Step by Step Proposal Submission Quick Guide

Step 1: Get set up to start your first proposal

Complete required training

Required training for all investigators:

• Financial Conflicts of Interest
• Grants Management for Investigators

Specific training may be required depending on your area of research (such as human subjects, animal research, use of controlled substances)

• Review Required Training page

Set Up Systems Access and Accounts

• Obtain access to SAGE
• Get an ORCID ID
• Many sponsors have their own systems for proposal submission which may require you to set up an account:
  • Applying to NSF? Get Research.gov account
  • Applying to NIH? Register with eRA Commons
  • Many agencies (such as NASA, Departments of Education, Energy,  Defense) also use Grants.gov
  • Consider setting up a Login.gov account to use a single username and password to access multiple federal agency systems, including Research.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov
  • Review sponsor requirements for other agency system information
• Set up a SciENcv account to develop biosketches for both NIH and NSF

Step 2: Understand Roles and Responsibilities

This section provides a high-level summary of proposal submissions responsibilities. See Grants Information Memorandum (GIM) 1 for more information.

Principal Investigator Responsibilities

• Complete a Significant Financial Interest Disclosure (SFI) disclosure
• Route draft proposals on an eGC1 in the System to Administer Grants Electronically (SAGE) according to sponsor and internal UW deadlines (see Step 3)
  • Notify department staff as early as possible so they can help ensure you meet department review deadlines (could add 2 weeks to your timeline)
• Provide approval and assurances (assurances required from each PI listed) when routing the eGC1 for UW required reviews/approvals
• Obtain Limited Submission approval if this is a funding opportunity that limits the number of proposals an institution may submit
• Provide responses to any eGC1 reviewer comments and/or revision requests
  • Review more information: OSP Required and Recommended Changes from GIM 1

Department Staff (or PI) Responsibilities

If available, staff can complete the following, otherwise, you as the PI are responsible for these tasks:

• Enter eGC1 data, including the sponsor deadline and whether the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) submits or the PI submits the proposal
• Gather proposal components from collaborating PIs, including intended subrecipients
  • Review more information: Proposal Elements
• Develop a detailed budget and budget justification based on PI budget plan
  • Review more information: Budget Guidance
• Gather cost share commitment letters from third parties, if applicable
• Obtain matching fund approval, if matching funds included in proposal budget

Chair/Dean Responsibilities

• Approve proposal prior to submission to OSP
• Verify the resources required are or will be available to the PI

Office of Sponsored Programs Responsibilities

OSP must assure that the application is complete, accurate and compliant with agency requirements and federal regulations at submission time.

• Review proposals to determine and confirm the requirements of the UW, sponsor, and any applicable rules and regulations are met, including compliance requirements and additional considerations
  • More information: Aspects of Proposal Review by OSP in GIM 1
• Confirm the proposal has all required business elements, that the eGC1 is designated as Ready To Submit by the PI, and that the PI has made all required assurances on the eGC1 prior to OSP approval
• Provide final institutional sign off and/or submission to sponsor, according to sponsor requirements

Step 3: Plan for Proposal Review and Submission Deadlines

Create a proposal development plan

• Read the sponsor RFP/FOA/NOFO thoroughly
  • Identify all required proposal elements (proposal sections, budget, letters of support, cost-share requirements, etc.) and who will be responsible for them
  • Identify federal contracts and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) early, these take longer for OSP to review
• Map your planned grant activities onto a timeline with associated budget items
  • Even if you are getting help with budget preparation, you need to specify and justify the people/resources required to do the proposed work.  Be sure to check if there are activities/expenses that are not allowed
  • Resource: work plan templates and project management tools on the Proposal Development Resources webpage
• Build in extra lead time for
  • Proposal components such as letters of support, institutional matching, pre-submission approval for Limited Submission Opportunities, Data Management Plans
    • Review more information: Additional Considerations
  • Why should I route my draft eGC1 proposals for federal contracts and OTAs early?
  • Lead institution due dates, if proposal is part of a multi-site collaborative where UW is not the lead institution
    • Review more information: Incoming Subawards

Internal Review Deadlines

• School/College
  • Check with your school/college on any unit-level deadlines for routing an eGC1 for review and approval (which can be as many as 10 business days prior to OSP review)
• OSP
  • 7 working days before external deadline for final version of all business elements and draft of the “scope of work” due to OSP  for review
  • 3 working days before external deadline for final eGC1 with all proposal elements and supporting documentation due to OSP

There are rare exceptions made to the GIM 19 deadlines. Exceptions require solid justification and support from your Director, Chair or Dean. Because there is less time for OSP review of proposals approved for a GIM 19 waiver, the PI requesting a waiver exception accepts the risk of sponsor proposal rejection or the inability of the UW to accept a resulting award.  The Director, Chair or Dean submits the GIM 19 Waiver request to OSP. OSP’s director will then approve or deny the waiver request.

Step 4: Complete the eGC1

The eGC1 should contain all of the information reviewers need to approve your proposal for submission to the sponsor.

Basic information needed to begin the eGC1

• eGC1 Details include project title, project type, start and end dates, sponsor deadline, date needed from OSP
• PI, Personnel, Organizations include all participating PIs, other research personnel, and collaborating units that need to review the eGC1
• Contacts and Assign Access include contact information for eGC1 preparer, reviewers, administrative and budget contacts
• Abstract and RFA/RFP include the RFP number, the title and URL
• Activity Locations include information about locations where work will occur

Detailed Project Information required for the eGC1

• The completed eGC1 will include all business elements including budget, budget justification, cost share commitments (if included), subawards (if included), reviews/outcomes for Significant Financial Interest Disclosures, biosketches for PI and other key personnel, collaborator letters of intent, and other sponsor-required documentation, as applicable
  • Review developing proposal content
• A scope of work that is complete enough to be able to assess whether the eGC1 compliance questions have been adequately addressed

Resources for Completing the eGC1

• eGC1 Forms User Guide and SAGE eGC1 Workbook with screenshots and detailed information required for each field.
• Proposal Submission process

Step 5: Route and Submit the eGC1

Route the eGC1

• Before routing the eGC1, review final budget and budget justification to ensure it appropriately reflects the requirements of the planned activities
• Start routing the eGC1 in time to meet department and school/college review/approval deadlines
• Understand the approval routing flow for your proposal
• Monitor approvals and make sure reviewers are following through

Submit the eGC1 to OSP

• 7 business days before external deadline
  • Final version of all business elements
  • Good draft of the “scope of work”
  • Be prepared to respond quickly to all OSP questions and requests

• 3 working days before external deadline
  • Confirm your eGC1 is “Ready to Submit.” More information: Is my eGC1 Ready?
  • Submit all final proposal elements