Research Proposal Development

On this page:

• Guide for Proposal Development
• Identification of Funding Sources
• Pre-submission Activities
• Proposal Preparation
• Award Notification
• Contact Information

So, you have an idea for a project focused on research, instruction, public service or creative activity, and you want to turn that idea into a proposal. Where do you start? We'll guide you through some of the basic steps for finding sponsors for your project and submitting a proposal.

Identification of Funding Sources

If you have not already pinpointed a sponsor for your project, The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) can assist you in locating possible sources of funding. The staff gathers, summarizes, and distributes grant-related information to assist the faculty and staff at Wright State University and maintains a database of profiles to match faculty and staff with potential funding sources. Fill out the research and scholarly activity interest profile to begin this process and be entered into the faculty interest database to be eligible for funding.

Visit the research and sponsored program website to search the funding databases and learn more about funding your project.

RSP provides a hands-on funding opportunities workshop on a quarterly basis where they demonstrate each database and help you to become familiar with the electronic tools each one has to offer.

Pre-submission Activities

Now that you have found a possible source for funding, what should you do next?

• Obtain the guidelines and deadline dates from either the sponsor or RSP.
• Contact the Technology Transfer Office to discuss any intellectual property and technology marketing/commercialization issues.
• Consult with the liaison of any appropriate Wright State compliance committee, if necessary, and review compliance guidelines:
  • Human Subjects
  • Lab Animals
  • Biohazards
• Prepare a draft of your proposal.
• If your proposal will include a line item for a sub-contract to another institution, it will be necessary to obtain a letter of intent to participate in the project from the institution, their statement of work, and an itemized budget. A template they may use for a letter of intent can be found on the RSP forms and templates page.

Most program officers welcome calls and inquiries from potential grantees prior to the submission of an application. If you want to discuss your project with the program officer, contact information can usually be found in the program announcement.

Proposal Preparation

As you begin your proposal, you may have questions about some of the requirements or forms that are included in the application. The staff of RSP can assist you in the proposal preparation process. With sufficient notice (i.e. at least two weeks prior to the deadline date), RSP can help you with the following procedures:

• The correct interpretation and/or use of sponsor guidelines
• Consultation on budget preparation (Excel spreadsheets that help facilitate this step are available)
• Questions about cost-sharing and match requirements
• Certifications and assurances
• Direction to proper research committees for authorizations
• Discussion of preliminary proposals with program officers

Internal routing of proposal and authorization sheet to secure proper administrative authorizations. Proposals can usually be routed with a minimum of the abstract, a budget, a budget narrative, and any necessary forms that require institutional approval and/or signatures.)

Proposals to be submitted electronically often require additional lead time to allow for any necessary formatting revisions, assigning of PINs or passwords, and as a safeguard against any downtime or problems with the Internet.

Submission Activities

When you are ready to submit your application, please bring the original copy of the proposal, appendices, and any application forms to Research and Sponsored Programs, and RSP will take care of the following:

• Reviewing application for completeness and accuracy based on sponsor guidelines
• Copying and assembling of proposals
• Preparing cover letter and a receipt confirmation card
• Submitting the proposal to the sponsor by the required deadline either by UPS or electronic submission
• Negotiation and execution of any non-disclosure confidentiality, or teaming agreement.
• Tracking of proposal submissions

The Writing Center of UNC provides a nice how to guide for writing grant proposals that can also serve as a useful review for anyone seeking funding.

Award Notification

Upon notification from the sponsor that your project is being funded, RSP staff will take the following steps:

• Notify you of receipt of the award.
• Establish an account number and budget for your project.
• Assist you in the orderly administration of your project.
• Act as liaison between the sponsor and Wright State University (includes coordinating of contract negotiations).
• Keep you apprised of technical report due dates.
• Prepare and submit fiscal reports for your project.

Note: If the sponsor sends the award notice directly to you, please forward it to RSP to ensure that the award is entered into the Wright State University systems properly and that an account is created for your project.

Contact Information

Any time you have questions regarding a proposal or an award, please feel free to contact the RSP staff for assistance. The RSP office is located at 201J University Hall and a complete listing of the RSP staff with phone numbers, areas of expertise, and email addresses can be found on the staff directory page.