1. Identifying Guidance and Eligibility
- Review and ensure the PI AND University are eligible to apply for the specific solicitation/opportunity.
- Review of specific funding opportunity and if applicable, the overall sponsor guidelines related to submission. For example, for an NSF submission, be sure to review program solicitation AND proposal and award policies and procedures guide.
2. Identifying Your Proposal Type
The following is a general listing of proposal types submitted via ORSPA. All types must be routed via ORSPA for review, approval, institutional routing and submission.
- Pre-Proposal, Letter of Intent or White Paper: A Pre-Proposal or Letter of Intent may be required of sponsors seeking a brief concept or summary as well as key individuals to be involved in the proposed research in order to determine which ideas merit a full proposal. All Pre-Proposals, Letters of Intent or White Papers should be routed to ORSPA for review, approval, institutional routing prior to its submission.
- New Application: An application not previously submitted to the sponsor. These types of applications typically have formal guidelines, set deadline dates and a submission process required via ORSPA.
- Resubmitted/Revision Application: An application wherein the scope of work/overall objective has not changed, but revisions have been made in response to reviewer comments or sponsor requests.
- Renewal Application: An application to fund an existing project for an additional budget and project period. Renewals may be competitive.
- Continuation, Non Competitive Renewals: Many sponsors fund multiple year projects. Funds will usually be awarded one year at a time, based on availability, with the expectation that the entire project will be supported. Some sponsors require that the PI submit a new proposal for each year of the project, even though all years were included in the original proposal. These continuation proposals ar not subject to competitive review as was the initial proposal.
- Collaborative Proposals: An application where tow or more organizations are submitting a proposal together. Collaborative proposals often have an awardee/subawardee relationship or can be submitted via a linking process (NSF).
- Subaward Proposals: An application wherein another organization (known as the "Prime") is submitting a proposal to the sponsoring organization in collaboration with our organization. In these instances the Prime may include our organization as a subaward, requiring less documents for submission. This type of proposal will still require Char/Dean/ORSPA approval, formal routing, and a communication between the two organizations' Sponsored Programs offices.
- Master Agreement/Umbrella: These agreements typically encompass a broader project period, scope of work and budget with individual task orders dictating the specific deliverable to be accomplished.
- Task Order: A specific set of deliverables to be completed under an existing master agreement. Task orders will follow the limitations/alowability set forth in the master agreement.
- Award Transfer for a New Faculty: Incoming faculty that are applying to transfer their sponsored project with their previous institution will work with ORSPA to complete the necessary internal and external steps to transferring their award to Lamar University. This type of proposal will still require Chair/Dean/ORPSA approval, formal routing, and a communication between the two organizations' Sponsored Programs offices as well as the Sponsor.
3. Identifying Important Submission Details
The following are some, but not all, important items to consider as you prepare your proposal and review your guidance.
- Deadline Date/Time
- Submission format
- Necessary certification and signatures
- Cost share
- Support letters
- Letters of Eligibility
- Equipment quotes (if equipment is being purchased)
4. Limited Submission Considerations: Submissions that limit proposals to one per organization should receive clearance from the ORSPA.
5. Compliance Considerations: Submissions that incorporate any compliance related matter should be familiar with the ORSPA Research Compliance. The ORSPA Research Compliance should be your contact for any questions related to these issues. Compliance items can include, but are not limited to the following:
- IRB
- IACUC
- Biosafety
- Export Controls
- Conflict of Interest
