Licensure Grant Awards

Introduction

NSGC created the Licensure grant awards to support efforts for genetic counselors pursuing licensure in their states. Proposals may cover a wide range of support, including conference calls, printing materials, lobbyist fees, etc., but may not include salary for genetic counselors. The Licensure Subcommittee reviews proposals year-round, on a rolling-grant basis. Please note that all awarded funds must be spent in the calendar year in which the grant was awarded.

The NSGC Board of Directors sets the total amount of money available for awards each year.

Licensure Subcommittee Review Guidelines

The Licensure Subcommittee chair and subcommittee members will review proposals using the scoring system described below. These individuals will also review submitted bill language from states submitting proposals. Other members of NSGC's Access and Service Delivery Committee may be involved in the review process, if the Subcommittee chair deems necessary. Committee members may not review proposals from the states in which they work or reside, but may submit a proposal.

Grant Proposals

Any NSGC member(s) in good standing may submit a proposal. All individuals named as applicants on a proposal must be NSGC members in good standing. In order to encourage collaboration at the state level, only one proposal may be submitted per state.

Proposals must address the components outlined in the "Grant Review Guidelines" section below and must include a one-page budget. This should be as specific as possible and may not include salary for any NSGC member.

Proposals must be submitted electronically to Andrew Buckley. The email subject line should read, "Licensure Grant Award."

The NSGC Executive Office will verify the membership status of applicants and forward eligible applications to the Licensure Subcommittee chair. The chair will distribute the proposals to the Subcommittee members for review and discussion.

The Subcommittee chair will notify the authors of the funded proposals and the parameters for the use of funds, as well as the authors of the unfunded proposals by phone or email. The awardees must accept the award in writing (email is acceptable) within seven business days of notification. By accepting the award, recipients must abide by a statement of understanding that the funds must be used as outlined by the Licensure Subcomittee and must be spent by the end of the calendar year of the award.

During the course of the project, the recipient will submit receipts, bills, or invoices for expenses incurred to the NSGC Executive Office for payment or reimbursement. The recipient, or their institution, can pay for supplies or services and then request reimbursement from NSGC. Bills for services rendered can also be submitted to be paid by NSGC. If the payment is to be made to an individual and the amount of expense exceeds $599.00, NSGC must submit an IRS Form 1099. The individual submitting such a claim is responsible for paying taxes on the amount. This is not necessary if funds are distributed to an institution. All requests for payment and reimbursement for the project must be submitted to the NSGC Executive Office by December 31 of the award year.

State groups often use grant awards for lobbying. To do so, grant recipients must submit the name, address, and social security number of any lobbyist for direct payment. NSGC is required to submit a 1099 tax form for these services. If an NSGC member directly accepts the funds to then be paid to the lobbyist, NSGC is required to report these funds as "income" received by the NSGC member. For non-service-related lobbyist expenses, NSGC must have all of the receipt's information. Lobbying and related expenditures are strictly monitored and will be reported to the membership.

The awarded funds must be used toward the completion of the proposed project. Any funds that are unused by December 31 of the award year must be returned to the NSGC Treasurer.

A year-end report for the project and a financial summary of how the funds were spent must be submitted by January 31 of the following year to the NSGC Treasurer and the Licensure Subcommittee Chair.

Because NSGC is responsible for grant project outcomes, anything published or otherwise made public as a result of this funding must be reviewed by the NSGC Executive Office for appropriate triage to Board members.

Helpful Hints for Applying

Keep proposals clear and concise.

A budget/summary of costs is required for the project. Please itemize each cost and provide the exact total. In general, funding will not be approved for non-consumable supplies (e.g., LCD projectors, computer hardware, etc.). Proposals including requests for such funding should justify why these supplies are essential. Award monies may not be used toward indirect/overhead costs that an institution assesses.

Since the money must be paid by the end of December of the current year, it is important that grant proposals indicate how the services will be completed and how the money will be spent within this period.

A check can be made to an award recipient's institution; however, recipients are responsible for earmarking that money and ensuring access to it. Recipients should also determine if their institutions takes a percentage of grant funding as overhead. That must be reflected in the amount of money recipients request.

Grant Review Guidelines

The following components must be addressed by each proposal:

If bill language has been drafted, this language must be reviewed and approved by the Licensure Subcommittee prior to submitting a proposal.

Eligibility (not scored): Are the project investigators members in good standing with NSGC (as determined by the NSGC Executive Office)? Is only one group applying per state?
Need: Describe the state's need for support on the proposed aspect of the licensure process.
History: Describe past and current efforts to pursue genetic counselor licensure in the state.
- Assess the political climate in the state legislature regarding genetic counselor licensure.
- Describe all barriers counselors face in passing licensure legislation, including how your group will address specific opposition from legislators, Sunrise (or other) committees, stakeholders, etc.
- Report all important developments (e.g., legislative committee meetings or reports) occurring after the grant proposal is submitted, but before the Licensure Subcommittee reviews, to the Subcommittee Chair.
Financial Support:
- Describe other efforts to obtain financial support for licensure. What other financial support is anticipated?
- Detail all efforts made to obtain a lobbyist, at no charge, from the institutions employing the applicants.
- Acknowledge prior receipt of NSGC licensure grant support and submit a progress or final report from that project and justify why more funding is needed.
Consistency with NSGC Guidelines: If a bill has been drafted, is the language and content consistent with NSGC Guiding Principles and Model Licensure Language as presented in the State Licensing and Federal Advocacy Section of the NSGC website? If not, why? If bill language has been drafted, the Licensure Subcommittee must review and approve the language as part of the proposal review.
Organization: How many genetic counselors work in the state and how many support licensure? How many counselors are involved in the licensure effort?
Goals: Does the proposal contain a detailed plan-of-action to achieve its goals?
Methods: Are the methods reasonable and appropriate? Can the project realistically be completed by the end of the calendar year?
Budget: Does the budget clearly outline how the money will be spent? Are the expenses reasonable and acceptable according to Licensure Subcommittee policies? Who is the award recipient (individual(s), institution, or both)? Awards may not be used for expenses incurred by the applicants prior to the award year.