Basics of Proposal Development

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Submitting a grant with CAAS Research Services

Got an idea? First, Search for funding opportunities by searching on Grant Forward, asking colleagues, talking to program officers, or asking proposal specialists. Second, submit a request with CAAS Research Services Helpdesk. Third, a proposal specialist will contact you. Fourth, prepare and send proposal documents to proposal specialist. Fifth, submit to sponsored programs office SPO for review. Last, SPO submits to sponsor.

USU uses Kuali to review, submit, and track all grant proposals. All proposals must be prepared and submitted in Kuali for internal review and approval. A proposal specialist with CAAS Research Services can help you prepare your Kuali proposal. Use the CAAS Research Services Helpdesk to request help.

While PIs may prepare Kuali proposals without the help of a proposal specialist, PIs are not authorized to submit proposals. All proposals must be submitted by an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) in the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO).

Learn more about using Kuali from the Kuali Research page and schedule an appointment with Dan Perry to receive one-on-one instruction for using Kuali.

Proposal Development Timeline

After submitting a request using the CAAS Research Services Helpdesk, a proposal specialist will contact you to discuss a timeline for preparing your proposal. The sooner you submit a request the better!

We typically request 6-8 weeks, or 4 weeks minimum, to prepare a proposal submission; however, this depends on the complexity of the grant requirements.

First, Identify target funding opportunity, Examine funding announcement, Meet with Program Officer, Establish a team, Submit letter of intent. 6 weeks before sponsor deadline, Initial meeting with proposal development team to discuss timeline, budget, writing support, and peer review; meet with business management; request personnel documents, letters of support, and subaward documents from collaborators. 5 weeks before sponsor deadline, send answers to standard Kuali questions; initial budget due. 4 weeks before sponsor deadline, narrative draft due for review; finalize budget. 3 weeks before submission deadline, narrative draft due to Greg Podgorski for review; personnel documents due; letters of support due; subaward documents due. 2 weeks before submission deadline, additional supporting documents due; review suggestions from Greg and team. 1 week before sponsor deadline, final narrative due; SPO submission deadline. Last, sponsor submission deadline.

Search for funding opportunities

Preparing your proposal

Where to start

When deciding which funding opportunity is right for you, we highly recommend that you contact the program officer to discuss your project and any questions you may have. Start by sending an email with a brief 1-2 page project summary and ask for a brief meeting. They can tell you whether your idea is a good fit for the program or point you to another program that might better fit your idea.

Once you decide to apply for a grant, we recommend making a simple outline of your project and then build a budget first. This will help you know what you can afford and avoid writing a proposal that is too ambitious for the target grant. As you talk to collaborators and program officers, your idea may evolve and you can adjust your budget as necessary, but carefully check the funding announcement for allowable expenses. We also recommend that you talk to the business manager from your department to ensure that your budget follows university policy.

Below are helpful descriptions of common budget components to consider as well as advice for writing and reviewing your proposal. 

Budget considerations

Salaries and fringe benefits

When budgeting salaries, consider how many months out of the year will you spend on this project, then calculate the proportion of your salary needed to cover those months.

Fringe benefits must also be included in a proposal budget. Check for current rates from the Office of Research (see the table entitled "Staff Rates Used for Contract/Grant Proposal Preparation").
Example:
One month of a $60,000 salary:
8.33% x $60,000 = $5,000.
Fringe benefits:
$5,000 x 44% = $2,200

Graduate students

Any grant including a graduate student must also include both graduate student health insurance and tuition & fees on the same grant. Make sure to use current insurance premiums and tuition rates. Be aware that fringe benefit rates are different for students not enrolled in USU courses during summer months. Instead, payroll benefit rates apply.

Undergraduate students

Consider a fair wage when budgeting for undergraduate students. How many hours a week will they be expected to work? How many months will you need them to work? How much funding can you dedicate for a student? Again, keep in mind that payroll benefit rates apply for students not enrolled during summer months.

Subawards

USU requires collaborating institutions to submit the Subrecipient Compliance Form, which must be completed by the collaborating institution's Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). In addition to the subrecipient compliance form, USU also requires the following documents (listed on page 2 of the compliance form):

  • Letter of commitment (signed by the subrecipient's AOR)
  • Scope/statement of work (SOW)
  • Budget
  • Budget justification
  • Indirect cost rate agreement

When collaborating with investigators from other institutions, make sure to contact them early to request the necessary documents.

