible expenditures for CORE SC grant funding. - Can CORE SC grant funding go towards the salary, fringe benefits, or course buyback for people that are not US Citizens?
A: CORE SC requires that the Principal Investigator be both a South Carolina resident and either a U.S. Citizen or a permanent resident of the United States in order to for their personnel costs, such as salary, fringe benefits, and course buyback, to be an eligible expenditure. This restriction does not apply to Principal Investigators that will not be requesting funds for salary, fringe benefits, or course buyback or the rest of the proposed project team. However, because the intention of CORE SC grants are to fund South Carolina-based projects, the grant review team will take into account how much of the proposed funding supports personnel and activities in South Carolina. CORE SC may require Principal Investigators on awarded projects to verify their residency and citizenship status prior to execution of a grant agreement. - What if the Principal Investigator is currently in the process of becoming a permanent resident of the United States or a resident of South Carolina?
A: The Principal Investigator must have received permanent U.S. resident status and South Carolina residency by the time of award. - Can a person that is an out-of-state resident that works in South Carolina submit a proposal as the Principal Investigator?
A: No, the Principal Investigator must be a resident of South Carolina, and residency will be determined by the state that issued your driver’s license. However, out-of-state residents are eligible to be part of the proposed project team. - Can proposals include funding for businesses outside of South Carolina?
A: Yes. CORE SC requires that if the Principal Investigator in a proposal is from a for-profit business, this business must be based in South Carolina and registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State. This requirement does not apply to representatives of other businesses that are not serving as Principal Investigator. However, because the intention of CORE SC grants are to fund South Carolina-based projects, the grant review team will take into account how much of the proposed funding supports personnel and activities in South Carolina. - How many Letters of Intent were encouraged to submit full proposals during Cycle 2?
A: CORE SC encouraged 18 Letters of Intent for the Advanced Research grant to submit a full proposal and 12 Letters of Intent for the Advanced Collaboration grant to submit a full proposal. - How much total grant funding is available and how many projects does CORE SC anticipate funding?
A:There is not a set number of projects or funding amount that CORE SC will award this cycle, and that a determination will be made based on the quality of proposals received. - What type of performance outcomes should applicants include in their proposals? A: CORE SC encourages applicants to include clear goals, objectives, and data-driven performance outcomes in their applications. Although the exact performance outcomes will vary based on the nature of the proposed project, CORE SC encourages applicants to clearly define how progress towards completion of the project will be measured – either qualitatively or quantitively – and how the project team will collect and report on this information.
- Are applicants required to submit a resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) for each team member?
A: No, a resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is not required for each team member. Applicants are encouraged to document the structure of their proposed team and the appropriate experience of team members in ‘Appendix B: Management Team’. - Is there a page limit for the full proposal?
A: Applicants can submit up to 10 pages for the ‘Project Description’ section, including any illustrations, figures, tables, citations, and references. Applicants can submit up to 2 pages for the ‘Budget Justification’ section. And applicants can submit up to 250 words for the ‘Proposal Abstract’ section. There are no page limits for the remaining sections of the proposal. - What format should the full proposal be submitted to CORE SC?
A: Please submit proposals in PDF format to CORE SC. - When does CORE SC anticipate executing grant agreements for Cycle 2?
A: CORE SC anticipates announcing awards in mid-December and executing grant agreements in early January. - Can the Principal Investigator’s institution provide funding to partner organizations listed in the full proposal through consultant fees or by recruiting students as temporary visiting students?
A: Yes, if that type of funding arrangement is allowed by the Principal Investigator’s institution, conforms to the institution’s appropriate management principles and controls, and is clearly described in the full proposal. - Is each team required to have a Principal Investigator, Program Manager, Research Associate, and Staff Support?
A: No, those positions were included in the Budget Form template as examples, and the only required position for an application is a Principal Investigator. The Principal Investigator is the individual who is responsible for the administration of the grant and will serve as the primary point of contact with CORE SC over the 12-month performance period. The Principal Investigator must be able to meet the citizenship and residency requirements of the grant program at the time of award. All other positions on the proposed project team are at the discretion of each applicant so that their team is structured in a way that supports the successful execution of the proposed project. Applicants are encouraged to provide their own descriptions of each role on their project team within ‘Appendix B: Management Team’. - Is there any flexibility in the anticipated start date for an executed grant agreement for Cycle 2?
A: No, CORE SC anticipates that all grant funding for Cycle 2 awards will have executed agreements in place by early January 2024 with a performance period of 12 months. CORE SC does anticipate a Cycle 3 call for proposals in Spring 2024 with a start date in Summer 2024 for potential applicants seeking a Summer 2024 start date. - Will CORE SC provide feedback on Letters of Intent?
A: No, CORE SC will not provide feedback on submitted Letters of Intent. Applicants that submitted a Letter of Intent and were then encouraged by CORE SC to submit a full proposal met the minimum requirements. Upon request, CORE SC will provide feedback on full proposals that did not receive grant funding. - Can CORE SC help my team identify potential project partners?
A: Possibly. Contact the CORE SC, and we may offer suggestions for potential partnerships. - Are applications required to be double spaced?
A: No, CORE SC does not require any specific paragraph spacing. - When will the CORE SC Cycle 3 grant funding be announced?
A: CORE SC anticipates soliciting its next grant funding opportunities in Spring 2024 with awards announced in advance of Summer 2024.
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