Procedures for Processing a Proposal Prior to Submission to a Sponsor

All sponsored project proposals, grants, fellowships, sub-contracts and contractual agreements must be reviewed by OSP to ensure institutional eligibility, conformity to sponsor guidelines, accuracy of budget, applicability of cash match and cost sharing, human subjects or animal use approvals, etc. Proposals are reviewed to ensure that any commitments included are consistent with federal, state and University policies, as well as to ascertain approval of the proposal by Department Chairs and Deans. It also serves to indemnify the faculty member should the agency dispute the quality or quantity of the award's deliverables.

Proposal routing through Georgia State University

PIs must complete and obtain the necessary signatures on the Proposal Approval Form which is available on our website. The Routing Form must bear appropriate endorsement signatures before submission to OSP. Proposals proceed from the Principal Investigator to the Department Chair (or other unit head), to the Dean, and then to the OSP. In situations where a proposal involves faculty members or staff from different departments and/or colleges, it is necessary to secure signatures from the chair and Dean of each area. The OSP Quick Reference details what needs to accompany the Proposal Approval Form. Both the Proposal Approval Form and the OSP Quick Reference are available on the Proposal Preparation webpage.

The OSP must receive all copies of a proposal where the sponsor requires original signatures on each copy.

OSP's Time Requirements for Proposal Review

The time required for review of a proposal varies with its size, complexity, completeness, accuracy, and care taken in its preparation and prior review. It also depends upon the amount of work already in OSP and the staff available when it is received. To allow for necessary corrections and revisions and for greater assurance that sponsor deadlines will be met, allow AT LEAST FIVE, FULL WORKING DAYS for the OSP to review the proposal. Proposals which contain unconventional or unique features including cost sharing commitments, numerous subcontracts or consultants, conditions that necessitate legal review, etc., may require additional lead time.  

Contracts

Any sponsored project that is a contract must also be reviewed by Legal Affairs. OSP will forward contracts to Legal Affairs for review.

Roles and Responsibilities for Review

The people or offices involved in the internal review and processing are as follows:

The Principal Investigator/Project Director (PI/PD) is responsible for the budget, technical content, quality and preparation of the proposal presenting his or her ideas for a project, as well as securing institutional approval for the use of Human Subjects or Animals. The PI/PD also signs the conflict of interest, technology, debarment and lobbying certification sections of the Routing form.

The Department Chair or Unit Head is responsible for certifying to the academic validity of the project, the compatibility of the project with the Principal Investigator's other commitments, the availability of space, personnel, equipment and facilities, cost-sharing commitments and assuring that the project adheres to department objectives.

The Dean is responsible for determining the appropriateness of the project within the  College or School  and that requested resources will be available.

The Office of Legal Affairs is responsible for ensuring that any proposed contractual agreement complies with applicable federal and state laws. This means that all contracts must be reviewed by Legal Affairs, in addition to OSP, before submitting to an agency.

The Office of Sponsored Programs is responsible for ensuring that proposals comply with applicable funding source guidelines and regulations, and with federal, state and University policies, are sent for legal review as appropriate, include signatures for institutional assurances, have necessary approval of contractual terms, and contain accurate and reasonable budgets.

Submitting the Proposal to the Agency

After OSP approves the proposal and obtains the required authorizing institutional official signature, it is returned to the PI for submission. The only exception to this is when a funding agency requires electronic submission by the central administration (e.g., grants.gov). In these cases, the PI is responsible for forwarding the completed electronic proposal 48 hours prior to the agency submission deadline to their OSP Officer. Because procedures for electronic submission vary considerably, PIs need to consult the instructions available on the Proposal Preparation website for the procedures for their particular grant funding agency and work closely with his or her OSP representative to ensure successful submission.

 Final Version

The PI must give OSP a copy of the final proposal document that is submitted to a sponsor, in its entirety. Therefore, if any changes are made to the proposal that accompanied the Proposal Approval Form (or the narrative did not accompany this Form), the PI must send a printed or electronic copy of the final proposal to OSP at the time of submission.