Funding Resources: Grant-Funding Process, Funding Sources

The targeted project is a public health initiative to address prostate cancer among Blacks in the State of Maryland. The availability of funds will make it easier for the project to realize its goals. The grant-funding process will focus on different sources and institutions that can support the initiative. In order to access funds, the major financial needs of the project will be outlined.

Grant-Funding Process

The major funding guidelines and goals will also be considered during the process. The plan will identify how the project will benefit many African Americans in Maryland (Barrington et al., 2015). The issue of sustainability will also be examined. The major costs associated with the project will also be presented. The next step with be to write a grant proposal to the targeted funder or organization. Several issues such as grant requirements, costs, and objectives will be communicated to the funding agency.

Funding Sources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds different types of programs, contracts, and projects. However, the applicants should follow specified grant funding policies and strategies. The targeted public health initiative seeks to educate more Maryland’s African Americans about the problem of prostate cancer. That being the case, the NIH can offer grants to support specific projects aimed at supporting the health needs of many American citizens (Wray et al., 2009). In order to qualify for this project grant, the proposed project should be relevant, realistic, and important. The project should also be feasible and capable of delivering quality results. These aspects will encourage the NIH to fund the project.

Potential Challenges

Several challenges might be encountered during the application process for this funding source. To begin with, NIH has been known to fund many research-related projects. The institution also offers research training and career development grants. This fact shows clearly that a health promotion program might not qualify for the NIH funding. The second challenge arises from the quality of the grant proposal (Mays, Beitsch, Corso, Chang, & Brewer, 2007). NIH considers various issues such as the effectiveness, chances of success, budget, and sustainability of the project. A grant proposal that fails to address these issues has minimal chances of being approved for funding. The other funding challenge that might affect this initiative is the issue of time. The agency might take long before funding the program. This is the case because the NIH receives numerous grant applications every month (National Institutes of Health, 2016).

Overcoming these Challenges

Several approaches will be considered in order to overcome the existing challenges. To begin with, the grant proposal should be written in a professional manner. The proposal should highlight the targeted benefits, expenditures, and sustainability aspects of the program. The institution will be contacted frequently in order to monitor the status of grant proposal. The other strategy is having a back-up plan. The grant proposal will also be presented to different foundations that support various cancer initiatives (Heyns, Fisher, Lecuoma, & Merwe, 2011). A good example is the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). This approach will increase chances of getting funds for the project.

Conclusion

The ultimate goal behind this public health initiative is to ensure the problem of prostate cancer is addressed in Maryland. This cancer has been observed to affect the lives of many African Americans (DeSantis, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2013). The availability of adequate funds is the first step towards making the project successful. A carefully-drafted grant proposal will therefore be presented to the National Institutes of Health. This approach will increase chances of getting adequate funds to support the project.

Reference List

Barrington, W., Schenk, J., Etzioni, R., Arnold, K., Neuhouser, M., Thompson, I.,…Kristal, A. (2015). Difference in association of obesity with prostate cancer risk between US African American and Non-Hispanic white men in the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial. JAMA Oncology, 1(3), 342-349.

DeSantis, C., Naishadham, D., & Jemal, A. (2013). Cancer statistics for African Americans, 2013. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 63(3), 151-166.

Heyns, C., Fisher, M., Lecuoma, A., & Merwe, A. (2011). Prostate cancer among different racial groups in the Western Cape: Presenting features and management. Original Articles, 101(4), 267-270.

Mays, G., Beitsch, L., Corso, L., Chang, C., & Brewer, R. (2007). States gathering momentum: promising strategies for accreditation and assessment activities in the multi-states learning collaborative applicant states. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 13(4), 364-373.

National Institutes of Health. (2016). Web.

Wray, R., McClure, S., Vijaykumar, S., Smith, C., Ivy, A., Jupka, K.,…Hess, R. (2009). Changing the conversation about prostate cancer among African Americans: results of formative research. Ethnicity and Health, 14(1), 24-43.