Federal grant applications, particularly under the current administration, require avoiding terms related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), climate change, and specific social, gender, or health topics to avoid, review, or rejection. Key restricted terms include "equity," "diversity," "inclusion," "climate change," "gender-affirming care," "systemic racism," and "marginalized".
Using words like “activism,” “marginalize,” and “prejudice” in a federal grant application could work against researchers. These words might flag grant applications for federal agencies, but not necessarily for nongovernmental funding.
Economic well-being: high poverty rates and low income levels in a state increase the likelihood of federal spending on assistance programs, while high incomes reduce the likelihood of such federal spending and increase federal tax payments.
The list of banned words circulating at the National Science Foundation and science circles across the country includes: women, disability, bias, status, trauma, Black, Hispanic communities, as well as socioeconomic, ethnicity and systemic.
Also in the top 10 are “demure,” “incentivize,” “perfect,” “gift/gifted,” “my bad” and “reach out.”
The most common reasons for proposal rejection boil down to a surprisingly small set of simple and familiar failures:
Federal funds are all moneys received directly from the federal government. The expenditure of these funds is administered through or under the direction of any agency/department and is reported as Federal Trust Fund moneys in the “Detail of Appropriations” within the Governor's Budget.
Duplicative audits, overlapping, inconsistent, and sometimes even conflicting compliance procedures, retroactive imposition of reporting requirements, incompatible and inconsistent data collection, and a lack of standardization that inject vagaries into an already complex process waste countless dollars for both ...
The Fed adjusts the federal funds rate in response to economic conditions: Lowering the rate: When the Fed wants to stimulate economic growth or prevent unemployment from rising, it lowers the target federal funds rate. This makes borrowing cheaper throughout the economy, encouraging spending and investment.
Blocked words are used to filter out unwanted language in your community. Students very rarely use inappropriate language, but we have added this feature to give instructors some added peace of mind.
Banned Words on Character.AI (Soft Ban)
Categories of Commonly Flagged Words:
To work with the Facebook algorithm, use words that drive genuine engagement (like "comment," "share," "tell us," "you") and emotional reactions (love, haha, wow), while avoiding spammy, clickbait, or overly promotional terms like "buy now," "free," "discount," "guarantee," and "engagement bait" (e.g., "like if you agree") that get demoted, focusing instead on high-quality content, native video, and timely interaction.
The 5 Rs of grant writing provide a framework for success: Readiness, ensuring your organization is prepared; Research, finding aligned funders; Relationships, building connections with grantmakers; Responsiveness/Writing, crafting a clear, tailored proposal that meets guidelines; and Reporting, showing impact after funding, ensuring future success. These steps move from preparation to post-award, emphasizing strategic engagement and clear communication.
A 5-Step Guide to Secure Your Government Grants
Federal grant competitions are tough.
The application guidelines are extremely detailed and, in some of the most competitive programs, even loss of a few points can sink your chances for a grant award.
Using this metric, Alaska had the highest rate of federal funding in 2021 at roughly $8,628 per person, a whole 26.5% more than the second-highest state, Rhode Island, which received $6,821.
Discretionary spending - federal agency funding. Congress sets funding levels for these each year. This usually accounts for around a third of all funding.
Four Types of Federal Grant Funding to Help You Achieve Your Mission
Here are some common reasons why you may get rejected after a great interview:
Research proposals to NSF generally must include the following parts:
A Polite Opening – Acknowledge the proposal and express appreciation. A Clear Reason for Rejection – Briefly explain why the proposal is not being accepted. A Professional and Positive Tone – Keep the language respectful and constructive.