The Sponsored Programs Officer will work with the Principal Investigator (PI) on the proposal submission. The PI should review Principal Investigator Eligibility and Responsibility before proposal preparation. PIs should refer to the following sections when preparing proposals:
Institutional Data
Budget Preparation
Internal Approval Requirements
To facilitate the orderly submission of grant proposals, the College has instituted a sign-off process for all grants and fellowships involving funds routed through the College and therefore requiring institutional approval. The PI should complete the Sign-Off Transmittal Form and submit it to the Sponsored Programs Officer with a final budget, final budget justification, and draft proposal. (The Sponsored Programs Officer will provide guidance in the creation of these documents.) To obtain institutional approval, the draft proposal must be near completion, with only edits remaining. The Sign-Off Transmittal Form with accompanying documents are due to the Sponsored Programs Officer no less than one week in advance of the proposal deadline. Faculty members are encouraged to begin the approval process as early as possible. Last-minute proposals may not be able to receive institutional sign-off and therefore may not be able to be submitted to external funders.
The Sponsored Programs Officer will circulate the completed Sign-Off Transmittal Form to the Director of Finance and Budget and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (or other appropriate Senior Staff member). If the proposal is institutional and/or programmatic in scope and involves financial commitments by the College, the President’s approval is required. Faculty members who plan to submit grant proposals requiring institutional approval are also urged to discuss applications with their department chairs. It is the responsibility of the PI to obtain the department chair’s signature if the grant affects the department.
A copy of the final proposal must be given to the Sponsored Programs Officer before submission.
A PI applying for federal funding must also submit a Financial Disclosure Form to the Sponsored Programs Officer at the same time as the Sign-Off Transmittal Form. In addition, a Financial Disclosure Form is required from each person responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research under the terms of a federal grant or contract.
Fellowship applications should be discussed with department chairs and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and reported to the Sponsored Programs Officer. Most do not require institutional approval. Only fellowships in which funds are routed through the College require approval.
Record Maintenance
PI’s should maintain all grant-related documents according to the College’s Record Retention Policy, which requires the retention of grant-related records for five years after the end date of the project. All correspondence to and from the funding agency should be given to the Sponsored Programs Officer, regardless of the funding status. Electronic and hard copies are acceptable.