Proposal Submission Deadline Policy

Effective Date: Applies to proposal submissions due on or after March 1, 2026. These timelines replace prior internal submission deadlines.

To ensure timely and accurate submission of proposals for sponsored projects and to honor our commitment to a healthy work-life balance for our staff, the following policy was developed in collaboration between the Vice President for Research, Collaborative Grant Services (CGS), Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) and the Associate Deans for Research (ADRs). This policy outlines the timeline and responsibilities for the proposal preparation and submission process. Adherence to these deadlines is essential to maintain compliance with sponsor requirements and to facilitate internal review processes.

Policy Overview

Proposal Initiation Form (PIF) Submission to CGS
1. A PIF must be submitted no later than one month (30 days) prior to a sponsor’s deadline to initiate the proposal process. Most sponsor deadlines are known well in advance, so early submission is strongly encouraged. It is never too early to submit a PIF.
2. By 10 a.m. the first business day after PIF submission, an automated email to the Principal Investigator (PI) will request budget and other information and identify the CGS Pre-Award Specialist who will work on that proposal. The proposal submission timeline with deadlines specified will be included in the email. To accommodate equitable workload distribution, the assigned CGS Pre-Award Grant Specialist may be updated in some cases, especially around peak agency deadlines.
3. CGS Pre-Award Grant Specialist will contact PI within two (2) business days following the automated email generated by PIF submission to discuss the proposal.
4. The CGS Pre-Award Grant Specialist will begin work on the budget, initiate the Internal Approval Form (IAF) and the proposal package in Cayuse (or other sponsor submission system, as appropriate) at any time after this discussion occurs or, in the absence of a formal Zoom/Teams or phone discussion, after the PI sends the initial budget information.
Draft Budget Development and Review
No later than three (3) weeks (15 business days) before the sponsor’s deadline, the CGS Pre-Award Grant Specialist (GS) and the OSPA Pre-Award Research Administrator (RA) will meet to review the draft budget. The review will focus on the following:
1. Budget caps and allowability constraints.
2. Application of correct F&A rates including:
  - Sponsor F&A policy or program announcement guidelines.
  - Proper characterization of the project as research, instruction or other.
  - Off-Campus Rate Worksheet (if applicable) must be completed prior to the meeting (approvals can come later but before proposal submission).
  - F&A waiver requests (approvals can come later but before final proposal is submitted to OSPA for review).
  - Cost share requests (approvals can come later but before final proposal is submitted to OSPA for review).
  - Tuition costs.
  - Equipment purchases.
  - Subawards or vendor determinations.
  - Correct interpretation of any “stipend” or participant support costs.
  - Other CAS/normally indirect cost items and excluded budget items, with additional text in justification highlighted.
Document Submission to CGS
To support consistent internal review and timely institutional submission, proposal materials are categorized as Administrative or Scientific/Technical documents. These documents are due at different internal deadlines, as outlined below.
1. Administrative Documents
  Due to CGS six (6) business days before the sponsor deadline (by 9:00 a.m.)
  Administrative documents support institutional review, compliance, and approvals and must be provided in final form by the 6-day deadline. These include, but are not limited to:
  1. Biographical Sketches (Biosketches)
  2. Current & Pending (Other) Support
  3. Budget
  4. Budget Justification
  5. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
  6. Abstract for the Internal Approval Form (IAF) (minimum 50 words)
  7. Institutional Letters of Support or Commitment
  8. Cost Share or Matching Commitment Letters (if required)
  9. Cover Letter (if required by sponsor)
  10. Compliance Certifications and Assurance Statements
  11. Subrecipient Commitment Forms
  12. Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) information
  13. Data Management and Sharing Plan
  14. Mentoring Plan (if applicable)
  15. Safe and Inclusive Working Environments Plan (if applicable)
  16. Foreign Government Participation Disclosures (e.g., DOE and other sponsors)
  17. Human Subjects documentation (if applicable)
  These materials are required to complete proposal assembly, institutional review, and routing for approvals.
2. Scientific / Technical Documents
  Due to CGS four (4) business days before the sponsor deadline (by 9:00 a.m.)
  Scientific or technical documents describe the proposed research or project scope and must be submitted in final, submission-ready form by the 4-day deadline. These include, but are not limited to:
  1. Project Summary or Abstract (scientific or technical version)
  2. Specific Aims, Project Objectives, or Research Goals
  3. Project Narrative, Research Strategy, or Project Description
  4. Statement of Work (SOW) (technical content only)
  5. Technical or Scientific Work Plan
  6. Project Milestones and Deliverables (scientific portions)
  7. Scientific or Technical Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan
  8. Scientific References or Bibliography
  No substantive PI edits to scientific or technical documents are permitted after the 4-day deadline.
3. Final, Submission‑Ready Requirement (Clarification)
  A final proposal package is one that is complete, accurate, and compliant. Once final scientific documents are submitted at the 4‑day deadline and the proposal package is transmitted to OSPA for institutional review:
  1. Proposal documents should not change.
  2. Edits made in sponsor systems after internal deadlines introduce compliance risk and may jeopardize timely submission.
  3. Late changes increase rework, error risk, and strain on institutional resources.
Final Submission to OSPA
CGS must submit the complete proposal package to OSPA no later than three (3) business days before the sponsor’s deadline (by 9 a.m.), including:
1. Final administrative documents
2. Final scientific/technical documents approved by the PI and uploaded into Cayuse or other sponsor-required submission portal.
3. A fully routed and approved Internal Approval Form (IAF).
OSPA will have three (3) business days to conduct institutional review, ensure compliance, and submit the proposal to the sponsor.

Exceptions to the Timeline in this Policy

Exceptions to the 6- and 4-business-day CGS deadlines are governed by the VPR Late Policy. Exceptions to this policy must be requested via communication from the ADR/Center Director to the VPR and will only be granted under exigent circumstances such as those outlined below. Work on the proposal will cease while the exception is under review:

Short notice by the sponsor or pass through entity. Any proposal with less than a 30-day turnaround from the date of notice or publication of the solicitation will be exempt from the 6-day (CGS) and 3-day (OSPA) policy.
Serious illness or death of the PI, Co-PI or immediate family member.
Significant sponsor-issued proposal package updates requiring re-creation within two (2) weeks of the sponsor’s deadline.