As a research grant awardee, it is essential that you provide detailed and accurate information about the accomplishments of your project and how it has contributed to the field of study. The information you provide in this section is crucial in assessing whether satisfactory progress has been made during this reporting period. Remember that any significant changes in the project or its direction must be approved by the awarding agency grants official. Completing these reports can be a confusing and time-consuming process. Fortunately, for awardees who thought ahead and hired an external independent evaluator, much of this data will already be collected and compiled. An experienced evaluator will be able to guide and assist awardees in properly completing both the interim and final reports for each program year.
Goals and objectives
You should clearly state the major goals and objectives of your project as stated in the approved application or as approved by the agency. You should also describe the proposed technical approach to obtain those goals and milestones/target dates for important activities or phases of the project. For this reporting period, you should describe major activities, specific objectives, significant results or key outcomes, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative), and any other achievements. Include a discussion of stated goals not met, and make sure to emphasize accomplishments rather than just activities.
Dissemination
It is also important to describe any opportunities provided for training and professional development to anyone involved in the project, including courses or one-on-one work with a mentor, workshops, conferences, seminars, study groups, and individual study. If the project was not intended to provide these opportunities, state “Nothing to Report”. Describe how the results were disseminated to communities of interest for this reporting period. Include any outreach activities that were undertaken to reach members of communities who are not usually aware of the project activities for the purpose of enhancing public understanding and increasing interest in learning and careers in science, technology, and the humanities.
If there are no changes to the agency-approved application or plan for this project or if this is the final report, state “Nothing to Report”. Otherwise, describe briefly what you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals and objectives.
Products
In the optional categories section, list any products resulting from the project during this reporting period, including publications, conference papers, presentations, website(s) or other Internet site(s), technologies or techniques, inventions, patent applications, and/or licenses, and other products.
In the participants and other collaborating organizations section, provide information on the individuals who worked on the project, including their names, roles, and the number of months they worked on the project. Describe any changes in active support of the PD/PI(s) or senior/key personnel since the last reporting period. Also, describe any other organizations that were involved as partners and any other collaborators or contacts that were involved.
Impacts
In the impact section, describe ways in which the work, findings, and specific products of the project have had an impact during this reporting period. Describe distinctive contributions, major accomplishments, innovations, successes, or any change in practice or behavior that has come about as a result of the project in various areas.
This includes the development of the principal discipline(s) of the project, other disciplines, human resource development, teaching and educational experiences, physical, institutional, and information resources that form infrastructure, technology transfer, society beyond science and technology, and foreign countries.
Remember that your external independent evaluator is a critical component in maintaining compliance with the RPPR. Make sure to involve them in the data collection and reporting process, provide them with all the necessary information, and allow them to verify and validate the information provided. By working together, you can ensure that your project is successful and makes a significant impact in your field of study.
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