Office of Sponsored Programs Checklist for Proposal Development & Submission

Checklist for Proposal Development and Submission

This checklist includes the following sections:
Development | Submission | Follow Up

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

• Define your project idea.
• Meet with OSP to discuss your ideas and possible funding sources.
• Identify potential sponsors and obtain the guidelines or contact OSP for most current funding information. OSP will obtain the program guidelines, contact information, model applications (if available), sponsor information (who's been funded, where is the funding going, etc.).
• Read the sponsor's guidelines, annual reports, and web pages very carefully. Look at the priorities of the funding source to make sure that the sponsor is a match.
• For an electronic submission, look at the need for investigator registration, which system will be used (FastLane, Grants.gov, eraCommons etc.) to strategize upload timelines, possible error messages, etc.
• Develop a 3-5 page concept paper.
• Develop a timeline to meet sponsor deadline.
• Contact the sponsor Program Officer (well before the deadline). See if they will look at your concept paper. Ask questions.
• Sign-Offs (OSP, Deans, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Research Foundation Operations Manager).
• Human Subjects: Are human subjects involved? See Campus Policies
• Subcontracts - develop scope of work and budget; check with OSP for subcontract agreement information, boilerplate and consultant regulations.
• Collaborations - letters of support
• Disclosure – Is this a Federal grant? Do you meet the salary threshold for SUNY II Disclosure? You are required to file SUNY Academic Filers Disclosure Form
• Certifications - Contact the OSP to get the Certifications required signed by the proper official.
• Develop the proposal narrative
• Develop Budget - submit a draft budget to OSP at least 15 days prior to proposal deadline to insure the budget is in compliance with appropriate regulations and policies OR work with OSP staff to develop your budget. Remember, a budget is the cost of performing the research or program you are proposing, so sufficient detail about what you will be doing will be necessary. Make an appointment for budget development as early as possible in the application process. You may use our Budget Development and Sample Budget Worksheet.
• Follow the sponsor guidelines. If the sponsor does not provide specific guidelines on the proposal narrative see the Components of a Proposal section.
• Insure that the narrative and the budget agree.
• Obtain peer review if you have time. Prepare the 1st draft, solicit peers to review draft for clarity, appropriateness of methodology and data analysis as well as for quality of technical writing. The OSP can also provide technical reading for you.
• Refine and finalize the draft.
• Submit reviewed budget, required application content and proposal narrative to OSP at least five days prior to the deadline.

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SUBMISSION

• It is the responsibility of the investigator/program director to thoroughly check the final copy of the grant prior to upload. OSP will check the format of the proposal based on sponsor guidelines and specifications and upload the proposal. Once loaded and submitted, the OSP will obtain a copy of the proposal and send to the investigator(s).

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FOLLOW UP

• If the opportunity arises, OSP will help you negotiate the award.
• If an award is made for the full amount, no further institutional signatures are required. Contact OSP to coordinate Pre-award to Post-award transition.
• If an award is made for a different amount, a revised budget document must be prepared and the necessary signatures must be obtained.
• If an application is declined,obtain reviewer comments and confer with OSP staff to understand where reviewers felt the proposal may have been unclear or fell short. Identify the next application deadline round and revise and resubmit the proposal, taking into account the reviewer’s comments.

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