10.26 Team Eblast

MDE Grant Info

MDE 99h Robotics Grant closes 4:30pm, 10/31; key application info
We are 6 days away from the due date for the MDE 99h Robotics State Grant. Please reach out to your school’s/district’s Level 5 person (usually someone in finance) to make sure your team has been included on the district’s/school’s grant. Both public and non-public school teams can apply for the grant. The grant will close at 4:30pm on October 31.
The maximum funding amounts for FTC teams under this season’s grant are the same for rookie and veteran teams:
  • Maximum Team Award: $1,500
  • Maximum Coach Stipend Award: $1,000 (cap of one stipend per building across robotics programs)
CHECK YOUR TEAM’S 99h GRANT STATUS BEFORE 10/31
To help you connect to your Level 5 person (usually someone in finance) so that they can make sure that all your school’s/district’s teams make it on the grant application, please use the handy link below which includes a list of teams in your district/school and their registration status for the 2022-23 season. This list does not indicate that the team has been included on the 99h grant application, only the Level 5 person can access the grant and verify that info.
  • LIST OF YOUR DISTRICT/SCHOOL FIRST TEAMS & LEVEL 5 INFO: Your district’s/school’s specific link was included in your team specific eblast
BRING BACK YOUR UNREGISTERED TEAMS
It’s not too late to bring back teams that aren’t yet registered for the 2022-23 season. FIRST in Michigan will have spring (mid May) events so that teams can satisfy the competition requirement that accompanies the grant. Registration instructions for Veteran Teams (link) – guide includes screenshots.
If you’re unsure about the team’s ability to participate this season, go ahead and register the team and include them on the grant application. The MDE gives us the latitude to defund a team later but there is no way to add a team to the grant once it closes on 10/31.
 
KEY POINTS FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION:
  • NO roster upload is needed this year.
  • STIPEND:
    • You MUST answer “yes” to the question: “Are you applying for the coach stipend?”.
    • The stipend MUST be on a separate line in the budget.
      • If the coach IS an employee of the district, use “salaries” for the line item.
      • if the coach IS NOT an employee of the district, use “purchased services” for the line item.
    • The amount for the stipend line used in the budget may not exceed the maximum award per the RFP. For a veteran FTC team, the max stipend is $1,000.
    • The application must have the above in order to be considered for a stipend award. 
  • TEAM SUPPORT AWARD:
    • The amount for the team support award goes on its own line item for materials and supplies.
    • It may not exceed the maximum award listed in the RFP. For a veteran FTC team, the maximum amount is $1,500.
  • TOTAL BUDGET:
    • The total budget for a given team should be the sum of the stipend line and the team support award line. So, the total award plus a stipend for a veteran FTC team is $2,500. If you ask for less in any component, the MDE will fund the team at the lesser amount. It’s key to include the maximum award amounts in the budget section.
    • Breakdown for a FTC team:
      Materials and supplies  $1,500
      Salaries or Purchased Services (coach stipend) $1,000
       TOTAL:  $2,500 
RESOURCES (share these with your Level 5 also):