Write proposal

Plan proposal

Scientific personnel should work with research support to identify technical and business elements that will need to be submitted as part of their research proposals. These requirements will vary depending on the source of funding.

Before preparing your proposal, carefully read the Funding Opportunity Announcement/Sponsor instructions. This will help you to guide your proposal development.

In addition to these instructions, sponsors often have general policies and guidelines that must be followed. Review additional guidelines for topics such as Human Subjects, Sub awards, Industry Clinical Trials, etc.

Develop proposal content

Identify and plan for internal deadlines related to the technical and business components of your proposals. Business components often must be finalized ahead of associated technical components. Use the checklist to ensure you have all your bases covered.

Prepare all the requirements for the proposal submission, using the templates provided by the sponsor (if available). Usually proposals must contain a research plan, budget, budget justification, collaborator letters of intent, researchers’ Curriculum Vitae (CV), and, if applicable, other sponsor-required documentation. Coordinate letters of support or commitment from any other investigators or research institutes to ensure final copies are received and incorporated into your proposal in time for internal and sponsor deadlines.

Early review and planning to include researchers CV and collaborators information can help with  preparation and prevent delays in proposal routing. There may be other unique considerations depending on the research plan and who is participating on the project.

Research plan

Research plan describes the research to be conducted and may include a timeline, milestones, and deliverables. Consult sponsor guidelines and any relevant funding opportunity announcements for guidance. The level of detail will vary depending upon the proposal/award type (e.g., grant or contract) and sponsor and should be adjusted appropriately. Generally, it is best to provide as much detail as required to meet the potential sponsor’s needs, but not so much as to restrict your ability to adjust the scope if necessary during the project. Provide enough details about the purpose and aims so your administrative and compliance reviewers have the information needed to carry out their review.

Budget preparation

The budget is a financial reflection of the research plan. Follow internal and external sponsor guidelines. And see Financial items Checklist.

Budget justification

The budget justification accompanies your budget and describes to the sponsor how each cost will support the award.

Collaborator letters of intent

Collaborators can be subrecipients, consultants, or other significant contributors.

Researchers’ CV or biosketches

Most sponsors use CVs or biosketches to assess the qualifications of the PI and other key personnel on a project. These often include information on education and training background, positions held, research support and publications, as well as honors or other recognition received in the individual’s field of study. Sponsors typically have specific templates to use.