Proposal Preparation

Submitting a full proposal requires a series of orchestrated steps. But what seems a daunting task with its many forms and must-have approvals can be quite manageable if you follow these steps.

Create and submit your proposal with the help of SC&I’s grants team.

Navigate the multiple steps, many forms, and must-have approvals with the grants team’s help.

Use this guide as your road map to the proposal preparation process.

After identifying appropriate funding, verifying that the grant submission deadline can be met including any internal deadlines that may apply, notify the SC&I grants team of your intention to apply by thoroughly filling out the application.

Submit the form whether you are considering, or firmly intending, to apply: 

  • For any funding request for research, teaching, service, or training, 
  • No matter the amount of funding requested,  
  • For any internal RU funding or external funding from a government agency, private foundation, or corporation 

    A copy of the form is sent to each member of the grants team so that they can begin assisting with the application’s required documentation.

    Rutgers Research has revised its Sponsored Research Agreements policy for tracking contracts through final execution in RAPSS. The SC&I Planning Research Agreement, therefore, was developed to track unfunded agreements. This form was created to aid the grants team and faculty who intend to execute research agreements such as the Data Usage Agreement, Cooperative Agreement, and Master Research Agreement, among others. To access the agreement form, log into the SC&I Research Portal using your Net ID and password. Once you’re logged in, complete the form and submit it. The grants team will get a copy and will be in contact to discuss the details related to your specified agreement.

    A member of the grants team will contact you to set up an appointment so team members may assist in budget development, online/internal submission processes, and editorial assistance for writing the narrative. By meeting’s end, one hopes a timeline will have been developed for the timely submission of all documentation required by the funder, SC&I, and RU, particularly the final budget, abstract, and narrative/scope of work. 

    60 days from sponsor due date: Investigator completes Planning Application Form; the Research Project Coordinator (RPC) schedules a start-up bid planning meeting.

    15 days Investigator finishes budget and budget justification, proposal abstract; grants team evaluates documents.

    5 days All supporting documents completed; narrative (“the science”) in final stages of completion; and proposal goes to RSP Grant Specialist for review.

    2 days Any revisions requested by RSP Grant Specialist are completed and final narrative is submitted.

    0 days  The RSP Grant Specialist typically submits proposal to funder, particularly if it is a federal agency.

    All RU proposals (federal agency state, foundation, contracts, etc.) must be initiated in the Research Administration and Proposal Submission System (RAPSS) as a “funding proposal,” or FP.

    • The internal portal is used for institutional management of proposals and awards, working as a “contract” between units. The process is completed through RAPSS and includes the budget and other institutional details of the proposal.
    • Access to RAPSS is automatic with a Rutgers Net ID.   
    • The SC&I Research Project Coordinator (RPC) is available to assist with RAPSS’ processes .
    • Training is helpful to gaining general familiarity as documents from proposal inception through execution travel through the system.  
    • The department chair and SC&I dean must approve the proposal in RAPSS.
    •  Research & Sponsored Programs must review and approve it as well.
    • All the documents required by the sponsor in a full proposal are usually submitted through specific funder systems. For the NSF, it would be submitted through Fastlane by the RSP Specialist. In some cases, the full proposal can be submitted through RAPSS (e.g., usually NIH proposals). 

    Almost all submissions to sponsors are electronic and require access to sponsor-specific online systems. To submit to the NSF, access is required to Fastlane; for NIH, you will need eRA Commons access. (Simply email the SC&I RSP grant specialist for access.) Remember, getting a Fastlane and/or eRACommons ID can take days or weeks, so knowing who the Co-PI or senior personnel will be as soon as possible avoids last-minute bottlenecks to access. The SC&I grant project coordinator can help you coordinate with RSP.