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Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Prepare Proposal

Proposal Application Package

Before beginning your application, carefully read the Request for Application / Proposal or Program Announcement / solicitation. Use any sponsor-provided templates. If you are submitting an unsolicited proposal, contact the sponsor for specific instructions about what to include in the proposal package.

  • eGC1

    The eGC1 is the required internal compliance form that PIs and department can access via SAGE, the System to Administer Grants Electronically. The entire proposal package must be attached to the GC1.

    GIM 1 Section 1 provides guidance regarding the review and approval of proposals (GIM 1, Section 1).

  • Sponsor cover page or letter

    If the sponsor does not specify a particular format for the cover/title page, OSP will provide standard cover and include specific language if necessary.

    See Facts and Rates for institutional numbers, codes, contacts and addresses needed to complete the cover page.

    If the department would like to draft the cover letter, the letter should carry the university letterhead, be drafted and signed by the principal investigator, and be countersigned by an institutional representative, the Office of Sponsored Programs.

  • Budget

    Sponsors customarily specify how budgets should be presented and what costs are allowable. Note any restrictions that the sponsor indicates in the announcement.

    • OSP Guide to Budget Preparation (GIM 1 Section III)
      Includes guidance regarding salaries, excess compensation to faculty, provision for anticipated salary increases, employee benefits, direct operations costs, cost-sharing, facilities & administrative (indirect) costs, and unexpended balances.
    • Facts & Rates for Grant Applications
      Includes tuition, salary, stiped, rent, and facilities and administrative cost rates.
    • SAGE Budget Module
      A comprehensive, easy-to-use, campus-wide budgeting tool that assists users in generating budgets for grants & contracts. Budgets can be imported into the eGC1 budget page and a pdf version with full detail is attached to the eGC1 for reference.
    • eGC1 Cost Sharing Addendum doc file format
      When applicable, this form must be completed and submitted to OSP at the time the application is reviewed. Cost sharing occurs when an application commits allowable expenses (i.e., personnel, tuition, equipment or services) for which the research grant will not be charged.
    • Person Months Conversion Chart pdf file format
    • Person Months Interactive Calculator xls file format
  • Budget Justification

    The justification provides specific details about how the sponsor's funds will be spent.

    At a minimum, the following fields should be addressed, in the order that they appear in the budget: personnel, supplies, equipment, travel, other direct costs, F&A, and subcontracts/consortium (if applicable).

  • Narrative/scope of work/project description

    The narrative must contain specifics including details of experiments and/or applications, both to show that planning has been done and to help reviewers understand why the particular application you propose is better than other ideas. It is critical to respond to all sponsor requests for information about the project.

    For detailed guidance and tips on proposal writing in general, please see the following links under "Proposal Writing."

  • Other Proposal Items

    Depending on sponsor requirements and the nature of your proposal, the following items may be contained within your proposal.

    • Abstract
    • Table of Contents
    • Introduction (including Statement of Problem, Purpose of Research, and Significance of Research)
    • Background (including Literature Survey)
    • Description of Proposed Research (including Method or Approach)
    • Description of Relevant Institutional Resources
    • List of References
    • Personnel Section: an explanation of the proposed personnel arrangements and the biographical data sheets for each of the main contributors to the project.
    • Representations and Certifications

Proposal Writing

Considerations for Proposal Preparation