Develop Proposal

General Information

Proposals are created in a system called Kuali Research (Kuali). Proposals must complete routing in Kuali prior to submission to a sponsor. SPO has delegated signature authority that authorizes them to submit proposals on behalf of the university. To allow for a full review of a proposal, it is essential that proposals meet USU's Internal Deadline for proposal submission. Most academic units have Proposal Development Specialists that can help identify funding and assist with the creation/submission of the proposal in Kuali.

Kuali proposals are required even in the absence of a formal request for proposals from a potential sponsor. If a faculty member is collaborating with a sponsor on a prospective project, a Kuali proposal must be submitted before presenting a scope of work, budget, or cost estimate.

On This Page

Forms

Roles & Responsibilities

The following is a general overview of the roles for those involved in developing a proposal:

USU Principal Investigator (PI)

  • Identifies funding source(s) for project.
  • Reviews Request for Proposal (RFP) to determine the required format and items for proposal submission.
  • Reviews RFP to determine whether the project involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI); see CUI Guide for PIs for more information.
  • Creates proposal to adhere to the requirements of the RFP and USU policies and procedures.
  • Submits proposal for approval in accordance with USU's Internal Deadline for proposal submission.
  • Follows-up with approvers to ensure Kuali proposal continues to move through the approval queue to reach SPO on time.
  • Coordinates with SPO throughout the review/submission process to ensure errors are corrected in a timely manner prior to submission.
  • Submits additional Kuali proposals when additional funding is being received for an existing project.

Sponsored Programs Office (SPO)

  • Reviews proposals to ensure compliance with the RFP and USU policies and procedures.
  • Reviews RFP to determine whether the project involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI); see CUI Guide for PIs for more information.
  • Coordinates with the PI to ensure errors are corrected prior to proposal submission.
  • Submits the proposal on behalf of USU.
  • Provides training as needed to the campus community regarding proposal submission in Kuali.

Process

1

Create Kuali Proposal

  • Review the RFP to determine what components are required for proposal submission including:
    • Funding limitations
    • Eligibility
    • Formatting requirements
    • Required documents
    • Deadline for submission
  • Coordinate closely with SPO throughout the proposal creation process.
  • The minimum required documents for all proposals are:
    • Scope of Work/Narrative
    • Budget Justification
    • F&A Allocation Agreement Template and/or Internal Dean’s Waiver of F&A Form (unless the RFP states that F&A is limited or unallowable)
    • Other documents as required by the Request for Proposals (RFP).
 
2

Submit Kuali Proposal for Internal Approval

  • Submit proposal with enough time to be compliant with USU's Internal Deadline.
  • Review the Kuali Routing Log to determine who is in the queue for approval
  • Ensure the proposal is considered on time by sending approval reminders and monitoring progress through the approval queue.
  • Coordinate with SPO to ensure errors are addressed and corrected in a timely manner.
 
3

Submit Proposal

  • After reviewing the Kuali proposal SPO will submit the proposal on behalf of the university.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is USU's internal deadline for proposal submission?

USU requires proposals to be submitted to Sponsored Programs at least four full-business days prior to the sponsor deadline. A proposal is considered received by SPO when all of the following conditions are met:

  • All internal key personnel, departmental, and college approvals are completed,
  • The Kuali proposal is in the OSP Admin Approval Queue,
  • The budget is completed,
  • AND all non-technical documents are finalized and marked complete in Kuali.

It is recommended that a proposal is submitted into Kuali at least one week prior to the sponsor deadline so that internal approvals can be completed prior to the proposal reaching SPO's approval queue. See this webpage for more information.

If I click Submit for Review on my proposal in Kuali four business days prior to the submission deadline, does that mean my proposal is considered on-time?

No, submitting into routing is just the beginning of the approval process. To be considered on-time, all internal departmental/college approvals must be completed at least four full business days prior to the sponsor deadline.

Who is responsible for ensuring that the proposal is moving through the approval queue?

