Proposal Development and Review
An external funding proposal can include any request for funding or application for fiscal support from an outside entity. Proposals can be submitted to a federal agency, state department, corporation, private foundation and others, and proposals can support a new project, enhance an existing agenda or supplement the budget of an ongoing program. Contact the Office of Sponsored Programs to discuss your ideas and develop your proposal.
Common Proposal Sections
| Proposal Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Cover Page | The grant cover page is usually a standardized form that includes information about the applicant including the name, address, DUNS number, authorized representative, title of the project and others. |
| Project Summary/Abstract | The project summary provides an introduction to the organization as well as a brief overview of the projected project including the identified goals and objectives. |
| Project Narrative/Description | The project narrative is the main text of the grant proposal that generally includes the statement of need, overall goals and measurable objectives, and a clear scope of work on how the proposed project will accomplish the identified goals. Other elements of the project narrative may include a description of project personnel, the projected timeline, and how the project will be evaluated. |
| Budget and Budget Justification | The budget should consist of all project expenses to implement all areas of the proposed project. The budget narrative is an explanation of each line item in the budget, providing the proposal reviewers a description of how the budget figures were calculated. The budget and budget narrative should align with the activities included in the project narrative. |
| References Cited | The sources for all information cited in the project narrative should be complied into a references cited section. This will provide the information necessary for a reader to further reference any citation. |
| Biographical Sketches | Biographical Sketches summarize the qualifications and experience of individuals included in the project proposal. The Biographical Sketches help the reviewer to see qualified personnel have been identified to successfully implement the projected project. |
| Supplemental Materials | Supplemental materials can include, but are not limited to letters of support, certifications, exhibit tables/charts, reports as well as others. The proposal solicitation will usually include guidelines on what can be included with supplemental materials. |
Frequently Requested Information
| UEI Number | LMJAVFPBYQ74 |
| EIN Number | 38-1880022 |
| Cage Code | 5RFT3 |
| MI Congressional District | MI-001 |
| Type of Organization | Public and state controlled institution of higher education |
| Most Recent Completed Audit Statement | LSSU Financial Statements |
| Indirect Cost Rate Agreement | LSSU Negotiated Indirect Cost Rates: On-campus projects: 56% Off-campus projects: 19% (applied to total salaries and fringe) Contact the Office of Sponsored Programs for a copy of the current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement |
Are you submitting a research proposal?
Does your research involve human or animal subjects? If so, then your research plan may need to be reviewed by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The LSSU IRB reviews student and faculty research projects to help ensure that research is conducted in an ethical and legal manner, and IACUC is responsible for overseeing research and teaching activities involving nonhuman vertebrate animals within the institution. For more information, please see the LSSU IRB and LSSU IACUC websites.
Proposal Preparation Checklist
| ☐ | Notify the Office of Sponsored Programs at the start of a new proposal |
| ☐ | Read the solicitation, often posted as a Request for Application (RFA) or a Request for Proposal (RFP), very carefully. The solicitation will outline all guidelines for the proposal and will often include a specific checklist for the sponsor. Contact the program officer identified in the solicitation to clarify any questions, as necessary. |
| ☐ | Initiate and complete the LSSU External Funding Proposal Approval Form. All required parties must sign off on this form BEFORE submission of the grant proposal. |
| ☐ | Work with the Office of Sponsored Programs to coordinate a proposal development team, if necessary. |
| ☐ | Identify if there is a cost share or matching requirement on the solicitation. Reach out to community organizations and other resources to help support the match requirement, as necessary. |
| ☐ | Identify a proposal development timeline to ensure all pieces of the proposal are completed before the due date and to allow enough time for department and Sponsored Programs review. |
| ☐ | Identify community partners and additional support, as necessary; and send out requests for Letters of Commitment/Support as soon as possible in the proposal development process. |
| ☐ | Create a template for all required proposal components as outlined by the sponsor in the posted solicitation. |
| ☐ | Develop the proposal narrative, or scope of work, following the solicitation guidelines that may also include a logic model and timeline. Establish the project period. |
| ☐ | Develop a project budget to align with the project narrative and project period. The project budget should include the LSSU F&A rate (indirect costs), if allowable. The Office of Sponsored Programs and the Business Office can assist in the budget development. |
| ☐ | Develop a detailed budget justification. The budget justification should provide an explanation for each line item, how it was calculated and how it ties into the overall project plan. Make sure all budget numbers align with the budget justification details. |
| ☐ | Determine if the budget will include subawards or consultants, if so, additional information such as letters of commitment, F&A rate agreements, CV and/or bio sketch for consultants. |
| ☐ | Research proposals must be approved through the LSSU IRB. Contact the IRB as early as possible to identify appropriate approval processes, as necessary. |
| ☐ | Identify if additional approvals, forms or assurances need to be completed from the Office of Safety and Risk Management. |
| ☐ | Coordinate with the Office of Sponsored Programs on who will submit the proposal and how (online/mail). Assure all online grant database registrations are up to date and that the proposal development team has all usernames and passwords, as appropriate. |
| ☐ | Send the completed proposal narrative and budget to the Office of Sponsored Programs at least 5 days before the proposal due date for final review. |
| ☐ | Submit all proposals at least one day before the final due date. Early submission allows for time to correct submission issues due to technical problems, missing proposal documents or others. |
| ☐ | Forward a complete copy of the final proposal with all supplemental material to the Office of Sponsored Programs, as well as, proof of submission if the submission process was not completed through the Office of Sponsored Programs. |
