Proposal Submission Procedures

ORA is committed to the success of Mines faculty in developing and submitting proposals. ORA’s Proposal Analysts work in tandem with faculty during the proposal process to submit accurate proposals that align with school and federal guidelines, policies and regulations. To that end, it is important that ORA is notified in a timely manner to ensure adequate time for proposal review and submission. These procedures apply to submissions to all agencies including situations where Mines is the lead, non-lead institution, and/or a subaward from a pass-through entity. Proposal submission procedures are outlined below.

Information to Provide

At the time of notification, the information provided to your Proposal Analyst should include:

– PI and Co-PI name(s)
– Sponsor (prime sponsor, if applicable)
– Solicitation (website link or copy)
– Due Date
– Proposal Title if available
– Period of Performance (start and end dates)
– Subcontractors / National Lab (yes/no)
– Cost share (yes/no)
– Budget: information on costs to start a budget

Types of Proposals and When to Notify ORA

Standard Proposals

Submission Examples: basic NSF, industry, foundations

Required documents, at a minimum:

  • Statement of Work
  • Budget
  • Budget Justification

Ancillary documents may include:

  • Biosketch/CV
  • Current/Pending documents
  • Data Management Plan
  • Signed Letter of Intent from ORA

Minimum 7 Business Days

Ideal: Two (2) Weeks

Non-Standard/More Complex Proposals

Submission Example:
Department of Energy

Requires minimum components of a Standard proposal outlined above and may involve:

  • Subcontractors, National Labs, and/or Consultants
  • Cost share – cash, in-kind or 3rd party
  • Reduced overhead waivers
  • Compliance documents – reps and certs, equipment quotes, conflict of interest, human subjects

Minimum: 12 Business Days

 

Ideal: Four (4) Weeks

Late Notification

If proposal notification is received 16 business hours/2 business days or less prior to the sponsor’s deadline, the proposal will be returned to the faculty member for submission in a future competition.

For all other late notifications, the PI must receive Department Head approval before contacting ORA. If the Department Head is the PI or unavailable, late notice approval by the Dean will be required. If a PI reaches out to a Proposal Analyst first, they will be directed to their Department Head for approval. When contacting their Department Head, the PI will provide their draft proposal documents along with an explanation of why required minimum notice was not provided.

  1. The Department Head (or Dean) reviews the information to determine the technical readiness of the proposal along with the draft budget
  2. If the proposal is not ready for submission, the Department Head (or Dean) will return it to the faculty member for submission in a future competition. If the Department Head (or Dean) determines that the proposal is close to complete and ready for submission, the proposal can be forwarded to

ORA will determine if the late proposal can be submitted without jeopardizing the success of other submissions. If the latter, the proposal will be returned to the faculty member for submission in a future competition and the Department Head (or Dean) will be notified. If it does not jeopardize other proposals, ORA will work with the faculty to submit by the deadline.

Deadlines

DRAFT Proposal Documents Due
All proposal documents needed for submission are encouraged to be received by the Proposal Analyst 16 business hours (2 business days) by 9 AM. This provides time for the Proposal Analyst to ensure the proposal follows agency guidelines and that all documents are accurate; in addition, the extra time allows for any revisions. The PI can continue working on technical documents and references during this time but a draft is required to ensure all documents meet submission requirements. After receipt of all draft documents, the Proposal Analyst will return a final draft copy of the proposal package for PI review.

Deadline Day
All proposal documents are due no later than 9am on deadline day.

Missed Deadlines
If the 16 business hours (2 business days) timeline and day of deadlines are not met, ORA will not guarantee a review of late document(s) and will submit the proposal “as-is.” In addition, ORA does not assume responsibility for any warnings, errors, proposal submission failures, or non-compliant “returned without review” proposals that occur as a result of receiving late documents.

Submissions

Submitting Proposals
Proposal Analysts are authorized and responsible to submit proposals for faculty. Faculty should not submit proposals without ORA approval.

Deadlines for Submissions
Proposals will be submitted by 5 PM Mountain Time on the day of the deadline. A proposal with a deadline of later than 5 PM will be submitted by the Proposal Analyst by 5 PM on the day it is due.

what about limited submissions?

Visit the VPRTTs website for a list of current limited submissions. If you’re interested in applying for a listed opportunity, follow the instructions in the InfoReady listing

Support for Large Proposals

The Research & Technology Transfer’s Proposal Manager helps prepare center grant proposals, multi-PI and interdisciplinary proposals, training grants, capacity-building grants, and other complex grants. Email at at least 4 weeks prior to submission

Can someone provide edits?

The Research & Technology Transfer’s Proposal Manager edits proposals for persuasive language, length, grammar, and compliance. Contact the Proposal Manager at least one week prior to your submission deadline to inquire about assistance.