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
Process

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.