Cover sheet

Sponsors usually request that applicants complete forms that provide basic administrative information, including project title; project period (start and end date); funds requested; PI and/or Co-PI name, title, address, phone, fax, email; and administrative contact information. Basic cover sheet information also includes the University's corporate and legal name as well as the University's tax-exempt status number.

Certain information about the University can be found at:

University Institutional Information Sheet 

Representations and Certifications

All federal grant and contract applications require that an authorized University signatory sign a series of representations and certifications attesting to the institution's eligibility to receive and administer federal funds. The three most common types of representations and certification are Debt and Debarment, Lobbying and Drug-Free Work Place. Other types of representations and certifications vary by agency. Most federal sponsors require that these forms be submitted with the application, but some do not require them until the time of award.

Abstract

Also referred to as a "project summary," this section provides a brief (typically no more than one page) high-level description of goals of the proposed research. If the sponsor has specific requirements for the project summary, they should be followed carefully. NSF, for example, requires that the project summary explicitly address the "intellectual merit" and the "broader impact" of the proposed research and will return without review proposals that do not include this information.

Narrative

This is the scientific/technical description of the project. Many sponsors have strict guidelines regarding page length and formatting (margins, lines per inch, font size, etc.) and may reject proposals that do not meet these guidelines, so it is essential to review the program announcement carefully and adhere to such guidelines.

Budget and Budget Justification

Most research proposals, and many fellowship proposals, ask for a detailed ("line-item") budget and explanation of the items in each budget category. Information about budget preparation can be found in Preparing a Sponsored Project Budget.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Bibliography

Normally, the CV is accompanied by a bibliography, a list of the person's publications. The CVs of the PI and other faculty members who will be working on a project should be included with the proposal. Many sponsors have specific formatting and page length restrictions. Most federal sponsors require a shortened CV and bibliography, between two (NSF) and four (NIH) pages.

Typically, the CV/bibliographies of others playing a significant role in the project are included, whether or not they are Co-PIs or Co-Investigators, and even if they are not otherwise affiliated with the University.

As of May 25, 2008, NIH applications, proposals and progress reports must include the PubMed Central reference number when citing publications that fall under the NIH Public Access Policy and are authored or co-authored by the investigator, or arose from the investigator's NIH award. For more information regarding the NIH Public Access Policy, see NIH Public Access Policy.

Current and Pending Funding

Many sponsors request that applicants provide summaries of their current and anticipated grant and contract funding. Information requested usually includes sponsor, project title, period of performance and amount funded. Some agencies also ask for percentages of effort. To avoid cost sharing implications, the amount of effort committed to projects should not be reported unless it has been requested explicitly.