Everything About Grants for Technology

Because the world of technology is constantly changing, the government encourages talented and innovative technology ideas and products by providing technology grants for research and education through various federal government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education through programs such as Enhancing Education Through Technology, Star Schools, and Assistive Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as well as partnering with the Departments of Education of each state.

The government encourages entrepreneurship and small businesses to create new and better technologies to allow the United States to continue to complete in the global market in the areas of education, science, math and engineering technologies and IT training for staff and skilled and displaced workers. The government also provides grants for businesses and research to encourage minorities and disadvantaged groups of persons to participate in technological innovations. The government as well as private corporations and foundations also provide grants to assist disabled persons so they can participate in everyday activities in society as well as providing grants to children with disabilities to promote the use of technology in classrooms and media centers.

Foundation grants and private grants are also available from a variety of corporations such as Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies for technology advances in the fields of education, math, science and engineering as well as training help, equipment help and assistance with curriculum. Colleges and Universities also provide technology grants to individuals and groups working on technology advances that can be used in workplaces as well as research in science, math and engineering.

Guidelines and Tips for Writing Your Proposals

When you apply for technology grants, you must follow the guidelines and deadlines strictly, especially for government grants, in order to make sure you are eligible to receive the grants. Also, read the criteria carefully to make sure that your programs fit the funder’s guidelines.

For instance, if the funder says that the grant is only available to non-profit organizations, and you are a for profit company, then you would not qualify for the grant. Apply early whenever possible. For state and federal grants, deadlines are posted online at their websites. Private corporations and foundations also post their deadlines on their websites. You will need to decide on how much money you need. It is smart to apply for the full amount of the grant because depending on how many other applications the funder receives, you may still get a portion of the award even if you do not receive the full amount. Attach your current year budget and all other required attachments to your proposal application. It is important when you apply for a technology grant to make sure that you can use the grant funds for the purchase of equipment in addition to anything else you intend to use the funds for so that you are applying for the right type of grant and not wasting your time and the funder’s time.