Equipment

Any single piece of equipment worth $5000 or more is considered capital equipment. Any equipment worth less than $5000 may be considered supplies or operating expenses. Consider whether you have the physical space for the new equipment.

Travel

USU policies vary for domestic and international travel. Consider the following expenses for travel:

  • Flights
  • Car rental
  • Mileage
  • Per diem rates 
  • The number of days

Find current per diem and mileage rates from the Travel Office, as well as the Travel dashboard, forms, and travel training. 

Facilities & administration (F&A)

F&A, also called indirect costs or overhead, supports university operations (e.g. electricity, maintenance, administration cervices). F&A rates are federally negotiated and listed on the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). 

F&A is calculated as a percentage of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) for a project. MTDC includes only:

  • all direct salaries and wages,
  • applicable fringe benefits,
  • materials and supplies,
  • services,
  • travel,
  • and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the awards).

Example: 
Salaries & fringe: $7,200
Supplies: $10,000
Travel: $5,000
Equipment: $6,000

46% x ($7,200+$10,000+$15,000)
= $14,812

Be aware that F&A may be limited or not allowed. Check the RFA carefully for allowed expenses.

Learn more about F&A

Cost share/matched funds

Some programs may require cost share/matched funds. For example, they may require that you match the requested funds dollar for dollar. Some common sources for matching are faculty salaries and other funded grants; matching through in-kind donations is discouraged.

Make sure to plan your budget early and talk to both the program officer and the business manager from your department or college to ensure your matched funds are appropriate and acceptable. Unless directly required by the funding program or recommended by the program officer, matching funds is generally discouraged.

Writing your proposal

Getting started

Start early! Writing a successful grant proposal takes time and attention.

When planning your proposed project, consider the following questions:

  • What is the problem you intend to address?
  • How will your proposal solve the problem?
  • Is your solution innovative and collaborative?
  • Will your proposal have a high chance of success?
  • How are you or your team equipped and qualified to complete the proposed work?

Keep the answers to these questions in mind while writing and weave them into your grant proposal to instill confidence in the reviewers.

Read the funding announcement. Do your goals align with the funding agency's goals for the program? Do the allowed expenses fit your needs? See below for more tips on reading a funding announcement.

Know your budget. What do you need to pursue your project and how much will it cost? Keep this in mind when searching for funding opportunities.

Talk to the program officer. Email a one paragraph description of your project proposal to the program officer to ask for feedback. Program officers can tell you if your proposed project is a good fit for the program. If it is not a good fit, then they may be able to suggest an alternative funding opportunity. Program officers are busy and may not have time to respond immediately, but continue to follow up.

How to read a funding announcement

Funding agencies, or sponsors, may have different grant programs with distinct requirements. The requirements will be published in a document called something like a Request for Applications (RFA), a Request for Proposals (RFP), or a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). These are all essentially the same thing, but here we'll use RFA for consistency. These documents can be dense and difficult to read. However, carefully reading an RFA is essential for preparing a successful proposal. Here are some details to look for when reading an RFA:

When is the proposal due? Will you have enough time to prepare it?

Is a pre-proposal or letter of interest required or encouraged? If so, will you have enough time to prepare it?

Does the grant align with your needs? Read the section in the opportunity entitled “Abstract,” “Summary,” “Purpose,” “Priorities,” or “Objectives” get an idea of what the sponsor wants to accomplish with the grant to see if it is aligned with your goals.

Check for Eligibility
  • Are public/state-run universities like USU eligible to apply?
  • Are land-grant universities eligible to apply? USU is an 1862 Land-Grant institution. It is not an 1890 Land-Grant institution (historically Black college/university [HBCU]). It is also not a 1994 tribal land grant college/university.
  • Are universities with Agricultural Experiment Stations eligible to apply?
  • Can USU submit more than one or two submissions per year for this opportunity? If not, this is a Limited Submission, and applicants must work with SPO to apply.
  • Must a university work with another organization to apply (e.g., an Indian tribe, small farmers, K-12 teachers, industry partners, etc.)? 
  • Are only certain states/counties/cities eligible?
  • Must you be a member of a particular organization to apply?
  • Must you be of a particular sex/gender, race/ethnic status, citizenship, student type, or faculty level?

