AMATYC SUPPORT OF GRANT PROPOSALS
TWO LEVELS OF SUPPORT

(Projects endorsed by AMATYC)
In general, AMATYC should carefully consider all grant-related activity in light of that activity’s cost versus benefit to AMATYC, and ensure that all AMATYC parties who will be significantly affected have had significant input regarding their involvement, and there is mutual agreement among all parties concerning that involvement.

Level 1 Request for Support of a non-AMATYC Grant Proposal

Typically, the President is asked to write a Letter of Support for a proposal. The three presidents and the Grants Coordinator make a recommendation to the Board. If approved by the Board, the Grants Coordinator drafts a Letter of Support for the President. In addition to a Letter of Support, support from AMATYC might include mailing labels and/or a slot on the Conference program for a presentation/workshop. A Conference program slot guarantee requires Board approval, and this approval should normally be obtained by the appropriate conference proposal deadline.

The following criteria are considered before making a decision to write a Letter of Support.

• The proposal supports the AMATYC Mission.
• The proposal provides benefits to AMATYC members. (Examples include workshops and materials, and/or their development.)
• The proposal does not directly compete with an AMATYC proposal or activity. (For example, a proposal would not seek funds for a conference that might compete with the AMATYC Conference.)
• As appropriate, AMATYC should be represented on an advisory board, or steering committee. (For example, the AACC Teaching by Choice Grant has AMATYC Board members on the steering committee and on the coordinating group for each conference.).

Level 2 AMATYC is the Grant Administrator

AMATYC is asked to be, or decides to be, the administrator for a grant. In this case, an AMATYC member is both the proposer and the PI. The Office is responsible for the administration of the award, which includes financial accounting and may include help with mailings, meeting arrangements, and publications. This Level 2 proposal requires Board approval of both concept and budget. Should the granting agency require substantial changes in the budget, especially cuts, approval of the requested changes will be given by the President and the EDOO. Either of these individuals may poll other Board members if the changes will have an impact on their region.

1. The proposer must contact the President early in the planning and writing stage. The President will be responsible for assuring that the proposal meets the needs, mission, goals, and strategic plan of the organization and its members; the criteria for Level 1 support, as well as those below, should be considered. Following the policies for Level 1 support, including securing Board approval, the President will give the proposer a letter stating conditional support of the proposal.
2. All the items and criteria for Level 1 support apply to Level 2 support. Additional criteria should be considered, such as:
   • the proposal reflects an objective of the strategic plan
   • the proposal meets a clear objective of AMATYC and its members
   • the effort and the commitment of AMATYC personnel, time, and resources, provides a clear benefit to the organization.
3. After securing conditional support, and at least six weeks before the submission date, the proposer must submit an abstract and draft budget to the President. A timeline and a list of responsibilities directly connected to the Office, the Executive Director of Office Operations, the Conference Coordinator, or any other elected or appointed AMATYC representative besides the PI(s), must be included. The budget must clearly show compensation to AMATYC for these duties.
   i. Office Staff: If the Office and the Executive Director of Office Operations are going to be assigned significant additional responsibilities, then funds must be in the budget to cover these costs – over and above indirect costs. This must be agreed to by the EDOO, in conjunction with the Office Director.
   ii. Conference Staff: If the tasks associated with the grant cause those who plan the Conference to assume substantially more work in order to meet the goals of this proposal, then the funds must be in the budget to cover their time. This must be mutually agreed to with those who are substantially affected.
4. The President will provide the information from the proposer to
   i. the Executive Director of Office Operations. The EDOO will review the proposal and will check to be sure that the budget reflects any duties required of the Office beyond those that indirect covers.
   ii. the Conference Coordinator. The CC will review the proposal with regard to its impact on the Conference and associated support. If the grant will require a session, workshop, or colloquium at the Conference, the proposer must make it very clear in the information provided to the President. If the grant requires other support such as scheduling multiple sessions, making arrangements for audio visual equipment, attendees’ guest rooms, food and beverage, etc, the proposer must make it very clear in the information provided to the President.
   When a grant will significantly add to the workload of an AMATYC appointee or volunteer, that person must agree to the commitment in the grant. If the individual is not able to take on this additional commitment, an alternative way to get the work done needs to be developed before the grant may be submitted. If the PIs are receiving stipends for their work on the grant, provision should be included so that AMATYC appointees or volunteers whose workload is significantly affected receive appropriately scaled compensation.

   The following items are recommended to a proposer.
   1. An AMATYC Board member should be on any advisory board or steering committee.
   2. AMATYC News should be the primary vehicle for providing AMATYC members with information about the grant.
   3. Volunteers of AMATYC may receive compensation in various ways. One such way is to establish an Administrative Committee and charge that committee with certain tasks (as described above). It is recommended that compensation for this committee be at a rate of about 2% per $20,000 of the grant with the President being the person to allocate the funds appropriately.

5. Within ten days after the abstract and budget are submitted to the President, the President will provide the proposer with recommendations regarding the abstract/plan and/or budget. If there are no recommendations, or if the proposer satisfies the President that the proposal and budget will reflect those recommendations, the President will send the proposal (abstract, budget, and timeline) to the Board for its review and approval. The board will respond within two weeks.

A glossary of terms for those seeking AMATYC involvement in a grant.

1. Advisory Board – A group of individuals charged with advising the PIs and other grant-identified persons who make policy for a grant.
2. Accountability – AMATYC does not have a research branch to provide evaluation nor will it, in the cases in which it acts as the administrator, claim accountability for the actions of the investigators.
3. AMATYC – The organization in the broadest sense of the word.
4. Articulation Agreement – A contract, generally between institutions, to insure transferability of work done at one institution to the other.
5. Collaboration – With regard to grants, two schools may work together to the benefit of both. For some NSF grants, in particular ATE grants, a two-year institution works collaboratively with a four-year institution.
6. Conference – The annual AMATYC National Conference, traditionally held in November.
7. Conference Coordinator – An appointed volunteer position within AMATYC charged with overseeing the success of the annual conference.
8. Conference Staff – The volunteers who are charged with various parts of the conference (coordination, program, exhibits, advertising, local events)
9. Executive Board – The Executive Board of AMATYC, charged with creating and administering AMATYC’s budget and its policies.
10. Executive Director of Office Operation – A volunteer position within AMATYC charged with overseeing the day-to-day operations of the AMATYC Office
11. Grants Coordinator – An appointed volunteer position within AMATYC, working with and consulting with the President on AMATYC grant activities.
12. Grant Administrative Committee – An AMATYC committee made up of the President and staff.
13. Indirect Costs – A percentage of the grant request that covers the normally accepted clerical and administrative tasks required for the administration of any grant.
14. Letter of Support – A letter from the President of AMATYC acknowledging support of the project. Any Letter of Support is copied to the members of the AMATYC Executive Board. This is usually written to the funding agency on behalf of the proposers.
15. Office – The paid staff in the AMATYC Office.
16. President – The President of AMATYC
17. Support from AMATYC – This can vary from providing mailing labels to being the administrator for the grant. Any support from AMATYC requires that the proposal be aligned with the goals and mission of AMATYC, will positively impact the teaching and learning of mathematics, is not in competition with an AMATYC activity or proposal, will benefit AMATYC members, will benefit mathematics students, and is in the spirit of the AMATYC strategic plan. All support requires approval by the AMATYC Executive Board.
18. Sustainability – Ensuring that some mechanism will exist to carry on the purpose or outcomes of a grant, after the grant has expired. AMATYC normally can not guarantee sustainability.