Proposal Preparation and Submission
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) staff is committed to assisting investigators and administrators across both campuses.
- In InfoEd create a record, complete the set-up questions, and complete the Intake/Endorsement
tab (to the best of your ability) to be assigned a grants coordinator to assist in
developing your budget and other essential documents. See the InfoEd Resource page for how-to guides and recorded webinars.
- See Proposal Review & Submission Deadlines to determine how many days prior to submission this must be done.
- For assistance with proposal writing or development, please contact Eva English, Director of Grants Development and Strategic Partnerships. Proposal-writing resources, guides, and tips are also available on the Proposal Development section of our website.
- Quick guide to steps in proposal preparation or the FAQ page for more information
ORSP works with UToledo faculty, staff, students, external sponsors and subcontractors to manage requests for funding for research and other scholarly and creative activities. The ORSP staff also provides oversight and advice on issues of federal, state and institutional compliance, and regulations related to these activities.
Proposal Endorsement
Proposal endorsement must be completed prior to proposal submission. The endorsement process will happen in InfoEd, it will be routed to co-investigators, deans, and chairs of all represented departments for review and approval. PIs can log into InfoEd to see who, within the route, has completed or not completed the endorsement.
Effort is determined by compensation paid through or committed for a sponsored project (i.e. through mandatory cost share). UToledo policy states that compensation charged to a sponsored program should be reasonable and consistent with earnings for similar work expected for that person’s appointment. This is defined by the Academic Year Base Salary (AYBS). The maximum compensation that can be requested in a sponsored project budget is the individual’s AYBS multiplied by the percent effort committed to the Sponsored Program (UToledo policy 3364-70-18).
Required Documents
For a complete proposal, the Principal Investigator works with the grants coordinator in ORSP to prepare a detailed budget for UToledo and subrecipients. A complete budget and drafts of all other documentation is required at least five days prior to proposal submission deadline. Longer lead times are required for proposals with subrecipients or multiple institutions:
- Budget — changes may not be made to the budget marked final by your grants coordinator without approval by ORSP at any time. Please note, that small changes in the budget are usually allowed after award without sponsor approval.
- Applicable subcontract documents (i.e. approved budget from subrecipient research office, scope of work, consortium agreement)
- Complete proposals typically include:
- Project Summary
- Project Description or Plan
- Budget Justification
- Biosketches for All Key Personnel
- Current and Pending Support
- Data Management Plan
- Facilities and Resources
- Post-Doctoral Fellow Mentoring Plan
- Letters of Support or Collaboration
- All Subrecipient Documents
ORSP Proposal Review & Submission Deadlines
Proposal submission confirms UToledo’s agreement to the sponsor's award terms and conditions. During the pre-award review, unfavorable or unacceptable award terms and conditions may be addressed. However, when a proposal is submitted without ample time for pre-award review, there is not only the potential for an incomplete or inaccurate submission, but also the risk of award terms and conditions to which the University is not able to agree. If the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is unable to negotiate removal of such terms and conditions at time of the award, the University will decline the award.
The timelines below refer to proposals with all documents complete.
Lead times
For proposals without subrecipients (subcontracts), the final budget and endorsement process must be completed in InfoEd at least five business days prior to the proposal submission deadline. For proposals with subrecipients (subcontracts), the final budget and endorsement process must be completed in InfoEd at least ten business days prior to the proposal submission deadline. Some collaborating universities require longer lead times and have refused participation with UToledo proposals when given shorter notice that their internal required lead times. The final budget must include a list of all co-investigators, all additional key personnel and a budget justification.
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is committed to best practices, to utilize and receive the most thorough review and processing of the proposal, it is necessary to have your packet of complete proposal documents uploaded in InfoEd a minimum of five business days prior to the sponsor or lead institution's submission deadline.
Some situations require additional time:
- If you are including subrecipients on your proposal, including co-investigators at other universities or national labs, consultants, and/or purchased services, please note that complete subrecipient commitment forms, budgets, scopes of work, and other documents must be received by ORSP at least 10 to 15 business days prior to the sponsor submission deadline so that the UToledo budget and other documents can be finalized within the five-day window.
- If UToledo is a subrecipient on another institution’s proposal, your budget, scope of work, and subrecipient commitment forms must be received by ORSP at least ten business days prior to the lead institution’s deadline for full review and processing.
proposals arriving on-time to orsp | 10 days or more before deadline
The pre-award team’s proposal review of documentation requires ten full business days (up to fifteen days for proposals with subrecipients) and include the following:
- Review of Request for Proposal (RFP), FOA, or solicitation to ensure compliance with guideline.
- Review cost share requirements and calculations
- Review draft budget and make suggestions and corrections where needed
- Review budget justification to ensure that it matches final budget
- Advise and assist with letters of support or commitment
- Review budget and other documents for compliance with UToledo policy and submission requirements
- Assist with sponsor submission portal
- When proposal includes subaward(s) – check that all required documentation is received (a minimum of fifteen full business days is required for proposals with subrecipients, subcontracts, or subawards).
Proposals Arriving Late to ORSP | Less Than 10 to 15 Days Before Deadline
If requests for assistance including proposal documents arrive at ORSP less than 10 business days before the submission deadline, grants coordinators will not perform a full proposal review. Rather, the focus will be solely on submitting the proposal in time to meet the sponsor deadline. The Director will inform you if ORSP cannot provide full review of the budget or ensure other documents are complete or correct.
On-time submissions will be given priority.
Complete Proposals Arriving 5 Business Days in Advance of the Submission Deadline
Depending on the volume of proposals already received and in progress within ORSP, review may include the following:
- Review budget
- Review budget justification for consistency with budget
- Review for submission issues
- Review cost share forms
Complete Proposals Arriving 2-4 Business Day in Advance of the Submission Deadline
If submission issues cannot be rapidly resolved, submission may not be possible.
- Review budget
- Review budget justification for consistency with budget