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Frequently Asked Questions

Browse answers to frequently asked questions on all things ETAC. Topics include grant applications, user accounts, grant reporting, financials, and more. 

Table of Contents

Grant Applications 

Who is eligible for a DoDEA grant?  

Local education agencies with a military-connected student enrollment of at least 10% within each school in the district for the prior school year (e.g., 2024-2025 if applying for 2026) are eligible to apply. 

 How can I find out about DoDEA grant opportunities?  

Check the ETAC Homepage for grant opportunity announcements.  

 

When are DoDEA grant opportunities typically posted each year?  

January. The grant opportunity will be posted to the ETAC Homepage and Grants.gov.  

 

When are DoDEA grant applications usually due?  

April. Refer to the grant opportunity posted in the ETAC Homepage and Grants.gov for the exact date.  

 

What can I do if my Grants.gov Workspace is not accepting file uploads?  

There are several solutions you can try: 

  • Contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk for support. 
  • Try a different browser and/or delete the cache. 
  • Contact your organization’s IT to troubleshoot potential filtering issues. For example, your organization may need to add grants.gov to an SSL exclusion list to ensure it functions property. 
  • Save and attempt uploading your document as a PDF. The system sometimes has an easier time uploading PDFs than Excel files. 
  • Try later in the day when website traffic tends to be lower; this can reduce the occurrence of "Please wait" messages. 

Note: ETAC staff do not have administrative access to the grant application portal; your best bet will be the Grants.gov Helpdesk. 

 

How do I upload the contents of my DoDEA grant application in Grants.gov?  

Within the Forms tab in your Grants.gov workspace, upload each required form to the line with the corresponding title in the Application Package Forms table.  

Note: The one exception to this rule is the Project Narrative, which should be uploaded under the Attachments tab. 

 

I submitted my DoDEA grant application! How will I know it was received?  

Once you have submitted your grant application, you will receive a submission validation receipt from Grants.gov confirming that your application has been received and validated and is being prepared for retrieval by the grantor agency.  

Note: The DoDEA Program Team will not begin downloading (retrieving) applications until after the application window has closed. 

 

When are grant awards announced each year?  

Notice of Awards (NoAs) are usually sent to grantees by September 30th. 

 

ETAC Website User Accounts 

How do I request an account?  

Visit the ETAC site at dodeagrants.org. Click the Sign Up button in the upper right corner and fill out the request form. ETAC staff will then review your request and approve access. For more information check out our support article.  

Note: After you have submitted your request for an account, ask the current project director or the DoDEA Program Team to contact ETAC and confirm the grantee, Federal grant ID number, and role(s) you are associated with. The process of confirming and configuring your new account may take a day or two. 

 

We’ve had a staffing change. How do we add a new Project Director to our Grantee Profile on the ETAC website?  

The current Project Director should contact ETAC at support@dodeagrants.org for help adding the new Project Director to a Grantee Profile. In your message, please include:  

  • The federal grant award number  
  • The new Project Director’s 
  • First and last name 
  • Title 
  • Email address 
  • Effective start date 
  • Instructions for the current or prior project director’s account (e.g., downgrade the level of access or remove it from the Grantee Profile) 

Reporting (General Questions)

When are reports due?  

Semester Reports: 

  • Fall Semester Performance Report – due 1/31 
  • Spring Semester Performance Report – due 7/31 

Annual Reports: 

  • Planning Year Evaluation Report (Year 1) – due 10/31 
  • Annual Narrative Evaluation Report (Years 2-4) – due 10/31 
  • Closeout/Final Evaluation Report (Year 5) – 9/30 

Financial Reports: 

  • Annual Financial Report (Years 1-5) – due 10/31 
  • Final Evaluation Report (Year 5) – due 9/30 

How do I save or submit a report if error messages are preventing me from doing so? 

Error messages typically appear when information is missing from required fields, such as the grant award year and grantee name. Fields missing mandatory information will be outlined in red. Complete those fields and try saving again. 

 

I have saved a draft of my report. Can the DoDEA Program Team view it now?  

No, the DoDEA Program Team are only able to view your report after you click the Submit button. 

 

How can I edit or update a submitted report?  

Contact ETAC at support@dodeagrants.org. An ETAC team member can reopen the report so that you can edit it.  

Note: Reopening a report changes the status from Submitted back to Draft. Once you are done editing, you will need to click the Submit button to make sure your report is sent to the DoDEA Program Team. 

 

Why is the number of students and schools in the Target School Enrollment fields different from our current enrollment?  

The Target School Enrollment numbers are based on your original grant application and need to remain the same even though they do not reflect the current year’s enrollment.  

If there is a discrepancy between the Target School Enrollment numbers in your original application and the prepopulated reporting form, contact ETAC for assistance at support@dodeagrants.org. 

 

Evaluation Narrative Report

What sections should I include in the evaluation report narrative attachment?  

Suggested report structure: While there is not a single required structure for the condensed report (narrative attachment), here is a sample: 

  1. Executive Summary (½ page) 
  2. Goal Progress Overview (1–1.5 pages) 
  3. Major Activities & Outcomes (1–1.5 pages) 
  4. Professional Learning & Capacity Building (½ page) 
  5. Challenges & Resolutions (½ page) 
  6. Next Steps (½ page) 

What is the page limit for the evaluation report narrative attachment? 

5 pages. The cover sheet and appendices are not counted toward this page limit.  

 

Closeout Report   

What is the page limit for the closeout report narrative attachment?  

15 pages. A table of contents is not counted toward this page limit.  

 

What attachments do I need to include with the closeout report?  

The Annual Evaluation Report and the Annual Federal Financial Report (SF-425) 

 

Can I attach photos and videos to the closeout report?  

Yes! The closeout report form includes an area where you can attach photos and videos. If preferred, you can also attach a Microsoft Word document with links to photos and videos. 

 

Financials 

When are quarterly invoices due? 

Years 1-4 (Planning and Implementation Years):  

  • Quarter 1 – due 12/31 
  • Quarter 2 – due 3/31 
  • Quarter 3 – due 6/30 
  • Quarter 4 – due 9/30  

Year 5 (Closeout Year):  

  • Quarter 1 – due 12/31  
  • Quarter 2 – due 3/31 
  • Quarter 3 – due 5/31  

 

What is the typical turnaround time on approval for Budget Change Requests?  

The DoDEA Program Team has 30 days to review budget change requests. If you are in a time crunch, reach out to the DoDEA Program Team at dodea.grants@dodea.edu.  

  

Who can help me with Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) questions and issues?  

The WAWF helpdesk can assist you with any any WAWF system or account issues: