Proposal Preparation

Faculty or staff who intend to apply for an external grant should contact the CSI Grants Office to discuss the project.  Prior approval, in the form of an approved External Funding Request Form is required for all external grants.  This allows college personnel to discuss potential funding opportunities, establish institutional priorities, and decide which grants the college will pursue.

Pre-Award Processes (This is the development phase prior to submitting for your grant).

At CSI this process is initiated when an External Funding Request Form (EFR) is routed by the Grants Office. As you begin working on a proposal, please note that the EFR should be completed and routed by the Grants Office at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the award submission deadline. Please request support in a timely manner, well in advance of the sponsor's due date to allow ample time for reviews, edits, and routing approvals along with any unforeseen submission issues.

Your Grants Office team is here to assist principal investigators (PIs) throughout this process by answering any questions regarding proposal requirements, budget preparation, College forms and reviewing the proposal for compliance with those sponsor guidelines and College requirements.

It should be noted that CIS has the legal and fiduciary responsibility to ensure compliance with all College, sponsor, state and federal regulations, laws, and policies. Submission of a proposal often implies agreement to the sponsor's award terms and conditions.

Post-Award Processes (This is the execution phase your grant after funding has been awarded).

A notice of award (NOA) is a formal notification from a sponsor indicating that a proposal has been funded. NOA’s are typically received by the Office of Grants and Contracts (OGC) and/or the Principal Investigator’s (PI’s) or Program Director’s (PD’s). On occasion, however, the Budget Office, the Controller’s Office, or another office on campus may receive the NOA.