Proposal Development

General information about our policies and services is below. Check out our Federal Agency Guidance and SciENcv Guide for more specific resources.

Engagement Timeline

As soon as you identify a program that you’re interested in submitting to, even if you’re not ready to start writing, email [email protected] to get assigned to a grant specialist. It’s never too early to put it on our radar!

While we understand that grant opportunities often pop up with tight submission windows, a minimum of 45 days in advance of the submission deadline is ideal.

PIs are strongly discouraged from pursuing new grant opportunities with deadlines in less than 2 weeks.

Late-Notice Proposals

Late notice proposals open UTC up to significant risks and liabilities because there is little to no time for review prior to submission. PIs who notify ORSP about their intent to apply to a program with 5 or fewer business days in advance of the submission deadline must first secure special approval from their Department Head. The Department Head must email their approval to [email protected] with the acknowledgement that the department is willing to take on any liability associated with the late submission (cost-share, budget issues, conflicts of interests, etc.). This email will be attached in Cayuse as part of the proposal record.

ORSP reserves the right to withdraw late-notice proposals or decline an award for such a proposal if a post-submission review identifies any non-compliant elements that cannot be satisfactorily resolved.

Proposal Development Services

With enough lead time, ORSP can provide the following proposal development services. Note: Items marked with an asterisk (*) require a minimum 45-day lead time.

Proposal Preparation Documentation

• ORSP develops a detailed, funding opportunity-specific checklist of all required application components, assigns responsibility for each component, and the timeline for completion.
• *ORSP can provide an outline and/or templates for the proposal narrative and other required documents, such as letters of support.
• *ORSP can request sample funded proposals for proposals to some federal programs. This service works most effectively for proposal submissions at least 3 months out.

Team-Building Assistance

• *ORSP can assist with identifying potential internal or external collaborators for your team.
• *ORSP can help coordinate and/or attend team planning meetings.
• *ORSP works with the sponsored programs or business offices of external partners to secure subaward or collaborative documentation for submission. Subaward monitoring is the responsibility of the PI. Visit our Contacts webpage to learn more.

Budget Development

• ORSP develops the project budget with PI input and feedback.  Learn more about this process on our Budget Development webpage.
• ORSP can provide an initial draft of the budget justification/narrative for you to complete.

Content Review

• *ORSP can provide an editorial review of the proposal draft for responsiveness, rhetorical strategies, line edits, etc.
• *ORSP can recruit external content experts to provide a technical review of the proposal prior to submission to the sponsor. External reviewers receive a small stipend for their time.

Compliance Review

• ORSP will conduct a compliance review to ensure the proposal meets formatting and other sponsor & program requirements.
• ORSP will review Outside Interest Disclosure forms for all named project personnel. Individuals with approval dates older than 12 months will be required to submit an updated form before submission. For more information about this process, review our OID guide for researchers here.

Internal Approvals

• ORSP can help you initiate your proposal entry in Cayuse (internal approval system). The PI is responsible for completing it and routing it for internal approvals. Read more about Cayuse here.
• ORSP will screen the proposal for potential regulatory compliance concerns to help ensure the Cayuse proposal is appropriately marked and routed.  

Submission

• In most cases, ORSP submits the proposal on your behalf. The PI is responsible for scheduling a time to submit with their assigned Pre-Award staff member.

Other Proposal Development Resources

Data Requests

• High-level aggregate data on enrollment, matriculation, and graduation for completed academic years are available from the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Institutional Research (OPEIR) at their Factbook webpage.
• The PI can request other institutional data directly from OPEIR here.

Research Compliance

• Know your regulatory compliance responsibilities before submitting a proposal.  Visit the Office of Research Integrity website to review policies and procedures for research involving human subjects or human data, vertebrate animals, biohazardous materials, ITAR- or EAR-controlled technology (such as drones), and/or international travel or collaborations.

Intellectual Property

• Protect your IP before submitting a proposal. Contact UTC’s Commercialization Counselor or visit the UT Research Foundation webpage to learn more about invention disclosures, technology transfer, commercialization licensing, and/or paths to entrepreneurship.