These instructions will give you an overview of the process necessary to complete grant proposal submissions correctly. Each individual grant will have different documentation you must complete correctly before submission. Be sure to read the instructions that come with the grant. All grants contain similar types of information, but there are enough differences that reading the fine print on each application is necessary. The responsibility for correct information is with the PI. Getting it right the first time can save a lot of time and repeated corrections.

1. Check the internet for the most recent grant forms available.
2. Check for the current UofA ERE, IDC, rates and DCCH date if necessary; use the current
   Quick Reference for Proposal Preparation.
3. Prepare:

   Proposal Routing Sheet (PRS) (be sure to include accountant's name on the same line as your name)

   Face page

   Abstract

   Proposal  (this document does not need to be pre-faxed to Sponsored Projects)

   Budget

   All supplementary documents

4. Fax prepared forms to Sponsored Projects pre-award 626-4130 for budget approval. Be sure to get all the PI and departmental signatures you will need. Give a copy of the PRS and approved budget to the business person assigned to your PI. Prepare proposal description and all other forms required for submission.Take completed proposal and PRS to Sponsored Projects for signatures.
5. Mail or submit online requested number of copies and signed originals to funding organization.

If there will be cost sharing / matching funds involved, signatures will be required.

Cost sharing usually involves a PI's salary. If his or her percent of salary on the project is different from his or her percent of effort you will need a signature from the department to show there is an agreement in place for the department to pay the extra funds for salary.

Matching funds involve the University matching a specified amount requested in a grant proposal budget. Under these circumstances you will need signatures on the PRS form from the University, usually the VP for Research and the College of Science.

If you need a signature on the top of page two on the Proposal Routing Sheet, there is usually an extra form that will need to be processed along with the signature. The department signing on this line is responsible for the form. Sponsored Projects will need it before they will sign the PRS.

Some grants have stipulated Indirect Cost Rates (IDC) different from the 50.5%-51.5% normally required. This information is usually found in the grant application instructions. Sponsored Projects has a list online of the most common grants that have a stipulated IDC; these do not require a special signature. Be sure to check with pre-award to see if your funding agency is on their list. If your funding agency is not on their list you will need to provide documentation to the VP for Research office for the stipulated amount.

Faculty Regular - this designation is to be used for all regular faculty who have a full academic appointment or yearly appointment.  Faculty with academic appointments may choose to be paid over the academic period only and supplement their summer salary with grant funds or choose to spread their salary over 12 months of the year (see below to figure summer rates).

Faculty Academic appointments are for 10 months of the year (22 pay periods) and summer is for two months (four pay periods).  To figure summer months' salary: multiply by the percent effort listed on the grant to be charged.  For one summer month this would be .10 or 10% effort.  Therefore, if the PI uses 5% effort on his "amount of effort" for a calendar year, his salary requested should equal his academic salary times .05; this would be 1/2 of a month for summer salary effort. In the past the "percent effort" was not strictly enforced, but lately NSF FastLane (and Sponsored Projects) has gotten more stringent on this information.

Faculty Clinical - this is to be used for clinicians.

Faculty Ancillary - this is to be used for Emeritus faculty or Visiting professors who are not here on a permanent basis. (If they are receiving a full-time appointment, they would use Faculty Regular.)