• Timing
• Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS)
• Types of Applications
• Obtaining the application
• Help in proposal writing
• The proposal review process
• Rejections

Preliminary discussions with department heads, deans
Because department heads must endorse the proposal and approve any use of departmental personnel, space, and facilities, PIs who intend to submit any proposal should discuss it with them well in advance of the sponsor's deadline. Advance notification enables administrators to assess potential impacts, raise questions before the proposal's final processing, and make any required arrangements. These discussions are even more important for proposals that involve the following issues:
• very large or center-type proposals,
• extensive faculty time,
• cost-sharing or matching requirements,
• subcontracting,
• considerable use of University equipment and facilities,
• interdepartmental collaboration,
• relationship with on-going University projects or objectives and missions,
• large commitments of staffing and space, and
• potential F&A (indirect) cost waivers.
Deans provide local oversight over these issues and may also be involved in these discussions.

Grants.gov
Grants.gov is a Web site developed by the federal government to be the single portal for submitting all grant applications to the 26 federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov lists all federal grant opportunities and provides a mechanism for applying for those opportunities. Institutions have begun to be required to submit grant applications electronically through Grants.gov; applications sent to Grants.gov are then forwarded to the respective agencies. More information about using Grants.gov and the local process, see http://www.ospa.umn.edu/GrantGov/Howtoapply.html.

Using Nonfederal Electronic Systems
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/) 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.

Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS)
EGMS is an internet-based proposal development and sponsored project management system developed by the University. PIs can use it to develop proposal budgets according to University and sponsor rules and regulations, make calculations, print out the proposal in the sponsor's format, and conduct an audit of it to ensure that it complies with regulations. Other benefits include:

• calculates fringe benefits and F&A (indirect) costs in the background, using the currently correct numbers,
• calculates inflation across fiscal and grant years,
• flags potential violations of OMB Circular A-21 while you prepare the budget,
• assigns budget items to appropriate CUFS object codes, transparent to the user,
• can be accessed anywhere an Internet connection is available,
• fills in University demographic information,
• enables easy formation of a grant Biograpical Sketch,
• automatically converts a line-item budget into modular format (for NIH).

Preapplication, preliminary, or pre-proposal
A pre-proposal establishes communication between the sponsor and the applicant to determine whether a full proposal should be submitted and to obtain advice that will improve the proposal's chance of success. Preapplications are often required. If the sponsor requires an institutional offical to sign the pre-proposal, it must be routed through Sponsored Projects Administration with a Proposal Routing Form (PRF).
 
New
Applications for projects that have not been previously funded by the sponsor. NIH and NSF new proposals can be completed through EGMS. These proposals require a PRF.
 
Continuations
Applications for continued support on current projects which the sponsor already funds. Some continuation applications are available on EGMS. These proposals require a PRF.
• Renewal or Competing
  Funding is not guaranteed and the application is pooled with other proposals for review. If awarded, the extended period of support is considered an extension of the original proposal.

• Noncompeting
  For multiyear projects, sponsors may require annual applications for continued funding. These applications do not compete for funds.

Supplemental
A request for additional funds for a project. These proposals require a PRF.
 
Revised new or revised renewal
If a proposal has been rejected, the PI often has an opportunity to use the reviewer's comments to revise the proposal and resubmit it. Contact the sponsor's program officer for guidelines. These proposals require a PRF if the revision is significant (significant changes in the level of effort or cost sharing for key personnel or an increase or decrease of 25% of the original budget).

Obtaining the application

Grants.gov: Grants.gov is the single access point for over 1,000 grant programs offered by all federal grant-making agencies.Through Grants.gov, researchers can download the correct application package, save it to a local computer, and complete it. They can also use EGMS to complete the application. Information about Grants.gov is located at: http://www.ospa.umn.edu/GrantGov/index.html.

EGMS has a generic template for sponsors that do not have their own application forms. To receive the proper application materials for sponsors not available on EGMS, check http://www.ospa.umn.edu/forms/index.html. Applications from some sponsors are only available in electronic format. These electronic forms can be downloaded, printed, filled out, and then submitted for funding. Check SPA's Electronic Grant Applications Resource website at http://www.ospa.umn.edu/GrantGov/index.html. This page is a resource for finding and applying for external funding that requires electronic submission. Look for the most current information about how sponsors are moving to electronic systems, how EGMS will integrate with the federal Grants.gov electronic system, how these processes will work at the U of M, and more.

Remember that all proposals must be submitted through SPA. If assistance using a computer is necessary, contact the Academic and Distributed Computing Services (ADCS) help line at (612) 626-4276. If the form is not available electronically, SPA can usually supply paper forms.
 
Faculty dealing with state and local agencies, private organizations, associations, and industry are encouraged to obtain details directly from these sponsors. In these cases, the generic application on EGMS will usually suffice. Remember that all proposals must be submitted through SPA.
 
Help in proposal writing
If the proposal is written in EGMS, budgetary information such as F&A (indirect) cost and fringe benefit rates will be automatically supplied. EGMS will also make salary and fringe benefit calculations.
 
The University offers classes on the preaward process. There is also help available for writing a proposal in EGMS. See Section 1.2, "Overview: Information and training."
 
For other information, departmental colleagues, particularly the department chair, may be the most helpful sources for sample proposals and help on proposal writing.
 
Colleges and departments may have research support offices that provide assistance in proposal writing.
 
The proposal review process
Each sponsor has a different method of reviewing proposals. For federal sponsors, a team of experts or prominent researchers in the particular field will review them for their technical content and cost. Although selection of these reviewers lies fully within the sponsor's authority, some sponsors allow PIs to suggest names of persons especially well qualified to review their proposals. PIs may also be able to list persons who should not be asked to review their proposals.
 
Rejections
Sponsors commonly receive many more worthy applications than can possibly be funded. To be competitive, each proposal must be prepared as carefully as possible. However, the success or failure of a proposal can depend on factors outside the applicant's control. Some of these factors are the availability of funds, the sponsor's need for a geographical distribution of funds, the sponsor's relative priorities, and the reviewer's perspective.
 
Many sponsors provide explanatory information with their letters of notification. This information often includes the process by which the proposal was reviewed, the number of proposals and awards, and information about budget availability. Copies of proposal reviews may also be supplied. Contact the program officer or sponsor for further information.

Appeals
If an applicant feels that the proposal's handling or peer review has been inappropriate, some sponsors allow appeals. Check the sponsor's guidelines for further information. The appeal process may take several months to complete, so it may be more effective to use the reviewers' comments to revise and resubmit the proposal.
 
Revised proposals
Sponsors often suggest that the PI revise the proposal. Proposals completed in EGMS can be easily revised as necessary. SPA requires a new Proposal Routing Form for the revision if the revision is significant (significant changes in the level of effort or cost sharing for key personnel or an increase or decrease of 25% of the original budget). Revisions are subject to the same deadlines at SPA as new proposals.