Even if the federal government reopens for business by the time you receive this newsletter, don't get comfortable. Funding streams can dry up, hurricanes can prevent you from finishing your application, your dog can eat your narrative... Factors that affect our work are always changing, and grant writers can't afford to relax.

So how do you cope with circumstances beyond your control? Try these three strategies:

Watch the evening news. Pay attention to weather reports and, yes, the threat of a government shutdown. On the first day of the shutdown, a grant writer completing a proposal for the National Science Foundation needed to refer to its Grant Proposal Guide, the document that governs all NSF submissions. But most of NSF's website went dark, making the Guide inaccessible. She could have downloaded and saved it beforehand, but she assumed standing online information would be immune to a shutdown. (It wasn't.)

Keep working. The government shutdown also caused hair pulling among grant writers submittingRace to the Top District applications last week to the U.S. Department of Education. Although DOE has granted deadline extensions for natural disasters, it did not grant one for the shutdown. Attempted deliveries via FedEx and U.S. mail ran into snags because DOE staff weren't there to receive them, and applicants spent anxious hours trying to confirm delivery. (They succeeded.)

Even if a deadline is postponed, you can't afford to head for the Caribbean for the duration; as soon as the crisis is over, business will resume at breakneck speed. And normal, everyday deadlines? Aim to finish your proposal several days early to accommodate logistical surprises.

Consider other funding. Financial advisers tell you not to put all your investment eggs in one basket. Similarly, you shouldn't rely on just one type of funding. Earlier this year,GrantProse staff noticed that sequestration seemed to result in fewer announcements for new federal grants; the shutdown may have negative effects, too, even after it's resolved.

After a dip during the recession, foundation giving is trending upward in a "modest, but steady" fashion, according to a 2013 Foundation Center report (download the PDF). But foundation assets are tied to the economy and as such are subject to fluctuation -- which means foundation grants are as well. Grant seekers who want to diversify can look beyond foundation and government grants to corporations, associations, and other sources.

The takeaway: Be prepared, stay prepared, and don't let your dog anywhere near your narrative.

Science Equipment Funding, Resources    

Science teachers who lack the supplies or equipment to bring their program ideas to life can tap into free grant services from Ward's Science, which provides science supplies and services for K-14 teachers. Ward's grant services include grant writing help, a free grant-seekers' webinar, and in-kind match of science supplies.