How much funding is available for each grant, and what will the grant fund? Most grants have specific requirements for what they will or will not fund, e.g. salaries or equipment may not be allowed.

Are cost share/matching funds/in-kind donations required? (Do a search for these terms.)

What platform is required for submission? (Grants.gov, ASSIST, EDGE, Research.gov, foundation portal, email, etc.)

Are there additional instructions found elsewhere? Many sponsors will also have additional instructions either as a downloadable file, webpage, informational webinar, “office hours” Q&A sessions, etc. Thoroughly search the RFA and the sponsor website for additional resources.

What documents are required for submission? (Narrative, Budget Justification, personnel documents, etc.)

Writing the project narrative

Write an outline to plan your main points. This simple step is crucial for preparing a well organized proposal and provides a clear roadmap for writing.

Keep the audience in mind. Who will review your proposal? What is the reviewer's background? Be careful to not over use acronyms and avoid jargon that a reviewer might not understand. 

Be brief, concise, and clear. A poorly written proposal that is too long or repetitious will frustrate reviewers who are very busy and may be at the end of a long day of reviewing proposals. Keep the reviewer happy!

Write with confidence. A good proposal has a convincing story. Incorporate sentences throughout to explain the importance of your proposed project, why it will be successful, and why you and your team are qualified to carry out this project.

Read the evaluation criteria. As you write your proposal, make sure you have a strong answer for each of the criteria. This is what reviewers will use to score your proposal, so use the evaluation criteria as a checklist. 

Ask others for feedback. Discuss your ideas with others in your field, and ask someone experienced in grant writing to review your proposal. Be humble and open to suggestions. 

Read and re-read the RFA. Check that your proposal is complete and meets all of the requirements.

Carefully proofread your proposal. Mistakes can be distracting to reviewers and convey a lack of professionalism.

Writing a budget justification

Most but not all funding agencies require a budget justification to explain the expenses included in your budget. This is a chance to explain in greater detail why you need what you need for your project. Some funding agencies may have a template for you to use, so carefully check the RFA and agency website, especially if the template is required. 

You may use these templates to write a budget justification. Any may be used as a starting point for other funding agencies.

Budget Justification Templates:



Checklists for typical federal grant proposals

Please review the RFA to ensure program-specific requirements are met.

National Science Foundation (NSF):

  1. Cover Sheet
  2. Project Summary
  3. Project Description
  4. References Cited
  5. Biographical Sketch (SciENcv)
  6. Collaborators & Other Affiliations
  7. Budget
  8. Budget Justification
  9. Subaward Budget & Justification
  10. Cost Sharing
  11. Current & Pending Support (SciENcv)
  12. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources
  13. Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
  14. Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan
  15. Data Management Plan
  16. Letters of Collaboration

National Institutes of Health (NIH):

  1. Cover Page
  2. Budget
  3. Budget Justification
  4. Project Summary/Abstract
  5. Project Narrative
  6. Bibliography & References
  7. Facilities & Other Resources
  8. Equipment
  9. Biographical Sketches (SciENcv)
  10. Research Plan:
  11. Introduction
  12. Specific Aims
  13. Research Strategy

  As applicable:

  1. Vertebrate Animals
  2. Select Agent Research
  3. Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan
  4. Consortium/Contractual Arrangements
  5. Letters of Support
  6. Resource Sharing Plan(s)
  7. Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources
  8. Appendix (FOA specific)
  9. Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

  1. Project Summary
  2. Project Description
  3. Bibliography & References Cited
  4. Facilities & Other Resources
  5. Equipment
  6. Letters of Support
  7. Biographical Sketch
  8. Current & Pending Support
  9. Budget
  10. Budget Justification
  11. Subaward Budget & Justification
  12. Data Management Plan

USU Internal Documents (as applicable):

  1. Target RFA/FOA/NOFO
  2. F&A Allocation Agreement Form
  3. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
  4. Cost Share Commitment Form
  5. Consultant Letter
  6. Proof of Nonprofit Status
  7. Subaward Compliance Form:
    • Letter of Commitment
    • Statement of Work
    • Budget
    • Budget Justification
    • Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

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You received an award, now what?


All awards are handled by the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) and Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPA).

Please visit the SPO and SPA websites to find out who is assigned to work with your department. They will work with you, the sponsor, and any subawardees to negotiate the final terms of the award.

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