Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Grant Opportunities

The Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act (the Act) (FS 1004.6495) established the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida (the Center). It charged the Center with administering FPCTP grants to foster initial and continuing Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs (FPCTP).

Eligibility

Once an eligible institution has completed an FPCTP application and received approval, it can submit an initial or continuing FPCTP Grant Proposal requesting funding for up to 42 months (3.5 years).

After the first grant period expires, approved FPCTPs may apply for continuing funding for another three years.

Type of Proposal

The Center is seeking proposals for two types of projects: Initial grants and  Continuing grants.

FPCTP Initial Grant

This proposal aims to facilitate the development and initial implementation of an approved FPCTP. This funding intends to spur the development of additional postsecondary education programs across Florida. Thus, the Initial Grants will provide resources to institutions to implement the program described and approved in their FPCTP application. The FPCTP application may be submitted before or simultaneously with the Initial Grant proposal.

FPCTP Continuing Grant

This proposal aims to facilitate the implementation of planned improvements and/or expand an existing program that already serves students with intellectual disabilities. The Continuing Grant may be used to establish the program elements needed to move the program from its current state to an approved FPCTP or expand its capacity or quality of an already approved FPCTP.

Funding Amount, Project Period, and Award Process

A maximum funding of $1,500,000 for up to 3.5 years is available. The exact length of the grant depends on the starting date based on the FCSUA Funding Cycle. Elements to consider when awarding the maximum amount to eligible institutions will include the number of FPCTP students served, multiple campuses, and residential components.

FPCTP grant proposals are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis if funding is available. To accommodate this approach, we have established a corresponding Grant Funding Cycle that identifies submission periods with corresponding allowable start dates, project periods, budget periods, and annual grant performance report due dates. Proposed expenses must be itemized by year in the proposal budget. Depending on the starting date, budget periods shall align with the fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30.

FPCTP Grant Funding Cycle

Awards will be made to the institution through the institution’s equivalent of an office of research/grants and contracts office, as identified in the Institutional Profile within the FCSUA Community.

Upon approval of the grant award, FCSUA staff work with the UCF research contracts office to develop an award agreement that specifies the amount of funding, the budget period(s), the cost reimbursement process, and other pertinent details of the award.

Completing the Proposal

All proposals are submitted via the FCSUA Community. Postsecondary institutions would already have access to the system because it is the same platform utilized to submit an FPCTP Application. Grant-related roles such as Grant Principal Investigator, Grant Authorized Official, Grant Financial Contact, and Grant Administrative Contact must be assigned under the Institutional Profile to start a proposal. Additional access to the platform can be requested upon availability for other users to assist in completing the proposal.

As part of the proposal, the institution will complete:

  1. A logic model that defines the goals of the program, the activities and outputs that will help achieve the goals, and the outcomes expected to be achieved.
  2. A program evaluation that aligns with the logic model.
  3. An itemized budget
  4. A budget justification to briefly explain the proposed expenditures.
  5. A proposal narrative describing the needs for the program, its primary elements, and other information that demonstrates the program is high quality, addresses an identified need utilizing local employment and catchment area data that should result in positive employment outcomes for its students with intellectual disabilities.
  6. A commitment form including information related to the institution.
  7. Additional documents needed to support the proposal including the reference for citations.

Accountability

These are cost-reimbursable grants. The awardee will bill FCSUA quarterly for grant expenditures. In addition to the invoice, a summary of activities reporting on the status of activities, outputs, and short and intermediate outcomes is required.

In addition to the annual FPCTP Program and Student Reports due July 1 and August 1, respectively, all grantees must submit an annual grant performance report by July 15 each year.

All grantees are required to submit a final grant performance report upon conclusion of the project by September 1 or 60 days from the end of the project period. For more information on how and when to submit these reports, visit our FPCTP Grants Reports page and FPCTPs Reporting Calendar.

All reports and invoices are submitted through the FCSUA Community.



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