Prepare Proposal
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
- 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
- Other Grants.gov Submissions
- Private Foundation Proposals
3. Prepare Budget
Work closely with your research office representative to develop your budget and coordinate
approval from Restricted Funds.
- Questions?
- Contact us at 610-436-3557
-
Email Us