The Florida Defense Support Task Force is looking to create an application process for those seeking military-related grants from the panel. The goal is to cut down on the appearance of favoritism.
At the task force’s Wednesday meeting, a not-for profit group called the Doolittle Institute asked for 100,000 dollars in grant money to help form a partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. But, Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll says she has concerns about approving the request because it’s different from the task force using its 5-million dollar allocation to award contracts, which, unlike grants, are performance-based.
“A grant is just free money you’re given and then you perform or not perform," said Carroll. "So, let’s come up with a clear application process, so we don’t appear to be biased. And, in that application, for anyone who’s coming to us for the grant, do they fit into our objective?”
Carroll says if the task force does not adopt standard procedures for awarding grants, it could open the door to the possibility of lawsuits.
