Grant proposals

  • New proposals: send draft budget & PSR form at least 2-4 weeks before deadline.

  • See process for submitting all kinds of proposals.

Your helper

Marisa Seitz, INSTAAR CFO, will help with budget preparation and serve as the liaison to the proposal analyst at the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG).

FAQ

Who can submit proposals?

INSTAAR Faculty and Affiliates can route proposals through CU. OCG defines who is eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI).

Where can I find funding?

The CU Research and Innovation Office (RIO) has resources for finding funding.

What are the deadlines?

Please get proposal materials to Marisa at least 2-4 weeks before a submission is due. The OCG deadline is a minimum of 5 working days before the submission is due (more if project includes subcontracts, collaborators, or other complexities). This gives the OCG proposal analyst time to review documents and budgets and get the proposal transferred to proper electronic forms for submission. Earlier is always better! We often experience periods of high proposal activity and need to be able to juggle your proposal with many others.

Proposal forms

Proposal Submission Request (PSR) – includes basic PI and Co-PI information, solicitation and application information, grant information, DA-ICR split, and DEPA certifications. NEW: The PSR is now an online form that is filled out via eRA/InfoEd. INSTAAR finance will initiate the form, afterwhich the PI will recieve an email with a link to sign in and review/approve. Check out instructions on how to approve on the site (requires IdentiKey login).

– needed for collaborations or subcontractors to give contact information at another institution.

Other forms for collaborations, subcontracts, etc. may be required and will be emailed to the PI when applicable.

Processes

Process—new proposals

In a nutshell: Two to three weeks (or more) before the proposal deadline: draft a budget, complete the PSR form that includes basic information about the grant, and send both to INSTAAR CFO Marisa Seitz. If there are collaborators or subcontractors, also submit a Contact Information Form. 

Marisa will send additional forms, if needed, and will work with you to develop the budget that meets your needs. If additional information or approvals are needed from other campus units (departments, centers, institutes, administrative offices), she will be the liaison to those units.

Once the budget is finalized, and all signatures are on the PSR form, Marisa will forward to the OCG Proposal Analyst no later than 5 working days before the proposal due date. OCG will complete the Cover sheet and Budget Sheets for the official proposal submission. Remember, earlier is always better!

The PI is responsible for all other documents required by the Funding Announcement, including

  • Project summary
  • Project description
  • Budget justification
  • Bio sketches
  • References
  • Current and pending support statements
  • Facilities, equipment and other resources

Submitting these documents in a timely manner will ensure that the OCG proposal analyst has time to review and recommend any edits. The Proposal Analyst's job is to make sure that the proposal meets
 all requirements in the solicitation.

OCG will send the proposal to the sponsor when all documents are uploaded or submitted. The PI will get a confirmation of submission from OCG. 

Process—supplemental proposals to existing grants

For supplemental proposals generally less documentation is needed. Once the budget is finalized, and all signatures are on the PSR form, Marisa Seitz will forward to the OCG Proposal Analyst no later than 5 working days before the proposal due date. The Proposal Analyst will also need:

  • Summary of proposed work
  • Budget justification
  • Justification of the supplement (different than budget justification)

Process—proposals that include subcontracts

In addition to the usual documents for a proposal described above, you will need to provide additional documentation for subcontracts. The subcontractor, in addition to the budget, budget justification and statement of work, will be asked to provide documentation of institutional support by completing the Subrecipient Commitment Form and sending a copy of their institution’s Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. Please contact Marisa Seitz or your OCG Proposal Analyst to determine the correct Commitment Form to be used. The PI will demonstrate review of the documents submitted by the subcontractor on the Subcontract Review Form.

Process—no-cost extension (NCE)

Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond your control, you aren’t able to finish all the tasks related to your project before time runs out. In this case, if you still have funds available, you can request a no-cost extension (NCE). Please reach out to your finance contact to initate this request. 

Useful info

To find out who in OCG supports your department, go to

More information about proposal submission can be found on the OCG website at /ocg/detailed-proposal-process.