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 Does NOT include subawards, FFRDCs, or cost share | 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 10 Business Days |
| Non-Standard/More Complex Proposals Submission Examples: 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: 15 Business Days |
Late Notification
If ORA receives notification within three (3) business days or less prior to the sponsor’s deadline, and/or the proposal includes subrecipients, national lab involvement or cost share, the proposal will be returned to the faculty member for submission in a future competition.
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- For proposals that do not involve the above factors, ORA will require Department Head approval to proceed with the submission. The Department Head should email the ORA Proposal Analyst indicating all the following:
Whether the proposal should be considered a priority above others in queue for submission; - Affirming that they have reviewed the proposal to determine its technical readiness and alignment with school and department priorities; and
- They endorse its submission.
- For proposals that do not involve the above factors, ORA will require Department Head approval to proceed with the submission. The Department Head should email the ORA Proposal Analyst indicating all the following:
If notification occurs within six (6) business days or less of the deadline, ORA must minimize its review and submit the proposal ‘as-is.’ The PI takes full responsibility for any issues that arise during pre or post submission stages.
For proposals received more than six (6) days prior to the submission deadline, the review will include but is not limited to:
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- Review for errors within the submission system
- Review of budget to ensure accurate salary, fringe, and overhead costs
- Review of common proposal elements for adherence to sponsor/system formatting guidelines:
- Abstracts/summary statements
- Technical narratives
- Biographical Sketches/Current and Pending documentation
- Budgets and Budget Justifications
Optional Action by ORA: Additional Department Head or Dean Review
Upon receiving a late notification, ORA can notify the Department Head or Dean and provide a list of all ongoing proposals for that department/portfolio. The Department Head or Dean must prioritize which proposals will proceed to accommodate the late submission. The Department Head or Dean must also inform those PI(s) whose proposals will be impacted and potentially not submitted.
Deadlines
ORA Internal Submission Deadlines
Proposal documents must be submitted to ORA prior to sponsor’s deadline to allow time for review and finalization
For standard and non-standard proposals, ORA uses the following internal proposal preparation deadlines:.
| Submission Type | Standard | Non-standard / More Complex |
| Minimum Proposal Notification | 10 business days | 15 business days |
| Final list of Subrecipients due | n/a | 14 business days |
| Final Proposal Budget due – no further changes | 4 business days | 4 business days |
| All proposal materials due* | 3 business days | 3 business days |
| Final Technical document due | 9am deadline day | 9am deadline day |
*All proposal materials, including draft technical documents, are due on the day specified above by 5pm. This provides time for the Proposal Analyst to review and make necessary revisions. Technical documents can continue to be revised by the PI during this time, but a draft is necessary to confirm compliance with submission guidelines. Final technical documents are due no later than 9am on deadline day.
Sample Timeline: if the deadline for a proposal falls on a Wednesday at 5p, all proposal documents, including technical narratives (technical narratives can be drafts), are due to ORA by 5pm on the previous Thursday.
Note: Weekends and holidays (observed, campus closed) are not considered business days.
| Thursday | All Docs due to ORA by 5pm |
| Friday | 1st Business Day |
| Saturday | |
| Sunday | |
| Monday | 2nd Business Day |
| Tuesday | 3rd Business Day |
| Wednesday | Proposal Deadline at 5p |
Deadline Day
Final Technical document is due no later than 9am on deadline day. While ORA will do everything we can to successfully submit your proposal on time and error-free, proposal documents received after 9am on deadline day can jeopardize the proposal submission. The PI assumes full responsibility for missing a sponsor deadline or submission errors that may arise due to late documents.
Missed Deadlines
If documents are received after the Proposal Document deadline outlined above, ORA must minimize its review and may submit the proposal documents ‘as-is.’ If documents are received later than outlined above, the PI assumes full responsibility for any issues that arise during pre or post submission stages.
Submissions
Submitting Proposals
Proposal Analysts are authorized and responsible to submit proposals for faculty. Faculty should not submit proposals without ORA notification, review, and approval.
Deadlines for Submissions
Proposals will be submitted by 5 PM Mountain Time on the day of the deadline day.. If the sponsor’s deadline is after 5 PM, ORA will submit by 5PM on the due date; proposals will not be submitted after 5PM.
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 the Proposal Manager 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. Email the RTT Proposal Manager.