Proposal Preparation and Submission
The Office of Research supports investigators throughout the entire proposal development process - from identifying appropriate funding opportunities to final submission. This page outlines each step in the process and provides guidance to help ensure proposals are competitive, compliant, and submitted on time. Whether you are developing a new idea or preparing a resubmission, these resources are designed to support your success.
Funding Opportunities
External Funding Opportunities
UToledo provides access to a variety of external funding resources - including SPINPlus, Grants.gov, and other federal and foundation databases - to help identify and track relevant funding opportunities across disciplines. These tools allow researchers to search funding announcements, receive customized alerts, and access application information to support proposal development.
Internal Funding Opportunties
UToledo offers a range of internal funding programs call University Research Funding Opportunities (URFOs). URFOs provide seed funding and resources to help initiate new projects, generate preliminary data, and strengthen competitiveness for external grant applications.
Limited Submission
Limited submission opportunities are funding programs that restrict the number of proposals an institution can submit, requiring an internal selection process to determine UToledo's nominees. The Office of Research coordinates these opportunities and manages internal competitions to ensure the most competitive proposals are advanced to the sponsor.
UToledo Foundation
Working with the UToledo Foundation helps researchers access philanthropic funding and donor networks that can support innovative or early-stage projects not always funded by traditional grants.
Read Funding Guidelines
Carefully reviewing the sponsor's guidelines is essential to ensure compliance with eligibility, formatting, and submission requirements. This step helps avoid disqualifcation and strengthens proposal responsiveness.
- Understand the requirements and deadlines.
- Contact the funding agency’s Program Officer for help with determining your project’s fit with the sponsor’s priorities.
- If the sponsor limits the number of proposals the university may submit, inform Limited Submissions (link) immediately to arrange for an internal review.
- Review for IRB, IACUC, or other submissions are needed.
Create an InfoEd Record
All proposals must be initiated in InfoEd to begin the internal review and submission process. Creating a record allows the Office of Research track, review, and support your proposal.
This is a PI's first step once they have identified a funding opportunity. An InfoEd record must be started by established lead times prior to sponsor submission.
If you have questions or would like assistance with InfoEd, please contact InfoEd Support at InfoEd@UToledo.edu.
Inform College and Department
Early communication with your chair, dean, and departmental staff ensures alignment with college priorities and resource availability. Discuss the resources required to perform the project, including budget, time allocation, matching funds, equipment, personnel, and space. This step helps facilitate approvals and necessary support.
Training and Compliance
Training
Develop and Write the Proposal
Contact GrantDevelopment@UToledo.edu for a grant writer to review your proposal.
Develop a Budget
Research Administration
Begin Internal Routing
Final Review
The Grants Coordinator conducts a final compliance and quality review before submission. This step ensures the proposal meets sponsor requirements and is ready for on-time submission.
Once you receive notification of your application outcome, please inform your Grants Coordinator. If the proposal is selected for funding, refer to Post Award for guidance on next steps.