Grant Writing Grant Writing MCQ 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'scope creep' in grant management, and why is it problematic?
- Applying for more grants than the organization can manage
- Gradually expanding project activities beyond what was approved in the original grant agreement (Correct answer)
- Hiring staff at salary levels higher than budgeted
- Submitting progress reports later than required
Correct answer: Gradually expanding project activities beyond what was approved in the original grant agreement
Scope creep involves unauthorized expansion of project scope, which can violate grant terms, misuse funds, and jeopardize future funding.
Question 2: A 'program officer' at a foundation or government agency primarily serves as:
- The accountant who disburses grant payments
- The contact person who manages the grant relationship, reviews proposals, and provides guidance to applicants (Correct answer)
- The legal counsel who drafts grant agreements
- The board member who makes final funding decisions
Correct answer: The contact person who manages the grant relationship, reviews proposals, and provides guidance to applicants
Program officers are the primary point of contact for applicants and grantees, offering guidance and managing the grant portfolio.
Question 3: A 'budget modification' or 'budget revision' during a grant period typically requires:
- No action if total spending stays within 10% of line items
- Prior written approval from the funder for significant changes between budget categories (Correct answer)
- Approval from the organization's CEO only
- Automatic approval as long as the project is on track programmatically
Correct answer: Prior written approval from the funder for significant changes between budget categories
Most funders require prior written approval for budget modifications that exceed specified thresholds or move funds between major categories.
Question 4: Which of the following is considered an unallowable cost under most federal grants?
- Salaries for project staff working on grant activities
- Travel costs for attending a project-related conference
- Lobbying activities to influence legislation (Correct answer)
- Equipment directly used to carry out the funded project
Correct answer: Lobbying activities to influence legislation
Federal funds may not be used for lobbying or influencing federal, state, or local legislation, as this is prohibited under 31 U.S.C. § 1352.
Question 5: In a competitive grant review, a 'blind review' process means:
- Reviewers are not allowed to ask questions about the proposal
- Reviewer identities are kept confidential from applicants, and sometimes applicant identities from reviewers (Correct answer)
- All proposals receive the same score regardless of quality
- Only the program officer reads and scores proposals
Correct answer: Reviewer identities are kept confidential from applicants, and sometimes applicant identities from reviewers
In a blind review, reviewer identities are kept confidential to reduce bias, and in double-blind reviews, applicant information may also be concealed.
Question 6: When calculating a personnel cost for a grant budget, a researcher working 20% effort on a $100,000 salary would be budgeted at:
- $10,000
- $20,000 (Correct answer)
- $25,000
- $50,000
Correct answer: $20,000
20% effort on a $100,000 salary equals $20,000 in personnel costs allocated to the grant.
Question 7: Which of the following foundation grant opportunities is typically found through the Foundation Directory (Candid/GrantStation)?
- Federal formula grants distributed to states
- Private and corporate foundation grants with eligibility criteria and deadlines (Correct answer)
- State block grant allocations to municipalities
- International development loans from the World Bank
Correct answer: Private and corporate foundation grants with eligibility criteria and deadlines
Candid's Foundation Directory (formerly Foundation Center) is the primary database for researching private and corporate foundation grant opportunities.
Grant Writing Grant Writing MCQ 5
What is 'scope creep' in grant management, and why is it problematic?