It is the PI's responsibility to monitor the progress of their proposal to ensure that it is moving through the approval queues and will reach SPO with at least four full business days prior to the sponsor deadline. If a necessary approver is out of the office, reach out to your designated SPO pre-award contact so that a delegate can be added.

What are the minimum document requirements for Kuali Proposal Submission?

All proposals must include the following documents:

  • Scope of Work/Narrative
  • Budget Justification
  • F&A Allocation Agreement Template and/or Internal Dean's Waiver of F&A Form (Unless the RFP states that F&A is limited or unallowable)
  • Sponsor instructions if available
  • RFP or proposal instructions (attached as an internal attachment if applicable)

Additional documents may be required by the sponsor based on the Request for Proposals.

Can I submit my proposal into routing if I am still working on the Scope of Work/Narrative?

Yes, a proposal in Kuali can route with a draft version of the Scope of Work/Narrative. A draft does need to be included in the Kuali proposal so that it can be utilized as a part of the review of the proposal as a whole, but the final version is not required when initially submitted for approval. This will allow the PI to continue fine-tuning the document while other approvals take place leading to an on-time submission to SPO. The final draft of the narrative should be provided to SPO at least 24 hours prior to the sponsor deadline. If substantive changes are made to final version compared to the draft version, please communicate this to SPO so that it can be re-reviewed in the context of the full proposal.

Are Kuali Proposals only needed if there is a formal request for proposals?

No. If you are working with a potential sponsor and are ready to indicate a scope of work for a specific cost, a Kuali proposal must be submitted and approved prior to the submission of a scope of work or budget to the external sponsor.

When might another Kuali Proposal be required to document a change from the originally submitted proposal?

At times another Kuali Proposal will be required for an existing award or a proposal that has been selected for funding. A Kuali Proposal will be required under the following circumstances:

  • The funded proposal was not received on-time and did not receive a full review prior to submission to the sponsor. If a full review at the time of award reveals significant issues, a new Kuali Proposal will be required to address and correct them. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Revision".
  • A sponsor has requested changes to a proposal still under consideration (e.g., a scope and/or budget change). A new Kuali proposal will be required if the scope is changing and/or the budget is being changed by +/- 5% of the originally proposed budget. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Revision".
  • The proposal is funded at an amount that is +/- 10% of the originally proposed budget. A new Kuali proposal will be required to indicate how the proposal should be budgeted based on the amount awarded. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Revision".
  • An existing award is receiving additional funding that was not previously included in the original Kuali proposal. A new Kuali proposal will be required to indicate how the new funding should be budgeted. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Augmentation".
  • A sponsor requires an updated budget to release each increment of funding. If the budget for the next increment will be different than originally proposed, a new Kuali proposal will be required to indicate how the next increment will be budgeted. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Continuation".
  • When adding a new subrecipient to an existing award, a new Kuali proposal will be required to facilitate accounting for the budgetary impact of a new subrecipient. The proposal type in Kuali for this type of proposal should be "Revision". The PI should work closely with their Business Manager and/or Sponsored Programs Accounting to account for actual spending and future budgetary needs to ensure the revised budget accounts for all necessary changes in addition to the new subrecipient.

Who on campus has authority to submit proposals on behalf of USU?

Under Utah State University Policy 1010: Contract Signature Authority and Delegation, the Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) has delegated signature authority to submit proposals on behalf of USU. At times, sponsors require PI submission through specific sponsor portals. In these cases, the SPO Proposal Analyst will give the PI permission to submit through the sponsor portal after completing their review of the Kuali proposal.

How do I know if potential external funding should route through SPO with a Kuali proposal vs routing through USU Advancement?

There are times when it is unclear if funding will be considered a Sponsored Program vs a gift/donation. A checklist has been developed to assist with this determination. See this webpage for additional details. If you are unsure of the classification please reach out to SPO for assistance in making a determination.

I received a notification that my proposal was selected for funding. What is the next step?

If you receive a notification that your proposal has been selected for funding, ensure that your SPO Post-Award Contact receives a copy of the notification so that it can be added to their queue for review, negotiation, and setup.