Proposal Development
This section will discuss:
Develop a Realistic Plan and Timeline
Timing and planning are crucial in the proposal development process. In order to develop a plan and a realistic timeline, you will need to first organize the information of what is required to submit to your chosen funder:
- Review all funder documents pertaining to the proposal’s submission. This may include a Request for Proposal (RFP), a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), a Solicitation or any other information that the funder has provided about the opportunity. These documents typically include detailed instructions and specific forms required by the funding agency.
Important information to look for in funder documents includes:
- Applicant Eligibility – as an Institution of Higher Education, is FSU eligible to apply? Look for the eligibility section in the funder documents.
- Submission Deadline (date and time)
- Project Period (beginning and ending date)
- Funding amount available
- How will the proposal be submitted? (e.g., funder portal, email, postal service or other method)
- Is a letter of intent or preliminary application required? If so, what is the due date?
- Is an abstract needed?
- Narrative and/or application particulars, including the organization of proposal information and details about formatting, page limits and mandatory attachments
- Budget and Budget Narrative – what are the allowable and unallowable costs and match requirements? Are indirect costs allowed? What time/effort is permitted for individuals working on the project? (see Budget Development section)
- Do you need letters of support, commitment or match?
- Does the funder have required forms? (i.e., 424 forms, assurances, etc.)
- Are there additional required attachments? (résumés, CVs, etc.)
- Will the project need IRB or IACUC approval?
Will there need to be a COI form completed by grant personnel? - Has the funder provided a rubric or other evaluation information to explain how reviewers will score the proposal?
Please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs for assistance as soon as possible so we can:
- Provide guidance and add the proposal to our queue.
- Assist you (the Project Director) with entering the proposal information into Kuali Research. Kuali is FSU’s online repository for all grant proposal documents; it also facilitates the internal review and approval process, which must be completed prior to final submission. Use of Kuali is mandatory for all proposals.
Kuali Research Platform
Kuali Research is an electronic research platform used to manage all Frostburg State University proposal submissions, internal review and approval processes, and overall award administration. The system streamlines proposal submission and award management and provides a central, online repository of proposals, awards and other information. It is a valuable tool to manage the complete lifecycle of a sponsored program while guaranteeing the highest levels of compliance and integrity.
To access Kuali Research, please email osp@frostburg.edu; we will send you a link to log in using your FSU credentials. Eligible users must be currently affiliated with FSU and have an active FSU email address.
The internal review process should begin at least ten business days before the grant’s submission deadline. This span of time allows for normal delays that may be caused by competing priorities and the potential temporary absence of key faculty or staff.
As your deadline approaches, be certain to stay in touch with OSP staff and inform the office of any complications that may cause delays.
Documents to be Entered in Kuali
Ten business days – at minimum – prior to the submission deadline, be sure that the following documents are entered into Kuali:
- Proposal Package and Narrative
- Finalized Budget
- Budget Narrative
- Effort Forms Signed by the Project Director, Chair, Dean
- Required Forms or Supporting Documents (e.g., letters of support, letters of commitment for matching funds, resumes)
After the Project Director has entered these documents, OSP staff will review and then route the full proposal package for internal review through Kuali.
Some grants proposals take longer than others to prepare for submission. The timeframe above is an estimate. Some highly competitive grant proposals from federal agencies like the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts or the Appalachian Regional Commission may require more time than is described above.
Proposal Development
Writing a successful proposal
When writing a proposal, it is important to follow the requirements of the RFP or NOFO (see previous section). Please notify OSP staff – if you haven’t already – so that we may help you with the process and get your proposal on our calendar. The earlier you reach out to us, the better we can assist you in putting together a successful application!
Thoroughly review and become familiar with the requirements laid out in the funder’s NOFO or RFP. Adhere to the instructions within these guidelines and maintain clarity and consistency; this will make the grant review process easier for those evaluating your proposal. Take care to include all required sections (look closely at the funder documents), label them clearly, and thoroughly address specific topics. Carefully follow all formatting instructions. Consider seeking assistance from other subject matter experts for proofreading and guidance as time permits.
Write for your reviewers – that is, for an audience with the necessary background to evaluate the effectiveness of your project plan. Unless you know otherwise, do not assume that the reviewers are technical experts in your field. Be clear and concise.
Budget Development
As you are writing your proposal, you will want to identify the items and tasks for which you need funding. We encourage you to keep a separate sheet to jot down these costs, as this is the first step in developing your budget. Also, keep in mind timing – when you will need to have these items or complete the tasks for which you are seeking funding.
The budget identifies the costs of the project to the sponsor. It also serves as a further measure of the Project Director’s capabilities, since there must be a reasonable correlation between the project as described and the Project Director’s assessment of the various cost elements.
Generally, a budget is composed of three parts: Direct Costs, Indirect Costs and Budget Justification.
Direct Costs: Direct Costs are those that can be distinctly identified as supporting or benefiting the project, such as salaries and fringe benefits, travel, supplies, third-party contracted services and equipment dedicated to the project.
Indirect Costs: Indirect costs, also known as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, are costs of doing business that are not distinctly identified as supporting or benefiting a specific project or cost objective, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the activities it performs. Indirect Costs are calculated as a percentage of direct costs in the budget (not as a percentage of the total award). FSU uses its Federally negotiated indirect cost rate as a basis for calculating and charging indirect costs on a project. The indirect cost rate may be limited by the funder, in which case the rate used in the budget should comply with the funder’s requirements.
Budget Justification: The budget justification provides an explanation for each budget item, its purpose, how it was calculated and why it is necessary to carry out the project objectives. As mentioned above, as you are writing your proposal narrative/application, you will want to jot down your expenses/costs and why they are necessary. This information will assist you in writing your budget justification.
Please contact the Office of Sponsored Programs for additional guidance on budget development, as this is a crucial element of the proposal. Also see the Budget Template to assist in the development of your budget.
Cost Share/Match (required by some proposals in the Budget Section): In some cases, a funder may require that FSU cost share, or match, a portion of the total project cost. Cost sharing requirements may be expressed as a ratio between the sponsor’s share and the applicant’s share, or as a percentage of the total project costs. For instance, a “1-to-1 match” (a ratio) means that each party contributes the same amount toward total project costs. A “50% match” (a percentage) means that the applicant is responsible for 50% of the total project costs. A “1-to-1 match” and a “50% match” mean the same thing expressed in different ways.
The University’s match may come from several sources:
- Other support for the same project (for a federal grant, only non-Federal funds may be used as match)
- Faculty members’ time spent on the project during the academic year for which no funds are being requested (signatures of approval is required on faculty effort declaration form)
- Funds from the University Department or College (signature of approval is required)
- Unrecovered or waived indirect costs (special approval is required)
- Funds from the University Matching Fund (special approval is required)
Cost share, or match, should only be included in a proposed budget when explicitly required by the sponsor.
Effort Reporting
Effort Reporting is the process utilized to document and verify how employees spend their time on various activities, especially those related to sponsored projects (grants and contracts).
Prior to the submission of the grant proposal (and part of the internal approval process), each person working (expending time on a grant) must complete an effort certification form and have it signed by themselves as well as their chair, dean or – in the case of staff – their direct supervisor. This completed and signed form is required for submission into Kuali Research for the internal review/approval process.
The form asks for the person to submit their effort as a percentage of total work time not to exceed 100% for the project time period. A time period may include Fall and Spring semesters and Summer. OSP can assist faculty and staff with any questions in completing this form. Please contact osp@frostburg.edu. Policies on effort reporting are available in the column to the right.