Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Proposal Submission Process

I have a project for which I need to obtain funding. Where do I go to submit my proposal?
If your project is an individual investigator project to perform research or other activities and/or your proposal is to be sent to the Federal government or a corporation, contact the Office of Research Administration (ORA). If the project involves curriculum development or some other non-research activity and it is to be submitted to a foundation or a corporation as a University-wide initiative, contact Corporate and Foundation Relations. If you are still unsure, feel free to contact either office and we work closely to offer the best possible service to faculty who wish to submit proposals for extramural funding.
What kinds of services are available from ORA?
ORA can provide advice and assistance on a wide variety of topics related to sponsored projects. A complete listing of our services can be found under Services.
When is it appropriate to contact ORA about a proposal that I want to submit?
Normally, ORA should be contacted as soon as you are sure that you want to submit a proposal to a potential sponsor. ORA can also assist in identifying appropriate sponsors, if necessary, by different means, including a search using the Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPINPlus). If you already know the sponsor to which you wish to submit a proposal, it is recommended that you liaison with this sponsor to review the compatibility of the work to be proposed with the sponsor's current funding priorities. ORA may be contacted at any time for answers to questions, assistance with sponsor identification and/or proposal development, or for general advice on proposal submission.
At what point of completion should my proposal be when I deliver it to ORA for review and approval?
Proposals submitted for ORA review and approval should be complete in all material respects and contain the required proposal components necessary for sponsor acceptance. Under certain circumstances as agreed upon in advance, ORA staff can assist in assembling the component parts of a proposal, but writing the proposal and getting it to a point where it will be considered by the sponsor to be a "finished product" is the researcher's responsibility.
Once my proposal is written and considered complete, how much lead time does ORA need to complete its review and authorize it to be submitted?
Because proposal review is only one of the services offered by ORA and due to limited resources, proposals should be submitted at least three (3) business days prior to the date on which it has to "leave" the University. For proposals to be submitted electronically, five (5) business days are required. These lead times are necessary for the complete review of proposals and to allow sufficient time for any corrections or changes that may be necessary. In the event adherence to these required lead times is not possible, ORA will do its best to make accommodations, but cannot guarantee that proposals will be submitted by the required date.
Can ORA provide assistance with copying and/or mailing proposals?
Yes, in those cases where the three (3) day window for submission of hard copy proposals has been observed and if adequate resources are available. ORA will then bill the investigator's department for actual copying/mailing costs incurred.
What is considered to be a "complete" proposal?
Each potential sponsor may have its own unique proposal submission guidelines that must be read and followed closely for a proposal to have any chance of success. For those sponsors that do not specify required formats or component parts, suggested options for what to include in a proposal may be found under Proposal Toolkits on the ORA website. Additional information regarding what constitutes a complete proposal is in Section III. of the Sponsored Projects Handbook.
When is a Proposal Coordination Form required and what purpose does it accomplish?
The Proposal Coordination Form (PCF), otherwise known as the "blue sheet" must be completed and authorized departmentally for all proposals submitted through ORA. Its use enables ORA staff to enter important proposal information into its proposal and award database, review for specific proposal considerations (e.g., cost sharing, use of humans or animals, generation of hazardous wastes), and give proper credit to faculty for proposals submitted. This information is used to provide various reports to the administration and department heads. The PCF must be submitted before proposals can be considered approved. A more complete listing of possible review points that ORA considers when it reviews a proposal is available by visiting our Proposal Review Checklist.
Why is it necessary to complete, sign, and have approved a Conflict of Interest Certification with each proposal to be submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH)?
This requirement came into existence in October of 1995 when the NSF and the NIH agreed jointly to require university researchers certify that there is no potential conflict of interest by virtue of proposals submitted to or awards made by either agency. More information about the responsibility of faculty to disclose their relationships with external organizations is contained in the University's Conflict of Interest policy.
If I submit a proposal that a sponsor decides to fund, what authority do I, as a WPI faculty member, have to negotiate or accept an award?
None. Faculty may contact potential sponsors to discuss projects, but may not act on behalf of the University to establish a business relationship between the parties. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which involves the personal liability that such actions create for the investigator. When ORA accepts awards, it attempts to negotiate (when necessary) award terms and conditions that place the University in the best possible position throughout the life of the award. For a faculty member to unilaterally accept an award jeopardizes this effort and the possibility of future negotiations with the sponsor involved.
If one of my proposals is funded, who owns the money?
All proposals submitted by WPI faculty are approved on behalf of the faculty author of each proposal. Accordingly, all awards are made to the University, as these, too, are received and accepted on behalf of the researcher. The University is then responsible for ensuring that each researcher (and the University) complies with the terms and conditions of each award.
What are my responsibilities when submitting Fastlane proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF)?
As with all other proposals, Fastlane proposals should be materially complete when faculty decide to allow Sponsored Project Office (SRO) access to review and submit. For faculty submitting Fastlane proposals for the first time, ORA staff can assist in uploading proposal components, completing budgets, preparing the required cover and certifications pages, etc. Completed and approved Proposal Coordination Form (PCF) and Conflict of Interest forms should be provided to ORA concurrent with providing SRO access so that the review process may proceed without delay.
How long does it usually take for a sponsor to review proposals and make funding decisions?
The normal turnaround time for Federal sponsors is at least six months from receipt of proposals. This length of time is due to the often used process of having each proposal reviewed by a panel of scientists, during which proposals are rated on various factors such as quality of the science, relatedness to sponsor goals, societal or economic impact, etc. Depending on the complexity and scope of the project, proposals can take up to a year in the review process and, on occasion, can involve negotiations of award amounts, revisions to scopes of work and, occasionally, site visits to the awardee institution.
When programmatic requirements include institutional cost sharing or matching, who at WPI can approve these types of expenses?

