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Who is eligible to submit a proposal for funding?
All proposals must be submitted and implemented by community / medical college partnerships consisting of Wisconsin partners, in Wisconsin communities, for the benefit of Wisconsin residents. Eligible community partners are non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and public organizations including:
- state and local governments
- voluntary associations
- civic groups
- foundation
- scientific or professional associations
- universities
- schools
- technical colleges
- citizen groups
- religious organizations
- healthcare organizations
- federally-recognized Indian tribal governments
- Indian tribes
- Indian tribal organizations
Eligible academic partners must be full-time or full professional effort faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Staff and students at the Medical College of Wisconsin are also encouraged to participate as long as they serve in conjunction with an eligible faculty member.
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How and when can I submit a proposal for funding?
The Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program issues formal requests for proposals (RFP) on an annual basis. Proposals will only be accepted during the open RFP process and must be submitted using the appropriate and official RFP forms.
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When is my next opportunity to request funding?
The Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program has been established for perpetuity. Requests for Proposals will be issued approximately every 12-15 months.
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What is the difference between Development and Impact funding?
Development Awards are appropriate for projects that are pilot or exploratory in nature or for partnerships that are in the early stages of development; or, appropriate for smaller scale, shorter projects. These projects require typically one year of funding to not exceed $50,000. Impact Awards are appropriate for projects that are going to be implemented in the community and require 2-3 years of funding in the average range of $50,000 - $150,000 per year, not to exceed a total of $450,000. Variations of funding ranges and lengths may be considered for both types of funds if appropriate to meet project goals. Click here for more information.
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Can my partnership apply for funding for multiple projects in one funding cycle?
- Yes, but we recommend choosing your best projects and submitting your strongest proposals. The review process is competitive and, given limited funding, only the most meritorious projects will be successful.
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Is it necessary for applicant organizations to provide matching funds for their project?
No, it is not required, but it is entirely possible that the total cost of your project might exceed the amount that you are asking for from Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program. If matching and / or in-kind funds are provided, an explanation in the budget narrative should clarify how those funds will be used to supplement or leverage HWPP funding. Matching funds may include other third-party grant or contract funding, fees-for-service, in-kind service contributions or volunteer time. Please note that HWPP funds must not replace existing or matched funds.
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What is your funding cycle? How long does it take to receive funding? When is the next opportunity to apply?
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The process for requesting and receiving funding from the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program may take approximately nine months to complete. The timeline begins at the due date of all Notices of Intent, which occurs once per funding cycle. Following acceptance of your Notice of Intent, you will be required to submit a full proposal within 30 to 45 days of your notification. All proposals are then carefully reviewed through a lengthy process that may last for approximately three months. Proposals that are awarded funding, are then provided approximately three months to secure the appropriate funding agreements and IRB approval prior to project commencement.
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Do I need to submit a Notice of Intent first?
Notices of Intent are required for all requests for funding. Notice of Intent must be submitted to the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program on or before the designated due date for each funding cycle. Only the designated forms, available on the program website, will be accepted. Only those Notices of Intent that meet eligibility requirements will receive approval to submit a full proposal together with an assigned reference number to be used for the duration of the process.
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What are the funding restrictions of the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program?
Funds can only be used for direct, project-related expenses. Funds may NOT be used for: indirect expenses; debt reduction; capital expenditures costing $5,000 or more with a useful life of two years or more (exceptions may be made for capital expenditures if such equipment is crucial to the primary objectives of the project); supplanting; projects outside of the state of Wisconsin; reimbursement of clinical service delivery, unless the service is a direct and necessary component of the broader project; and lobbying.
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Can I make modifications to my Notice of Intent when I re-submit it with the full proposal?
After you have received an invitation to submit a full proposal, you may make slight changes for purposes of clarification to the information previously submitted through your Notice of Intent.
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Who will review my proposal? How are reviewers assigned?
Out-of-state national merit reviewers include approximately 20 community and academic experts. Reviewers are selected based upon experience in public and community health, community-based partnerships, academic-based programs, and the review/outcome evaluation process of grant proposals and they are matched to your proposal based on their general expertise. Proposals are all individually reviewed and ranked; the highest ranked proposals are advanced to the in-person, group meeting where they are again reviewed and ranked. All proposals then advance to the MCW Consortium on Public and Community Health, along with the reviewer evaluations. Principles of Stewardship are taken into close consideration by the Consortium before they advance their determinations to the MCW Board of Trustees, for final funding decisions.
Read more about the reviewer process.
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Should reviewer comments from a previous submission be addressed?
- It is entirely appropriate to incorporate changes into a previously submitted proposal based on recommendations received from past reviewers. There is no advantage nor disadvantage given to proposal re-submissions.
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Can you recommend any resources to assist me in writing my proposal?
The Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program has dedicated staff and web-site resources to ensuring that applicants are equipped with the technical assistance they need to submit a proposal. In addition to attending one of our state-wide technical training sessions following the release of the request for proposals, we also suggest the Helpful Links webpage for web-based resources. Please also contact staff directly with any questions: 414-456-4350 or healthierwisconsin@mcw.edu
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Do Development and Impact Awards have to be one and three years long, respectively?
It is acceptable for your project to have varying timelines and for your budget to fluctuate accordingly. The key is that the budget and timeline be designed to fit the needs described in the proposal.
The terms of one year for a Development Award and three years for an Impact Award are only suggestions. Propose what's right for your project.
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Can a multi-year project request more funds for one year and less in other years, or do budgets need to remain evenly spaced?
- It is acceptable for your project to have a fluctuating budget according to your timeline. For example, you many anticipate higher start-up costs in year one, with lower program maintenance costs in years two and three. The key is that the budget be designed to fit the needs described in the proposal. Your Budget Narrative, a required piece of submission, should clearly explain changes from year to year.
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What is the Grants & Contracts Registration Form? Is the full proposal needed when submitting the Yellow Form to MCW?
The Grants & Contracts Registration Form, is an internal Medical College routing form required for all funding requested by Medical College faculty. Each project designates one lead academic partner (referred to as the MCW Principle Investigator) to submit one form on behalf of the project to the MCW Grants and Contracts Office.
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Are there certain areas of the Health Improvement Model that have preferred status for receiving funding?
The Health Improvement Model is designed to integrate four approaches to improving the health of Wisconsin residents. Each approach in the model contains a variety of potential project focus areas that have been developed using broad public input as well as a number of significant heatlh assessments including Healthy People (the national health plan), Healthiest Wisconsin 2010 (the state health plan) and Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (the Medical College of Wisconsin's Five-Year Plan for the endowment funds).
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Can a proposal request funding for lobbying?
The RFP clearly restricts funding to projects that involve lobbying-related activities. These are defined as any attempt to influence local, state or federal legislation or administrative action including providing information on MCW research or HWPP projects. Costs associated with lobbying efforts not allowable with Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program funding include lobbying to attempt to influence specific legisltation. For further information, visit the Wisconsin State Ethics Board website.