Read any good books lately? How about some scientific studies? Well, if you are interested in the latter, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that it plans to make it easier for the public to peruse the outcomes of federally funded research studies.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) Although faith-based organizations receiving federal grant funding under programs that statutorily prevent employment discrimination based on religion may now request an exemption to hire based on religion, only a small percentage of these organizations over the last several years have actually obtained such an exemption, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Federal funds continue to go out to those hit by natural disasters this summer, and in especially large amounts. Just last Friday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it had awarded $5.024 billion to help those residents of Texas recover from severe floods caused by Hurricane Harvey. The grant is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program and will support the repair of damaged homes, businesses and critical infrastructure in the state.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Single Audit Information Service.) The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) recently issued guidance to state agencies receiving awards under Crime Victims Fund (CVF) grant programs that explains prime recipient responsibilities for the oversight of subrecipient activities, according to a recent audit by the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG). In addition, offices within OJP plan to collaborate with other DOJ offices to evaluate the effectiveness of its internal oversight practices.

In honor of the old Willie Nelson song, we’re on the road again. We’ll be spending the next couple of days outside the office to cover some interesting events around the D.C. area, which could provide some valuable information for our subscribers.

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a memorandum to federal agencies that would allow them discretion to amend certain pre-award and post-award federal grants requirements for nonfederal entities affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Without trying to date myself, I recall that the early 1970s was an era of some truly sappy love songs. Some of the leading contenders include “Lovin’ You” by Minnie Riperton, “Muskrat Love” by the Captain and Tennille, and “Close to You” by the Carpenters. But the introductory lines to another on this list brings me to the true topic of this blog post. If you recall the song, “Do You Know” by Diana Ross, the first stanza goes, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?”

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking comments on how to reduce regulatory barriers in order for faith-based organizations to participate in HHS-funded programs, particularly in light of a recent attorney general memorandum to federal agencies.

The 2017 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Compliance Supplement has been available for a couple of months now, but one group now is strongly urging OMB to make a change to it. For that matter, it also want to see a change to uniform grant guidance.