SAN JOSE, Calif. — I'm not a grant writer. I don't even play one on TV. I am just a reporter.
But when I wrote a story in October about the Department of Energy giving away $100 million to train engineers on smart electric grid technology, I felt hooked. I had to get someone to write a federal grant proposal.
The rationale was clear and compelling. My company runs big events and big Web sites that train engineers. In the wake of a recession of historic proportions, the Obama Administration was pumping nearly a trillion dollars in economic stimulus funds into the economy for all sorts of things including broadband access, digital medical records and training engineers to build and run a smart grid.
It was a moment not to be missed. I just wanted our rightful piece of the action.
Dozens, maybe hundreds of well meaning employees in electronics companies around America found themselves in similar positions. We were compelled to act despite a nagging little voice in our heads reminding us how hard it can be just to renew a driver's license at the local Secretary of State office, let alone apply to Uncle Sam in Washington for a million bucks.
Like many of my peers, I took a long, deep breath, and sent that first email. What follows is a map of the pot holes, panic attacks and free advice I found on my journey.
