# Federal Grant Law and Policy Framework (Self-Paced)

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/federal-grant-law-and-policy-framework-self-paced>

## Overview

Federal Grant Law and Policy Framework is a two-day course that provides a structured, practical overview of the laws, regulations, and policy guidance that govern federal grant programs. It examines how statutory authority, administrative law, and executive branch policy shape how grants are designed, awarded, managed, and overseen.

Participants learn how key legal authorities interact, including authorizing statutes, appropriations law, the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act, and the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR Part 200, and how these requirements translate into operational decisions. Through applied discussion and realistic examples, the course strengthens participants’ ability to interpret requirements accurately, exercise discretion appropriately, and support defensible grant management decisions.

## What you'll learn

- Identify the primary legal authorities governing federal grants and cooperative agreements
- Explain the relationship between statutes, regulations, and policy guidance
- Distinguish grants from cooperative agreements and procurement contracts
- Interpret key provisions of the Uniform Guidance
- Apply legal and policy requirements to grant program design and administration
- Recognize areas of discretion and limitation in grant management decisions
- Identify common legal and policy misinterpretations that create risk
- Support defensible decision-making under audit and oversight review
- Communicate legal and policy requirements clearly to stakeholders
- Demonstrate compliance grounded in legal authority rather than custom or habit

## Curriculum

#### Module 1: Overview of Federal Grant Law and Policy

- Identify core sources of federal grant authority.
- Understand the hierarchy of legal and policy requirements.
- Recognize how grant law differs from procurement law.

#### Module 2: Authorizing Statutes and Appropriations

- Interpret statutory authority for grant programs.
- Understand appropriations constraints.
- Identify implications for allowable activities and funding use.

#### Module 3: Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act

- Explain the purpose and scope of the Act.
- Distinguish grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.
- Apply the Act to award selection decisions.

#### Module 4: The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200)

- Understand the structure and purpose of the Uniform Guidance.
- Identify key requirements affecting grant management.
- Apply regulatory provisions to operational decisions.

#### Module 5: Agency-Specific Policies and Terms

- Identify agency supplements and policies.
- Understand the role of award terms and conditions.
- Recognize conflicts between policy and regulation.

#### Module 6: Administrative Discretion and Limits

- Identify areas where agencies and recipients have discretion.
- Recognize limits imposed by law and regulation.
- Avoid informal practices that exceed authority.

#### Module 7: Legal Risk and Oversight

- Identify legal risks in grant management.
- Understand oversight roles of OMB, GAO, and Inspectors General.
- Recognize how legal issues become audit findings.

#### Module 8: Enforcement, Remedies, and Corrective Actions

- Understand enforcement authorities under federal grants.
- Identify available remedies and sanctions.
- Apply proportional responses to noncompliance.

#### Module 9: Documentation and Defensibility

- Document decisions grounded in legal authority.
- Prepare grant files for legal and audit review.
- Avoid documentation gaps that increase risk.

#### Module 10: Capstone Simulation – Applying Grant Law and Policy

- Apply legal and policy concepts to a realistic scenario.
- Identify appropriate authorities for decisions.
- Support defensible grant management actions.

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $1050