Policies & Compliance

Procedures for the Submission of Proposals

7.2 Materials Required for Review

In addition to a completed Document Summary Sheet (DSS) and any other required internal forms or approvals, a complete proposal submission must include all materials required by the sponsor in final, submission-ready format, consistent with sponsor guidelines.

Because proposal development and submission often involve extended timelines and multiple institutional reviews, Principal Investigators (PIs) are strongly encouraged to notify and engage the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) as early as possible once a decision to pursue an opportunity is made - ideally several weeks in advance. Early coordination allows a Sponsored Projects Officer to assist with planning, compliance considerations, foreign collaboration, and submission logistics.

Some sponsors do not require an institutional signature or may permit investigators to submit proposals directly. Regardless of sponsor practice, University policy requires that OSP review all proposals prior to submission when the proposal represents the University.

OSP review is required because:

Awards are made to the University, not to individual investigators, and OSP serves as the University's authorized institutional representative;
OSP has legal and fiduciary responsibility to ensure compliance with University, sponsor, state, and federal requirements; and
OSP review supports investigators by identifying compliance issues, ensuring accurate budgeting, and helping present proposals in a manner consistent with sponsor and institutional expectations.

While this review process may at times appear administrative, it is designed to protect both investigators and the institution and to reduce the risk of submission failure, post-award delays, or compliance findings.

Proposal Submission Timeline

Consistent with OSP business practices, all proposals should be submitted to OSP at least five (5) business days prior to the sponsor deadline for full review and validations. The submission to OSP must include the complete application in final format and an approved DSS.

Proposals received five business days or more in advance of the external deadline receive priority review and are processed in the order in which complete, submission-ready applications are received.

OSP will make reasonable efforts to submit proposals received fewer than five business days prior to the sponsor deadline. However, proposals submitted after the five-day guideline carry increased risk, and the Principal Investigator assumes responsibility for potential consequences, including:

Limited or abbreviated review;
Increased risk of technical or compliance issues; or
Failure of electronic submission due to late-stage corrections or system constraints.

OSP review of complete proposals received more than five business days in advance typically includes compliance validation, budget review, administrative checks, and coordination of institutional commitments. Feedback is generally provided no later than two business days before the sponsor deadline, when feasible.

Corrections and Revisions

Proposals that are incomplete, non-compliant, or inconsistent with University or sponsor requirements must be corrected before submission. If revisions are required following OSP review, the final, submission-ready version must be returned to OSP in sufficient time to allow successful submission.

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