Office of Sponsored Programs

Not to worry! The OSPA will verify your proposal with all agency guidelines to assure compliance, will check for all approvals that may be needed from the Human Subjects Committee, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Accounting and Reporting Department for any matching fund approvals, University Advancement if you are submitting to a foundation, and all other aspects that affect your proposal. The proposal will be returned to you after the required signatures are secured for a final review by the principal investigator. Most agencies provide a final checklist to aid in the submission process. This checklist should be followed closely.

The OSPA welcomes and encourages your draft proposal and draft budgets. The OSP staff will be happy to review your drafts and assist with the preliminary approvals so your proposal can move quickly once it reaches the final stage.

	Clearing the Hurdles
	Before developing a proposal What has happened to my great proposal? The OSPA maintains a current library of funding sources How do I write the proposal? Your Goal
	Before developing a proposal
.	Before developing a proposal, the principal investigator needs to receive preliminary approval from the appropriate department head, or director, and dean. Questions regarding your time commitment, space and facilities need to be resolved before you start writing! If your idea involves hiring additional staff, leasing space or entering into subcontract agreements, call the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration for guidance to be certain you have received the proper clearances before proceeding. Begin to estimate the costs of the various budget components. The OSPA can provide you with assistance and can help in making sure you have captured as much matching as possible and that the budget format complies with the specific sponsor requirements.
	So, you're finished - now what? The final copy of the proposal, along with any forms and appendices should be assembled and reviewed. Prepare the Internal Approval Form and begin the routing! Your signature assumes your responsibility for the scope of the scientific and technical effort, your willingness to prepare any required technical reports, and the management of the resulting award in compliance with sponsor regulations and the University's policies and procedures.
	Proposals are usually in a race for time. Plan for five full working days to prepare your proposal for leaving the campus. Once your proposal is received in the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, office records must be made. The OSPA will then route your proposal through the Accounting and Reporting Department. Your funding request must then go to the authorized University official for signature. If the deadline is extremely short, call us so we can be expecting it and can alert the offices in order to process your request as quickly as possible.
	What has happened to my great proposal?
	Not to worry! The OSPA will verify your proposal with all agency guidelines to assure compliance, will check for all approvals that may be needed from the Human Subjects Committee, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Accounting and Reporting Department for any matching fund approvals, University Advancement if you are submitting to a foundation, and all other aspects that affect your proposal. The proposal will be returned to you after the required signatures are secured for a final review by the principal investigator. Most agencies provide a final checklist to aid in the submission process. This checklist should be followed closely. The OSPA welcomes and encourages your draft proposal and draft budgets. The OSP staff will be happy to review your drafts and assist with the preliminary approvals so your proposal can move quickly once it reaches the final stage.
	The OSP maintains a current library of funding sources:
	Funding bulletins Grant announcements Directories Federal registers Foundation news Newsletters
	How do I write the proposal?
	If possible, talk with a program officer in the funding agency about your idea. LISTEN CAREFULLY. Read their guidelines thoroughly and follow them to the letter. Before you begin, have a truth session with yourself by asking the following questions: Will my study tell anything new? Is this area already heavily funded? Will the results make a significant difference? Will the study have relevance beyond the narrow geographic area of the type of project focused on by the study? Does the research really answer the question addressed in the proposal? IF YES, THEN YOUR PURPOSE IS CLEAR, AND YOU ARE READY TO WRITE! State objectives clearly. Design objectives to conform to the interests and guidelines of the agency. Demonstrate a convincing need for the proposed activity, either by showing that it fills an important gap in existing knowledge or that it serves the needs of a specific clientele of concern to the funding source. Indicate project management skills by including devices such as time lines, organization charts or task charts. Clearly describe the research or program design. Demonstrate your competence as an investigator by having an updated curriculum vitae and good capsule biographies of professional staff. (Keep in mind that most agencies limit vitae to two pages.) Use your FACTS Card to provide up-to-date background information about the University.
	Your Goal:
	To state clearly the significance of the problem being addressed To provide a quality solution To sell the agency on why you should receive the funding to achieve your goal If time permits, discuss your idea with peers and look for ways to strengthen your proposal. After your proposal is written, have a colleague critique it to see if you have communicated your ideas thoroughly in writing.


	Last Revised: February, 2008 Publisher: Sponsored Programs For Information Contact: jmu_grants@jmu.edu Privacy Statement

PROPOSAL ASSISTANCE