Endorsement Letter

The Endorsement Letter, also known as an Exceptions Letter or Subcontract Statement of Intent, is a key component of a proposal, Letter of Intent, or Pre-Award Revision. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) requires an Endorsement Letter be included in the submission to the sponsor for all of these actions. This letter is especially important for proposals in which the University will be the prime contractor on a federal contract because it reserves the University’s right to negotiate the final agreement. Without it, the Government may award a contract without further negotiations.  

The endorsement letter:

  • Provides official Institutional endorsement of the proposal, Letter of Intent, or Pre-Award Revision
  • Provides a list of any exceptions the University takes to the proposed terms and conditions
  • Provides a general capabilities statement for the University
  • Provides a policy statement regarding the University’s Openness in Research Policy
Should I draft an endorsement letter from the University or will the Office of Sponsored Programs do that for me?
 
The Office of Sponsored Programs will draft an Endorsement Letter on OSP letterhead to accompany your proposal, Letter of Intent, or Pre-Award Revision. If desired, the Principal Investigator may draft a secondary letter in support of the proposal or request that OSP include specific additional information in the Endorsement Letter.