Procedures for the Submission of Proposals

7.5 Protection of Confidential or Sensitive Proposal Information

Proposals submitted for external funding may contain confidential or sensitive information, including personal data, proprietary materials, unpublished research concepts, or other information that investigators may prefer not be broadly disclosed.

For proposals submitted to federal agencies, application materials are generally considered records subject to public disclosure requirements. Access to such materials is governed by federal law, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which permits disclosure while also providing specific exemptions to protect confidential, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive information as allowed by law.

If a federal agency receives a request for access to a University proposal under FOIA, the Principal Investigator (PI) will be notified and given an opportunity to review the material and identify information that may qualify for withholding under applicable exemptions (e.g., proprietary data, trade secrets, or personal information). All proposed responses to FOIA requests must be reviewed and coordinated with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) prior to submission.

Investigators with questions about the inclusion, marking, or protection of proprietary, confidential, or sensitive information in proposal should consult with their Sponsored Projects Officer during proposal development.

Go to Section 7.6 >>

1. Document Summary Sheet
2. Materials Required for Review
3. Deadlines
4. Pre-Award Audit/Additional Information
   1. Small Business Subcontracting Plans
5. Protection of Confidential or Sensitive Proposal Information
6. Submission of Final Proposal
   1. Paper Submissions
   2. Electronic Submissions