The Office for Sponsored Faculty Projects will happily assist you in the process of applying for funding and in the administration of grants or other awards. The following guidelines will help you navigate the college's internal process for developing and submitting a competitive application or proposal.

Please note: All formal applications for external support must be reviewed by OSFP, the Business Office and the Provost prior to submission.

  1. Plan ahead. Discuss your idea or project with us and consult with your department chair well in advance (6-9 months, preferably one year) of sponsor deadlines to ensure adequate time for developing a competitive proposal and to determine whether any aspects of your project could impede other functions in your department.
  2. Find viable sponsors. Work with OSFP to locate potential sources of support. Our office can assist you in contacting potential sponsors and/or program officers, reviewing sponsor guidelines and application forms, developing strategies for the project budget and narrative, understanding any compliance regulations, and providing other technical assistance as needed.
  3. Discuss. Once you’ve identified a funding opportunity and have decided to apply, we highly recommend that you talk with peers about your planned project and any experiences they may have had with a particular sponsor. You must also formally notify and receive documented approval from your department chair and alert OSFP so that, at a minimum, we can begin to prepare for official sign-offs. 
  4. Draft. Begin outlining and writing the full proposal. Our office is always available to help you interpret funding agency guidelines and to ensure that your application meets their stated goals and is clearly aligned with the mission of the college. We can also offer feedback/coaching to help you write compelling project and budget narratives, as well as provide technical assistance (including templates/boilerplate, timelines, budget development, editing and formatting assistance, etc.). We also recommend that you discuss your draft project budget with the Assistant Controller at this stage.
  5. Compliance. If your project will involve human subjects, animals, biohazards or other like protocols, you must provide documented approval from your department and the relevant college entity (IRB, IACUC, FCOI, etc.) before submission of your proposal. This may take several days, so please plan accordingly.
  6. Review, sign-offs, submission. Completed proposals/applications must be provided to OSFP at least five working days prior to the sponsor's deadline for final internal review and to ensure successful on-time submission. Final grant budgets must also be reviewed and approved by the college's business office prior to submission. The assistant controller is the College’s designated signing authority (with OSFP and the provost as alternates), and as such officially submits all applications on behalf of the project director.