Research Support Services Comprehensive Research Support Services Submission Process & Timeline RSS Staff Directory Submission Process & Timeline Office of Research — Research Support Services (RSS) Home Research Office of Research Office of Research: Research Support Services Office of Research: Research Support Services > Submission Process & Timeline The timeline to the contract or grant application due date is critical for institutional proposal processing and proposal writing. Sufficient time is needed to develop, prepare and process incoming proposal documents, review materials for institutional and sponsor compliance, work out win-win solutions when concerns emerge, and route each project for institutional approvals before submission. Roles in the Submission Process Principal Investigator (PI) The proposal is created to support the work of the PI, who is also the administrator of the project, so they are primary to the submission process. First, the PI must review the grant opportunity to be sure it meets project goals. They then must organize the project team, request letters of support and provide the following for the submission: Opportunity documentation Budget information Subaward and/or consultant contact information Proposal documents Applicable research protocols (IRB, IACUC, hSCRO, IBC etc.) Once they have provided the required documents and the RSS analyst has prepared the Kuali Research proposal (KR), PIs must review, update and approve the KR and approve the application format and content before submission. PIs who respond promptly to the RSS Analyst and other support team members greatly assist and accelerate the submission process. RSS Analyst or Departmental Pre-Award Support The RSS Analyst or Departmental Pre-Award Support team member serves as a liaison between the PI and the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA). They are responsible for reviewing the opportunity to ensure that the proposal will be responsive to both sponsor and institutional requirements, filling in institutional fields in the application, compiling and reviewing the application and proposal documents for compliance with sponsor guidelines, institutional policy and best practices, as well as assisting with creative solutions to resolve compliance issues. Additional responsibilities of the analyst include: Creating and revising the budget Coordinating sub-award proposals Creating, revising and overseeing the routing of the KR Acquiring approvals for PI Exceptions, Indirect Cost (IDC) Exceptions and other paperwork on behalf of the PI Communicating with the sponsor regarding policy, submission system issues, submission questions, etc. UCI SPA/AOR The UCI Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) / the UCI Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) approves all grant and contract proposals BEFORE submission. They are responsible for: Providing permission for the submission of ALL research grant and contract proposals Submitting proposals when the sponsor requires the AOR to submit Reviewing proposals for institutional and sponsor compliance Reviewing and negotiating research agreements and contracts Signing research agreements and contracts on behalf of the University Reviewing, accepting and setting up awards Providing non-financial post-award services Ensuring Timely Submissions Plan Ahead Give yourself enough time to complete the tasks associated with the submission. Contact the sponsor official and/or program officer early in order to confirm that your proposed idea is a good fit for the opportunity. Be aware of the Proposal Timeline and how it might impact your compilation and writing process. Plan to provide all proposal documents nine to 10 business days before the due date or contact your analyst to work out another arrangement. Develop a list of items you’ll need for the budget, which the RSS Analyst will create. Consider the maximum funding allowed by the sponsor as you create this list. Be aware of and honest about potential Conflicts of Interest (COIs), external commitments, scheduling considerations (vacation plans), assumptions about cost share and other novel situations. With enough time and some creativity, we can usually help resolve unusual situations in ways that meet PI needs in compliance with both the sponsor guidelines and institutional requirements. Such situations are much more difficult to resolve when they are left to the last minute. Communicate Effectively Contact somproposalreqs@hs.uci.edu and forward the Sponsor's Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) / guidelines when you start planning to prepare and submit the proposal. Maintain ongoing contact with your RSS Analyst regarding the submission. Respond promptly to your RSS Analyst emails. Consider providing contact information for your lab manager, assistant or someone who can connect with you quickly if the need arises. Contact colleagues and collaborators early to work out their roles on the project. This will greatly simplify the budget, LOS, approval and sub-award processes (as applicable). Last-Minute Proposals & Possible Consequences While unexpected circumstances may arise, last-minute proposals/submissions can lead to: Increased Risk of Errors: Rushed proposals are more prone to mistakes that could jeopardize funding. Potential for Non-Compliance: Rushed institutional reviews may overlook non-compliant items. This can lead to proposal declines or to increased set-up and negotiation time if awarded. Less-Optimal Results for Everyone: Last-minute proposals/submissions can limit the time available for faculty who provide materials promptly. Potential for Submission Failure or Rejection: Last-minute proposals/submissions can miss the sponsor's deadline or error correction window. Timeline for Standard Research Proposal Submission The RSS team is here to assist you throughout the proposal process. To ensure that there is enough time to provide optimal service for your proposal, we recommend you review and consider the following timeline. 4–8 Weeks Before Due Date: Early Communication Notify RSS As soon as you start considering a proposal, even if you’re unsure, notify RSS at somproposalreqs@hs.uci.edu and provide the sponsor guidelines. We won't mind if you change your plans and don't submit. 😊 Timeline Variations The following proposal types require at least eight (8) weeks' advance notice in order to achieve a successful submission: Foreign proposals Projects with subawards – the more subawards, the more time is needed Projects with multiple PIs and/or several collaborators Center grants and other large funding mechanisms (NIH T, P, and U series) PIs should provide notice of all other planned proposal submissions four to six (4-6) weeks in advance. Benefits of Early Notification Early notification allows the assigned analyst to: Take the time to understand the project Develop better budgets, justifications and other materials Request, review and update required subaward proposal materials Have sufficient time to acquire the required SPA certifications for federal submissions Assist with obtaining approvals for PI Exceptions, Indirect Cost Exceptions and other additional documentation Work to create win-win solutions for unusual situations 9-10 Business Days Before Due Date: Submit Draft Materials RSS requests all proposal materials in draft form nine (9) to 10 business days before submission. This allows sufficient time for your analyst to process the proposal, including: Assemble the proposal in the required application and format Finalize the budget — all project personnel and budget commitments should be complete without further changes. Review all non-technical documents, which should be in their final state, and technical documents, which should be nearly complete Develop the “KR” (the institutional record of approvals and submission) Route the KR through the required four levels of approval: PI, Department, Dean’s Office, and Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) SPA requires that proposal KRs reach them for review and approval five (5) business days before submission 5 Business Days Before Due Date: Finalize Proposal All contract and grant proposals must receive SPA approval before submission whether or not the sponsor requires SPA to submit or sign off (per UCOP policy). An approved KR (the institutional record of approvals and submission) with proposal materials must reach SPA for approval five (5) business days before the due date. Budgets are considered final at this point — major changes are highly discouraged and may cause errors from this point on. 1–2 Business Days Before Due Date: Final Review Final documents should be provided one to two (1-2) business days before the due date. This allows the RSS analyst time to upload and review materials for completion and compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements. SPA officials and other administrators may also need time to review the final proposal before submission. This process is critical to accomplishing a successful submission. Where possible, PIs are encouraged to submit several days before the due date, especially in high-volume cycles. Please note: Last-minute proposals provided on the due date will be submitted “as is” due to insufficient review time. If awarded, the proposal terms may need to be negotiated at length. Contact Us Are you planning a submission? Do you have questions? Contact RSS at somproposalreqs@hs.uci.edu.