Getting Started
All proposals require a Proposal Endorsement Form (PEF), budget, and any other sponsor required documents to be reviewed for institutional approval prior to submission.
Contact ORSP
ORSP is familiar with the required procedures and documents to ensure your proposal is submitted successfully and in compliance with agency regulations and institutional policies and procedures.
Please fill out the ORSP Proposal Intake Form (PIF) to notify the Pre-Award office of your interest to submit a proposal. Your intake form will be reviewed and a Pre-Award Specialist will contact you to schedule a meeting. It is crucial you contact ORSP as early as possible in the proposal process to allow adequate time for review from start to submission of your proposal.
Contact Department Chair and Dean/Appropriate Administrator
Faculty should contact their Department Chair and Dean at the same time as ORSP. Your Department Chair and Dean will be the first SSU officials to endorse your proposal. Your Department Chair and Dean will consider your proposal relative to other responsibilities of your department and school.
Staff should contact their appropriate administrator (and, if appropriate, divisional Vice President) at the same time as ORSP. Your appropriate administrator will be the first SSU official to endorse your proposal. Your appropriate administrator will consider your proposal relative to other responsibilities of your department and division.
Complete the Proposal Endorsement Form (PEF)
The PEF is designed to provide SSU officials with an overview of your proposed project and how it affects their areas of responsibilities. While sponsored research and other sponsored programs offer SSU’s faculty, students, and staff outstanding opportunities, SSU officials must evaluate your proposal relative to the risks, resource commitments, and potential pitfalls of your proposed project. ORSP can assist in completing the PEF if needed. After you completed the PEF you must obtain the signature of your Department Chair and Dean/Appropriate Administrator.
Prepare a budget
A budget for your proposed project must be prepared on the ORSP budget template. Generally, a budget demonstrates in monetary terms how you will achieve the goals and objectives of your proposed activities. Personnel (including your time and effort commitments), supplies, travel, professional and other contractual services, and other operating expenses should be included in your budget. Indirect costs, or facilities and administrative costs, should also be included.
ORSP can be especially helpful when preparing your budget. ORSP staff are trained to provide you with current cost information for personnel salaries and benefits as well as determining methods to budget costs related to supplies, professional services, and other operating expenses. It may be necessary to survey market conditions or contact specific suppliers to determine costs – ORSP can assist you with these items.
Indirect costs, or facilities and administrative costs, are generally based on SSU’s negotiated rate with the federal government or as stipulated by the sponsoring agency. You should review the sponsoring agency’s proposal request documentation to determine what amount of indirect costs are allowed. Please note that submitting a proposal with an indirect cost rate less than SSU’s federally negotiated rate may require institutional approval.
Prepare sponsor required documents
It is very important to follow sponsor guidelines when putting together required proposal documents. ORSP can assist in understanding sponsor guidelines.
Obtain other required documents
Based on your proposed award, additional documents may be required. Following is a list of commonly required documents:
Cost Share (Match) form If cost share is required for your proposal you must complete the cost share form; it must be signed by the department/school/division committing the resources that will serve as cost share. SSU does not commit cost share that is not required by the sponsor. Please see the campus Cost Sharing policy for more information.
Indirect Cost Waiver form If you are proposing an indirect cost rate that is lower than SSU’s federally negotiated rate or lower than the indirect costs stated in the sponsoring agency’s guidelines for your proposal, you are required to complete the indirect cost waiver form.
Letter(s) of Commitment If you are proposing to collaborate with other institutions by issuing subaward agreements, you should obtain letters of commitment from those institutions; ORSP can provide you a template, if necessary.
Conflict of Interest form If you are submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH) or any non-governmental organization, you are required to complete and sign a conflict of interest disclosure form.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval If your proposed project includes human subjects research, you must submit an application to SSU’s IRB and have it approved before starting work. For purposes of the PEF, you must list whether you have already received approval, already submitted your application, or the date by which you plan to submit your application. For more information, please see the campus Human Subjects in Research policy.
Institutional Animal Care Use Committee (IACUC) approval If your proposed project includes animal research, you may need the approval of SSU’s IACUC. If required, you you must submit an application to SSU’s IRB and have it approved before starting work. For purposes of the PEF, you must list whether you have already received approval, already submitted your application, or the date by which you plan to submit your application. For more information, please see the campus Animal Care and Use policy.
ORSP is available to assist you in preparing and collecting any additional forms.
Any changes between the routing of the PEF and supporting documents and the proposal submission should be discussed with ORSP; substantial changes may require rerouting.