Research Proposal Development at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution

1. How Many Sponsors Are There?
That’s How Many Methods of Submission
There Are!
*

2. *
*From concept to written proposal, the sponsor
always has some influence on the end product
*The final, institutionally approved, peer reviewed,
Chair assessed, OSP refined, friend proof read,
spousal final ok’d version of the proposal must be
submitted to the sponsor in the format (in every
definition of the term) required by the sponsor

3. *
*Definitions of Format:
*Font type, size, page margins, number of pages PER
SECTION!
*Same names different format: NIH Biosketch; NSF
Biosketch, NIH Data Sharing Plan, NSF Data
Management Plan-these are sponsor specific elements
of a proposal
*Grants Proposal Guide (NSF’s GPG), NIH’s Grants
Process including almost all steps for an NIH Proposal,
the Federal Register, Grants.gov, US DOJ etc

4. *Grants.gov was the outcome
of a mandate by the federal
government to make
applying for federal funding
more simple. Not everyone
bought in!
*

5. *Every element in the
mandatory documents
must be completed
according to sponsor
requirements.
*

6. *
OSP has said it before, and we will say it
again! Read the Parent and Program
Announcement! Be with us upon sumbission

7. *Even if OSP and the
Faculty Proposer have
read the Sponsor
Guidelines and the
Program Announcement,
things pop up that are
often missed!

8. Having the PI or PD
Available to answer Topic
Specific Questions…’What
Species Does this
Research Address?’ is not
a Question that OSP Can
Answer!!

9. *
Mechanisms include: Grants.gov, NSF Fastlane, NIH
Commons, US Dept of Education, US Dept of Justice
Grants Management System and more

10. *
Take the time to work with peers, OSP, Chairs,
Deans and Anyone who will read your proposal.
Time is the most overlooked and misused aspect
of submission!