Proposal Processing Procedures
Each proposal must go through an internal process of review before it is submitted to a sponsor. You must submit the Internal notice of Intent form, attend a pre-award meeting to review the agency’s guideline and submission requirements, complete the Research Administration Management System & eSubmission (Cayuse) and complete the agency’s electronic Application Package (Grants.gov, NSF Fastlane or other electronic application portal as required). The agency’s electronic application package will be authorized for submission to the agency after Cayuse has been reviewed and approved from the Chair, Dean, Office of Sponsored Programs, and the Provost.
After identifying the funding opportunity, you should start the process of officially notifying the Office of Sponsored Programs of your intent to submit a proposal to a funding agency by submitting an Internal Notice of Intent Form. The Form is an electronic document submitted to OSP to alert the office of your intent to submit a proposal. General information is completed such as program name, sponsor name, due date, principal investigator name. It takes no more than five minutes to complete the submission of the form.
The Pre-Award Administrator will respond via email accepting the intent form and requesting a pre-award meeting to discuss in detail the agency announcement guidelines. Additional processing procedures and key information links that may be needed are provided in the pre-award administrator’s email for guidance. If the proposal is submitted through Grants.gov portal OSP will send you the electronic application package with basic information filled out in different sections of the package. For proposals submitted through NSF Fastlane and other private electronic portals, OSP will provide guidance.
Normally the Principal Investigator will have to complete the cover page, budget sheet, supplemental information, abstract, project narrative, other attachments required by the agency, and budget narrative. Detailed instructions for the abstract, project narrative, other attachments, and budget narrative are provided in the application guidelines.
You have two documents to follow when completing the application. The announcement provides general information on the program for which you are interested in submitting your proposal. Application and Submission information guides are available as a download for completing the forms and other documents as required by the agency.
The users and approvers can approve and route the proposal through the approval process, and receive status of submissions through the electronic portal. The Principal Investigator will upload all pertinent information, including the proposal, and other documents needed for review. All proposals will be routed electronically.
Cayuse can be accessed from any location using your WSSU User ID and Password. Cayuse is the official electronic file for every proposal and award within the UNC system. Therefore, paper documents that typically were placed in the files should be uploaded into Cayuse in the proper section.
PROPOSALS should have:
- The proposal as it was submitted to the agency
- Agency guidelines
- Any relevant IRB documents
- Budget information
- Subcontract information
- Relevant communication
- Any other campus-required documents
All notifications for the use of space and personnel, research that uses human subjects, animal subjects, or hazardous substances are handled through Cayuse. Approval is by the relevant committee, i.e., Institutional Review Board (IRB) , the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Safety/Risk Committee. The PI must get the approval of the Department chair and Dean regarding the use of space and personnel.
Authorization of Proposal by the Department Chair and Dean
The Department Chair and Dean must approve the proposal by authorizing the proposal through Cayuse.
Authorization of Proposal by the Office of Sponsored Programs
The Office of Sponsored Programs performs the final institutional review of the proposal for conformance to university policies and to sponsor requirements. The Office of Sponsored Programs will authorize the proposal thru Cayuse for final approval by an authorized institutional representative (the President or his designee). Submission of the proposal's electronic application to the agency will be done by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Note to the Reader
The Office of Sponsored Programs processes many proposals each week, and because changes must sometimes be made to those proposals, communication is necessary between OSP and the sponsor, no fewer than five (5) working days prior to the sponsor’s deadline. The deadline date and any other special instructions must be clearly indicated. Should changes be required on a proposal submitted close to the deadline date, timely submission may be endangered. In some cases, the home telephone number of the PI/PD will be needed by OSP.
Most proposals are submitted electronically through grants.gov or NSF Fastlane; however, sometimes a proposal needs to be sent through other agency portals, e-mail, or mailed by courier. The proposal must be mailed well in advance of the due date set forth by the agency. If PIs need to use Federal Express or any other private mail delivery service, the PI or the department will be responsible for the mailing of the proposal. In last-minute emergencies, PIs who must use Express Mail should arrange to have the application delivered themselves.
