Research and Sponsored Programs

Prepare Proposal

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You must contact your Grants Specialist who will assist you in all stages of the proposal development and submission process.

Follow the steps below when applying for a grant.

1. Required Initial Steps and obtaining internal approvals

• Contact your grants specialist in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
  • Your grants specialist will set up a meeting to discuss the RFP in detail and review WCU and sponsor grant submission policies and procedures.
  • Your representative is there to assist you in every step of the submission process and answer any questions you may have.
• At least three weeks before the grant is due, you must fill out the Electronic Grant and Contract Cover Sheet
  • The budget and the project description/narrative must be uploaded to the form.
  • For all WCU contributions (committed matches), include the type of contribution (e.g., AWA, cash, in-kind) the amount, the cost center, and the e-mail addresses of the fund manager for these commitments. Please request the cost center number from your Chair or Dean.
  • Once you click submit, the form will automatically be forwarded to the appropriate individuals that are listed on the form. E-mails requesting approvals will automatically take place in this order:
    • WCU Contributions (if applicable)
    • Chair/Supervisor: If this individual is the same as who is providing a contribution, they will receive two e-mails, one for the contribution and one as Chair/Supervisor.
    • Dean/Division Director: If this individual is the same as those who is providing a contribution, they will receive two e-mails, one for the contribution and one as Dean/Director
  • Your ORSP representative will obtain the approval of the Provost and the Associate VP for Research and Sponsored Programs and inform you when all approvals are in place.

Please note: information entered into the electronic form is not binding. ORSP understands that budgets may change, and that the narrative portion of the proposal is not a final version.

2. Prepare Narrative

• General Resources for Grant Writing
  • Proposal Writer's Guide: University of Michigan
  • Contacting Grant Program Officers : Highly recommended
  • The Art of Grantsmanship : Guidelines on preparing grant applications from the moment of conception to submitting the final proposal
  • "What Do Grant Reviewers Really Want, Anyway?" : Presents findings of interviews with senior Virginia Tech faculty who have extensive experience on research panels.
• NSF Proposals
  Visit the NSF Learning Community for samples, tips, and advice
  • 2017 NSF Submission Toolkit
  • Guidelines for each required section
  • Biosketch Template
    • Create your Biosketch using SciENcv, A researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies
  • Current and Pending Support Template
  • Data Management Plan Template
  • Collaborators and other Affiliations
  • Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources Template
  • "A Guide For Proposal Writing"
  • "Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide" : Contains NSF’s proposal preparation and submission guidelines. The GPG provides guidance for the preparation and submission of proposals to NSF. Some NSF programs have program solicitations that modify the general provisions of the GPG, and, in such cases, the guidelines provided in the solicitation must be followed.
  • NSF Merit Review Process:
    • Not Following Directions: One chart in the data-packed merit-review report lists the top reasons NSF returned full proposals without review in FY 2015: They were, in order: "Not responsive to solicitation, program announcement, or Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide"; "Format problem"; "Does not contain a required section"; and "Received past deadline."
  • Research Projects with Single PIs (SPI) & Multiple PIs, by Number; Average Number of Months of Salary for Single- & Multi-PI Research Grants
• NIH Proposals
  Visit the NIH Learning Community for samples, tips, and advice
  • Guidance for each required section of an NIH grant
  • How to prepare the Research Plan
  • Grant Application Basics
  • Biographical Sketch Template
    • Create your Biosketch using SciENcv, A researcher profile system for all individuals who apply for, receive or are associated with research investments from federal agencies
  • How to Apply
  • Grant Writing Tips Sheets
  • All About Grants Podcast: The Office of Extramural Research (OER) talks to NIH staff members about the ins and outs of NIH funding. Designed for investigators, fellows, students, research administrators, and others just curious about the application and award process, we provide insights on grant topics from those who live and breathe the information.
  • Collection of Funded Exceptional NIH submissions
  • Sample Cancer Epidemiology Grant Applications
  • Small Grant Program (R03): NIH's R03 informational webpage
  • Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program (R15): NIH's R15 informational webpage
• Other Grants.gov Submissions
  • US Department of Education: Grants Informational Webpage
  • US Department of Energy: Grants Policy and Guidance
  • Environmental Protection Agency: General Tips on Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal & Preparing a Budget
  • Social Science Research Council (SSRC): "On the Art of Writing Proposals"
• Private Foundation Proposals
  • Grant Space Developing Proposals: Tutorials and articles on developing proposals specific to foundations and free on-line proposal writing course.

3. Prepare Budget

Work closely with your research office representative to develop your budget and coordinate approval from Restricted Funds.

• Build your budget by using WCU's customized Budget Builder
• General Budget Guidelines

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• Questions?
• Contact us at 610-436-3557
• Email Us