Policies & Compliance

Procedures for the Submission of Proposals

7.6 Submission of Final Proposal

Final proposals must be submitted in accordance with the sponsor's stated deadlines, submission method, and time-zone requirements. Principal Investigators (PIs) are responsible for confirming these requirements and ensuring that all materials are complete, final, and submission-ready prior to routing to the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP).

Today, nearly all proposals are submitted electronically through sponsor-designated online systems. In the limited circumstances where hard-copy submissions are required, PIs must coordinate with OSP in advance to confirm submission logistics and delivery requirements.

Regardless of submission method, all proposals representing the University of Utah must receive OSP review and approval prior to submission.

7.6.1 Paper Submissions

While uncommon, some sponsors or programs may still require paper submissions. In these cases:

The PI is responsible for coordinating the delivery of the approved proposal in compliance with sponsor instructions.

Proposals may be sent via a commercial carrier or the U.S. Postal Service using a trackable method.

If OSP is requested to mail a proposal on the University's behalf, the department must provide either:

a valid chartfield for mailing costs, or
a prepaid shipping label with the appropriate chartfield information.

Because paper submissions involve additional coordination and transit time, early communication with OSP is essential

7.6.2 Electronic Submissions

Most sponsors require proposals to be submitted through electronic systems (e.g, Grants.gov/Cayuse, NSF Research.gov, NIH eRA Commons, sponsor-specific portals). Depending on sponsor requirements:

OSP may submit proposals directly as the Authorized Organizational Representative; or
Sponsors may require the PI to submit the proposal directly, in which case OSP review and approval must still occur prior to submission, and a final copy must be provided to OSP for institutional recordkeeping.

Some sponsor systems require institutional approvals or signed certification pages to be completed before submission; these must be coordinated with OSP.

Electronic proposals that must be submitted by OSP require that system access be granted well in advance of the sponsor deadline. Investigators are strongly encouraged to avoid last-minute submission, as electronic system outages, validation errors, or portal congestion can prevent timely submission.

Proposals submitted after the sponsor deadline are generally not accepted, even when delays result from technical issues at the University or the sponsor system.

Institutional Review and Acceptance Authority

If a proposal is submitted to a sponsor without prior OSP review and authorization, the University is not obligated to accept the resulting award. The University reserves the right to decline or withdraw from an award if it:

Contains terms and conditions inconsistent with University policy,
Includes unapproved cost-sharing or use of institutional resources,
Lacks required departmental, college, or institutional approvals, or
Presents legal, financial, or compliance concerns.

OSP serves as the University's authorized representative for sponsored projects and is responsible for ensuring proposals and awards meet all institutional, sponsor, state, and federal requirements.

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