Who Can Submit a Proposal?
Because of the diversity in type and purpose of various proposal mechanisms, we strongly encourage close review of the eligibility requirements with the solicitation as well as close collaboration with your specific Dean's Office to ensure that the PI is an appropriate candidate for the proposal/award. Some mechanisms apply to current graduate and PhD students (fellowships, etc.); others are geared toward new investigators; others are for breakthrough research, etc. It is important to read each solicitation closely to ensure proper candidacy for the specific mechanism.
Who is Responsible for Proposal Submission?
Department
Each department is responsible for the preparation of the research proposal under the direction of the department chair and principal investigator who will oversee the planned project. Department administrators should work closely with the principal investigator to prepare the proposal for submission and to obtain all of the necessary documents required for subsequent proposal review.
Chair
The Chair or designee for each department is responsible for the review and endorsement of the proposal on a department level and in some cases is responsible for forwarding the paperwork to the Dean's office for signature. The Chair is also instrumental in making the PI eligibility determination.
Dean
The Dean or designee for each school is responsible for the review and endorsement of the proposal on a school level and in some cases is responsible for forwarding it to the Office of Sponsored Programs for final review and submission.
Office of Sponsored Programs
All proposals submitted by University personnel must be transmitted and reviewed by the Office of Sponsored Programs prior to the submission to the sponsor to ensure adherence to all external and internal policies and procedures. The Vice Chancellor for Sponsored Programs and Research Operations serves as the Authorized University Official responsible for endorsing research proposals for submission to a sponsor. Proposals received by the Grants Management Team will be reviewed in accordance with our Standard Proposal Review Guidelines.
Each department has a dedicated Grants and Contracts Officer and a Grants Analyst responsible for the review and submission of every grant proposal. You can locate your Grants Officer.