Maximizing Grant Award Success

This section of the Grant Applicant Toolkit provides applicants with a broad overview of how to put together an effective grant application.

As discussed in The Discretionary Grant Application Process, all USDOT grants must be posted on Grants.gov with a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlining program eligibility, criteria, and requirements. Discretionary grants have a competitive selection process, so in order to maximize its chances of being successfully selected, an applicant should make sure its application meets the eligibility requirements, addresses the specified evaluation criteria, and aligns with the priorities of the grant-giving agency.

This section contains advice that broadly applies to most discretionary grants but cannot address all specific questions you might have as you start putting together your grant application. If you have questions about a specific funding opportunity that is not addressed here, contact the program point of contact listed in the NOFO.

This section is divided into the following topics:

Navigating Federal Grant Applications

Navigating Federal Grant Applications explains the structure of a NOFO and where these crucial pieces of information can be found.

USDOT Grant Evaluation Criteria

USDOT Grant Evaluation Criteria gives some examples of the types of criteria by which applications are typically evaluated.

USDOT Grant Application Considerations

USDOT Grant Application Considerations describes some of the unique considerations specific to USDOT grants.