Proposal Processing Steps

Frequently Asked Questions about Grant Applications

Steps in Processing a Proposal:

1. Faculty or staff members who wish to pursue sponsored programs must receive preliminary approval from all campus authorizing officials including the appropriate department head and dean, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), and the university signatory authority. All early correspondence, including any letters of intent, in initial solicitations efforts are to be routed through the OSP. OSP will coordinate with University Advancement any solicitation of private funding sources.
2. The OSP can assist the faculty or staff member in finding appropriate funding agencies. Either call (568-6872) for an appointment or just come by the office located in Suite 26, JMAC- Building 6 (James Madison Administration Complex).
3. If human subjects are to be used in the proposed project, the proposal must be reviewed by the committee for the Use of Human Subjects in Research. The OSP will direct the proposal to this committee.
4. If any non-human vertebrate animals are to be used in the project, the proposal must be reviewed by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The OSP will direct the proposal to this committee.
5. The Principal Investigator (P. I.) should contact OSP for guidance concerning indirect costs, fringe benefit costs and projected budget items.
6. In order to acquire university approval to submit an external funding request, obtain and complete a copy of the Proposal Internal Approval Form from OSP. The P. I. is responsible for obtaining the signatures of his/her department head and the college dean. OSP is responsible for obtaining the remaining signatures. The Internal Approval Form is available for download electronically from the OSP home page or at the following location: http://www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/InternalApprovalForm.doc
7. The Internal Approval Form, with appropriate signatures, and one copy of the proposal should be brought to the OSP at least five (5) working days prior to the agency's target date for mailing or receipt.
8. Once all approving signatures are obtained, the signed Internal Approval Form and Proposal will be returned to the P. I. for final review and mailing.
9. Important Direction Regarding Electronic Proposal Submissions: Technological advances in Electronic Research Administration (ERA) have enabled many funding agencies to utilize electronic proposal submission procedures. In some cases, electronic submission is mandatory through web portals. OSP staff will complete these submissions.
   
   Regardless of the mode of submission, ALL externally funded proposals MUST be routed through the normal review processes and approved by JMU university authorities prior to submission. Principal Investigators are not authorized to submit proposals without routing the proposal for internal JMU approval just as if the proposal were a traditional "paper" submission. In the case of Electronic Proposal Submissions, the OSP should always be designated as the institution's "Authorized Representative."
   
   This oversight of the electronic proposal submission process is necessary to ensure that all research and other extramurally funded projects conducted by university employees comply with relevant JMU policies including, but not limited to the following:
   • appropriateness of the activity to the university
   • protection of human and animal subjects and the environment
   • use of university facilities
   • personnel compensation plans
   • intellectual property
   • conflicts of interest
   • recovery of direct and indirect costs
   • Principal Investigator eligibility
     
     
10. You can check the status of your NIH or NSF proposal here:
    NIH Issued Notice of (Grant) Award
    NIH RePORT Expenditures and Results (RePORTER)
    NSF Recent Awards
    NSF Award Search
11. If the proposal is funded, please send a copy of the award document to the Sponsored Programs Office, including any agreement which requires signature. If the proposal is not funded, please send a copy of this notification to the OSP. Come by the OSP and we can discuss a rewrite of the proposal or assist in finding other agencies to submit the present proposal.
12. Upon award notification, OSP will notify the appropriate university offices with an Award Announcement. The project director will then work directly with Sponsored Programs Accounting for the financial management of the project.

 

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