When: Available On-Demand!

Cost: $75

Who Should Attend: Nonprofit professionals who want to be prepared to navigate the federal grant process with confidence.

Have you ever wondered what happens after you hit the submit button? As an applicant, the review process can seem mysterious. Step behind the scenes of the federal grant review process with Decoding the Grant Review, the final session in Assel Grant Services’ Federal Bootcamp. Led by experienced grant reviewer, Tracey Diefenbach, this 60-minute training demystifies how federal agencies score, rank, and select proposals. Learn how to interpret rubrics, avoid common weaknesses, analyze reviewer feedback, and factor in non-scoring considerations that influence funding decisions. Whether you are new to federal grants or looking to sharpen your competitive edge, you will walk away with insider strategies to strengthen future applications and boost your chances of success.

What you will learn:

  • Federal grant review process 
  • How reviewers assess applications using scoring systems and rubrics 
  • How to avoid common weaknesses
  • Importance of non-competitive factors


This is a self-study course in which each participant is required to complete all elements of the training to receive any and all CPE credits and CE units.

These elements include:

  • Watching all video content in full
  • Completing all embedded engagement activities
  • Completing all evaluation forms
  • Completing the final assessment with a passing score of at least 70%
  • Completing all course elements, including the assessment, within one year of the date of purchase or enrollment


Instructional Delivery Method: Self-Study
Recommended NASBA CPE Credits: 1.0
GPCI/CFRE Approved CEU Credits: 1.0
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Knowledge Level: Basic
Prerequisite Education, Experience, or Advance Preparation: None

Presented by:
Tracey Diefenbach, MA, GPC


Course publication date: 
Course revision date: 
Course review date: 

Course reviewer:

Relevant Training Policies
Training Cancellations and Refund Policy
Training Complaint Resolution Policy


Assel Grant Services is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

Course curriculum

    1. About this Course

    2. Meet Your Instructor

    3. Course Materials

    4. Video: Federal Grant Development - Decoding the Grant Review

    5. Post-Presentation Assessment/Quiz - Decoding the Grant Review

    6. Course Evaluation Form

    7. Instructor Evaluation Form

About this course

  • $75.00
  • 7 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content

The trainers for these sessions are all credentialed grant professionals (GPCs) through the Grant Professional Certification Institute, Approved Trainers with the Grant Professionals Association, and/or credentialed Certified Grant Management Specialists (CGMS) through the National Grant Management Association. All of the trainings in this series align with the CGMS exam classification system and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute’s competencies and skills, and are approved for Continuing Education Units (CEU) by GPCI and CFRE International.