Where can I find some examples of Grant proposals that have been written for a Government contract so I can see what kind of information they contain and how they are organized and presented?

It's unlikely that you'll be able to find these types of proposals. The reason for this is because they are considered to be proprietary and confidential by the companies that develop them. The proposals may contain proprietary and confidential information about the company and its programs, processes and procedures. Many companies keep their proposals under lock and key and/or restrict their access to a limited number of employees to ensure that the proposals don't fall into the hands of competitors or others who might be interested in what the company is doing. The Government assists in this process by providing companies with a means to restrict distribution of their entire proposal or specific pages of their proposals. On occasion, it may be possible to obtain some proposals through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but this can be a lengthy process and there are no assurances that you will receive information that is of any value. However, through FOIA, you can receive certain pricing information for a winning proposal, since this is public information. Below is a very basic sample of some of the components of a proposal. (This does not include the budget detail, which lists all expenditures in line items.)

                    Butterfly Gardens in Schools

Organization:

For more than a century, the City Academy of Sciences has dedicated itself to scientific literacy for all citizens by creating opportunities for adults and children to explore and enjoy the world of science. The Academy's exhibition and education programs build on the Academy's commitment to the natural and environmental sciences. By interacting with exhibits, conducting experiments, or handling live animals, people directly experience the world of science and these experiences become both a base and a springboard for further science learning. One of the exhibits in our newly created Nature Museum that will enhance science learning both inside and beyond the walls of the museum is the Butterfly Haven.

Summary :

Butterflies are a universal attraction among old and young alike; they elicit an intense emotional and aesthetic response from individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and locations. The curiosity fostered from watching butterflies provides an opportunity to convey scientific and conservation information to an audience previously unaware or unfamiliar with environmental issues. Butterflies are an entry point into creating public interest in environmental issues. With this in mind, the Butterfly haven in the new Nature Museum was created to allow visitors to explore the entire life cycle of butterflies and moths native to the State and Region ecosystems, and appreciate more fully biodiversity and conservation issues associated with the region.

Learning, however, does not end when the visitor leaves the building. In order to create life-long learners, a connection must be made between the natural phenomena occuring inside the exibit and that which happens outside, in the visitors own community. To this end, the Academy is seeking funds to use our successful Ecological Citizenship model to create butterfly habitats in schools across the City. These habitats will not only serve as bridges, linking environmental classroom content with an outdoor laboratory, but will serve as an educational tool for parents, and other members of the community. In this pilot project, school teams, comprised of three teachers and their students, will develop local butterfly gardens on their school grounds with assistance from Academy educators and butterfly experts.

Education Priority :

The eighteen teachers selected will participate in an comprehensive teacher training program, a lecture series by experts in the field of butterfly husbandry, receive interactive, educational resources on the World Wide Web, and continual support and interaction from Academy staff members. The teacher workshops will incorporate hands-on lessons from successful environmental curricula, including the City Academy of Sciences' Ecological Citizenship program, while the lectures will be open to the community, and used as a means of enhancing public understanding of current environmental issues

Audience :

The target audience is composed of inner-city students, teachers, parents, and members of their communities throughout the City area. Specifically, three teachers and their students from six schools will be selected by application process, to participate in the BuGS project.

Delivery :

To reach our audience the BuGS project will select 6 school teams, each comprised of three teachers and their students. Teachers will receive three workshops, three site visits, and continual assistance from Academy staff throughout the 1998-1999 school year. A series of public lectures by butterfly experts will be held to attract community involvement, as will the creation and maintenance of a web site, devoted to the BuGS project. Due to the universal appeal of butterflies. and the ease with which this project can be adapted, this model can be disseminated throughout the country to assist other environmentally-active institutions in introducing enviromental issues, such as biodiversity, restoration and conservation and community action projects into their school-based communities.

Cost :

The Academy is requesting $24,500 to conduct three teacher workshops, offer two, public lectures, develop, install, and maintain a web site, and conduct a comprehensive evaluation strategy.