Submitting Successful Federal Grant Applications for Ports

In this paper we will review key factors to submitting successful federal grant applications. We will also provide information about major grant opportunities, their criteria, and key planning and approach features. We will review some case studies of success and failures and outline lessons learned from these experienced grant makers. This paper will answer the following questions: What is needed in the application and outside the application to get a port project approved for federal funding? What level of engineering is required for the applications? How do ports evaluate their chances for funding success? What projects are best for what type of grant? Do ports need to have a relationship with their elected officials? Do projects need other sources of funding? Is success for a federal grant application luck or merit based? Reviewing the history of successful projects and ports will educate the port engineers and the port community on best practices. Though new federal administrations will change the grant amounts and the grant names and some of the review criteria, the fundamental process for grant approval does not change. There are ports that have never tried to go after federal funds and ports that have failed in their application. This paper will help both of these categories with more success. This paper will provide a list of key factors for success for any grant application. Ports who know and use this advice will be successful in their application for federal funding.