Sponsored Programs
Proposal Preparation / Submission
Common Elements
Most sponsors specify proposal forms or formats and provide guidance about content,
page limitations and numbers of copies that should be submitted. To ensure the best
chance for a successful proposal, follow the sponsor's guidelines when preparing
and submitting a proposal.
Proposals typically contain the following basic elements:
Campus Approval Form (CAF)
The CAF is an internal campus document that must be prepared when submitting a proposal
for new, renewal, continuation or supplemental extramural funding. The form must
be signed by the Principal Investigator and the Department Chair. For proposals
originating from academic units, the Dean's signature may also be required in certain
circumstances. PI and department administrators are advised to contact their Dean's
office to determine when and if the Dean's signature is required.
Signatures on the CAF certify that the proposed work is consistent with University
objectives, and that all faculty involved in the proposal have agreed to participate,
to accept the obligations and commitments described in the proposal, and to perform
the work in accordance with University and sponsor policies.
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Financial Disclosure Forms, if applicable
The appropriate Financial Disclosure form(s) must be completed and signed by the
Principal Investigator and/or personnel responsible for the design, conduct and
reporting of the scope of work. For more information about the financial disclosure
process and its related forms, please visit the
Conflict of Interest Committee webpage.
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Application Cover Page
The application cover page is an integral part of the proposal -- first because
of the information it captures, and second because it bears the signatures that
are required to make the proposal a formal, certified document. Most sponsors still
issue printed forms for proposal submission; these should be used whenever they
are required. However, a large number of sponsors now require that proposals be
submitted in electronic form, usually using the sponsor's electronic proposal submission
system. Use of such systems are usually mandatory. However, some sponsors require
both electronic and paper submissions of the same proposal.
The original application pages that require institutional endorsement need to be
completed and submitted to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA). If the sponsor
does not issue a printed form or require a specific format for providing institutional
information, SPA will issue and sign a cover letter to include with the application.
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Abstract
The abstract, which describes the major objectives of the proposed research and
the research strategy to meet the objectives, is used for a variety of purposes.
Sponsors often use the abstract to assign the proposal to the appropriate study
section for review. Reviewers use the abstract to gain an initial perspective of
the key concepts of the study and its significance. After funding is secured, the
abstract may be used for entry in national databases and its keywords are picked
up for quotation indexes.
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Statement of Work
The Statement of Work is the most important part of any proposal. Simply put, the
Statement of Work should include sufficient information needed for evaluation of
the project, independent of any other document.
The Statement of Work is a detailed program description, including an explanation
of the objectives and a description of the research activities to be performed..
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Budget and Budget Justification
A detailed budget identifying all proposed costs needed to conduct the research
must be prepared in compliance with the sponsor's guidelines, applicable cost principles
and UCR policies.
A budget justification is one of the most important sections of the proposal. A
budget justification identifies the need for a particular cost and how the cost
was estimated. The need for a particular piece of equipment, for instance, may be
implied in the project description, but the implication is not necessarily apparent
to a non-specialist reviewer or a contract and grant specialist. The need must be
made explicit. The place to do this is in the budget justification.
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Biographical Sketch
A Biographical Sketch is a brief summary of a researcher's CV, or curriculum vitae
(resume) and is typically required for all key personnel. A Biographical Sketch
highlights specific research experience, related publications and other important
biographical information with regard to professional personnel.
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Other Support - Current and Pending
Virtually all sponsors require information on the Principal Investigator's present
support and pending proposals, inclusive of all extramural funding sources. The
same type of information must be supplied both for active awards and for pending
proposals and typically includes the sponsor of the project, the title of the project,
the project period, the total project costs, and the percentage of effort devoted
by the investigator on the project. This requirement applies not only to the Principal
Investigator, but to all other key personnel formally committing effort to a proposed
project.
Facilities and Resources
This section of the proposal identifies and describes the facilities and resources
that will be used in the proposed research. If unique facilities exist with regard
to the proposed research it is important to emphasize this in the proposal - describing
capacities, relative proximity and the extent of availability to the project. Information
can also be provided on university-wide facilities or support services such as the
library, computer centers, or specialized centers.
If there are multiple performance sites, then resources available at each site should
be described.
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