A growing number of private foundations, businesses and other nonfederal organizations are accepting and requiring paperless proposal submissions. Some sponsors accept proposals by email, while others require that proposals be submitted through application systems featured on their web sites, or through collaborative e-grants Web sites (e.g. RAMS/Proposal Central (http://www.ramscompany.com/proposalcentral.html) or American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) at http://www.acls.org/).

In most cases, principal investigators or department administrators will submit nonfederal electronic applications. However, all electronic proposals still must be reviewed by SPA prior to submission. A complete proposal package for an electronic submission should include the following:

• E-mail completed electronic applications to proposal@umn.edu with the Proposal Routing Form (PRF) number, PI last name, and sponsoring agency.
• Fax PRFs with ink signatures to 612.624.4843. Those with electronically signed PRFs do not need to fax the PRF to SPA.
• Some nonfederal sponsors may require a signed paper copy of the application in addition to an electronic one. Deliver the signed paper copy to SPA for submission to the sponsor.

After SPA grant administrators complete their review of the proposal, they will send an email notification to the PI and department contact (individual listed on the PRF), which authorizes submission.