Federal Definitions and Terms
Federal Definitions and Terms (Grants.gov)
The following glossary includes commonly used federal grant terms and definitions as defined by Grants.gov. Understanding these terms can help applicants navigate grant applications, compliance requirements, and post-award responsibilities.
- Accrued Expenditures
- Charges incurred by a recipient during a given period requiring the provision of funds for: (1) goods and tangible property received; (2) services performed by employees, contractors, subrecipients, and other payees; and (3) other amounts owed under programs for which no current services or performance is required.
- Accrued Income
- The sum of: (1) earnings during a given period from services performed or goods delivered; and (2) amounts owed to the recipient for which no current services or performance is required.
- Acquisition Cost of Equipment
- The net invoice price of equipment, including modifications, attachments, accessories, and auxiliary apparatus necessary for its intended use. Installation, transportation, taxes, and insurance may be included or excluded according to the recipient’s accounting practices.
- Adobe Reader
- Free software used to access, complete, and submit grant application packages electronically through Grants.gov.
- Advance Payment
- A payment made to a recipient before outlays are incurred or according to predetermined payment schedules.
- Agency Enrollment Code
- A federal grantor agency identifier used within Grants.gov to assign rights and responsibilities to grantor users. This is not required for applicants.
- Agency-Specific Data Sets
- Data collected by a federal agency in addition to the standard SF-424 forms.
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
- A $787 billion economic stimulus package signed into law on February 17, 2009, designed to preserve jobs, invest in infrastructure, improve energy efficiency, and stabilize state and local budgets.
- Application Package
- A collection of forms and documents required to apply for a specific grant opportunity.
- Application Package Template
- A reusable set of forms and documents that can be applied to multiple grant opportunities.
- Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)
- The individual authorized to submit and sign grant applications on behalf of an organization.
- Award
- Financial assistance provided by the federal government to support a public purpose. Awards include grants and cooperative agreements, but exclude loans, contracts, and direct payments to individuals.
- Benefits
- Payments or entitlements provided through wage agreements, insurance policies, or public assistance programs.
- Benefits.gov
- A federal website providing access to government benefit and assistance programs for citizens and businesses.
- CAGE Code
- A five-character identifier assigned through SAM to companies doing business with the federal government.
- Cash Contributions
- Cash outlays made by a recipient, including contributions from third parties.
- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
- An online database of all federal assistance programs available to governments, nonprofits, institutions, and individuals.
- CFDA Number
- The identifying number assigned to a federal program within the CFDA.
- Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
- A former federal vendor registration system, now incorporated into the System for Award Management (SAM).
- Close Date
- The deadline established by the grantor agency for submission of a grant application.
- Closeout
- The process by which the awarding agency confirms all administrative actions and project requirements have been completed.
- Competition ID
- A grantor-assigned identifier used to distinguish multiple opportunities under the same funding number.
- Cooperative Agreement
- A form of financial assistance similar to a grant, but involving substantial federal agency involvement.
- Cost Sharing or Matching
- The portion of project costs not covered by federal funds.
- Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
- A unique nine-digit identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet to identify organizations.
- Discretionary Grant
- A grant for which the awarding agency has discretion in selecting recipients and funding amounts.
- Download
- The transfer of data or files from one computer system to another.
- E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC)
- The individual responsible for managing grant-related activities and authorizing AORs within an organization.
- Equipment
- Tangible, non-expendable personal property with a useful life of more than one year and a unit cost of $5,000 or more (unless lower thresholds are established).
- Federal Grant
- Financial assistance provided by the federal government to support a public purpose, distinct from procurement contracts.
- Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)
- A publicly available notice announcing the availability of grant or cooperative agreement funding.
- Grants.gov
- The federal portal used to find, apply for, and manage federal grant opportunities.
- Mandatory Forms
- Required application forms that must be completed before submission is allowed.
- Organization
- An applicant submitting a grant on behalf of an institution, nonprofit, government, or business entity.
- Outlays (Expenditures)
- Charges made to a project or program, reported on either a cash or accrual basis.
- Project Period
- The time frame during which federal sponsorship of a project is active.
- Recipient
- The organization or individual receiving financial assistance directly from a federal awarding agency.
- Subaward
- Financial assistance passed from a recipient to a subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award.
- Termination
- The cancellation of federal funding, in whole or in part, prior to project completion.
- Unobligated Balance
- Funds authorized by an awarding agency that have not yet been obligated by the recipient.
- Username
- A unique identifier used, along with a password, to access Grants.gov.
- XML
- A structured data format used to define and transport complex documents and datasets.