Depending on the amount and type, cost sharing can be approved either by the Associate Provost and/or the Director of ORA. Cost sharing for graduate student tuition, stipends, and equipment is normally approved by the Associate Provost.

The Director of ORA is authorized to approve relatively small amounts of cost sharing, including reductions of indirect costs, only when it is necessary make a proposal more competitive in light of funding limitations. Department heads may also approve various types of cost sharing, the basis for which is departmental funding. All cost sharing should be clearly indicated on the Proposal Coordination Form (PCF) when submitting proposals through ORA.

Who can approve a Proposal Coordination Form (PCF) in the absence of my department head?
In most cases when a department head is expected to be absent for an extended period of time, an acting department head will be appointed. This person may authorize proposals to be submitted on behalf of the department. When there is no acting department head, the Associate Provost may authorize proposals.
I am not sure if I am eligble to submit proposals through WPI. Where can I turn for help?
Consult the Eligibility Criteria for the Submission of Proposals for External Sponsorship on the ORA website and address any subsequent questions to ORA.
Where may I find the institutional and rate information needed to complete my proposal?
This information is contained in the Proposal Preparation Reference Sheet (formerly called Budget Notes). A hard copy of this information is also available from ORA.
I want to contact a potential sponsor to talk about my research. If this sponsor requests that I send a preliminary proposal, does ORA need to be in the loop?
For all pre-proposals, abstracts and white papers submitted in advance of a full proposal, ORA should be contacted to review what is being submitted. If any representations (e.g., budget, willingness to cost share, facilities availability) are going to be made that might be perceived by the sponsor as committing the University, ORA should review and authorize the submission of the pre-proposal before it is transmitted. In the absence of any such representations, a copy of the pre-proposal should be provided to ORA at the time of submission.
What is the best advice you can give me regarding proposal submission?
Read and understand any proposal submission guidelines mandated by the sponsor in order to understand what is expected. The quickest way to kill a proposal's chances of success is to ignore these sponsor requirements.
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Last modified: September 11, 2007 11:05:14