American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) Frequently Asked Questions:

Click on each link for the response to eacxh question.

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1. Explain what is the ARRA of 2009.
2. Are there any eligibility restrictions on who may be supported using Recovery Act funds?
3. Where can I find detailed information on the Recovery Act?
4. How can I find specific agency information concerning the ARRA?
5. How is Missouri State University preparing for the stimulus funding?
6. Are there going to be changes in proposal submission and funding reports?
7. How will awardees receive Recovery Act funds awarded to their organization?
8. Where can I find specific agency FAQ's?

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1. The acronym ARRA stands for the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009". The ARRA will provide approximately $21 Billion for federal research and development activities.
   
   Federal agencies offer more than 1,000 grant programs and access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. Note that federal grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals. Rather, organizations can search and apply for grants from 26 different federal agencies through the Grants.gov site. For grant opportunities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, use the Find Recovery Act Opportunities option on Grants.gov.
2. Eligibility restrictions are based on the type of funding program being instituted by the respective federal agencies. As such, the federal agency guidelines must be followed with regards to the funding opportunity.
3. The government has a web site at Recovery.gov that has the agency links and reports that each agency is madated to provide of the appropriations and program that fund is being used to support.
4. Go to Recovery.gov and click on Agency Progress and Resources. There you find links to the various agencies and their reports.
5. Missouri State University, through the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs is continuing to send weekly funding opportunities to department heads and deans as these opportunities become available. We encourage faculty to signup for the SMARTS grants automated system as well as Grants.gov.
6. There will be no changes in submission or funding reports. Submission will continue to be through Grants.gov and based on the funding agency the reporting will continue based on the agency guidelines.
7. Awardees will continue to draw down their funds on a pooling basis. For example, for NSF through the FastLane Cash Request application.  Separate draw downs can be done by an organization for Recovery Act and non-Recovery Act funds if it assists the organization tracking the funds. Standard agency policies and procedures for no-cost extensions, merit review and award of proposals funded will continue under standard agency requirements and procedures.
8. Go to Recovery.gov and look for the agency recovery websites for more indepth frequently asked questions. Otherwise, contact the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs for further information.