Preparing proposals for external funding

Submitting Your Proposal

Before a proposal may be submitted to a sponsor, it must first be reviewed by appropriate administrative personnel for:

• Completeness: Have the grantor requirements been met and is the proposal structured as directed by the program guidelines?
• Accuracy: Is the budget adequate to accomplish the proposed tasks, are the proper rates used, does the budget calculate properly?
• Compliance: Is your application compliant with applicable college, sponsor, state and federal guidelines?

In order to facilitate the administrative review process, a Statement of Commitments and Proposal Approval Form has been developed to ensure that a proposal is properly routed, reviewed and approved by all required parties prior to submission. The Statement of Commitments and Proposal Approval Form is an internal document and should not be submitted to the sponsor. 

At least seven business days prior to the due date, the following should be on file with the Office of Sponsored Research:

• Statement of Commitment and Proposal Approval Form
• Final budget and budget justification
• Copy of the proposal narrative 

The Office of Sponsored Research is responsible for the electronic submission of proposals unless the sponsor guidelines specify submission by the principal investigator. If submission of paper copies of the proposal is required by the sponsor, the principal investigator is responsible for the timely submission of these documents.

Individuals should not submit proposals without the involvement of either the Office of Sponsored Research or the Office of Foundation and Corporate Relations.

The Office of Sponsored Research's goal is to upload electronic applications at least two business days prior to the due date in order to avoid any last-minute problems that could result in transmission or validation failure.