Proposal Deadline FAQs | Offices of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management

What is the reason for this change?

OSP is the sole institutional entity with authority to submit proposals for sponsored projects to external funding agencies. As such, OSP is responsible for assuring that proposals are consistent with sponsor requirements, with federal, state and local laws and regulations, and with SBU and RF's policies. In order to fulfill this responsibility, OSP needs sufficient time to review and approve proposals prior to submission. Additionally, proposal activity through OSP has consistently increased and most sponsors have implemented a variety of electronic submission systems that reduce the time flexibility that was previously available. When submitting a proposal, the system may generate warnings and/or errors which could prevent the proposal from being validated. With the proper time allowed, it is possible to give you the option and time to review and correct any such warnings and/or errors. OSP will be able to resubmit the proposal. This level of service may only be available for proposals that arrive at OSP with the 5/2 business days lead time. Additionally, problems beyond OSP control, such as corrupted files or internet interruptions, may result in proposals not being submitted in a timely fashion. It might well be possible that OSP staff cannot correct or submit a late proposal.

What if the sponsor deadline is midnight or in a different time zone?

O SP closes at 5 p.m. Therefore proposals must be received by OSP in time to submit the proposal by 5 p.m. of the due date even when the sponsor deadline is midnight or in a different time zone or is later than 5 p.m. Keep in mind that sponsors often consider the local applicant institution time as the deadline, even if they are in a different time zone.

If my proposal is due first but comes in later how will you review?

OSP staff will review and approve or submit the proposals in the order they are received. Once OSP has processed all proposals that arrived at OSP within the specified 5/2 day deadline, proposals that arrive later will be handled to the best of the staff's ability, and exception approval may be required. OSP staff will do everything possible to get the proposal to the sponsor on time. However, as the amount of time for processing is reduced, so the chance for insurmountable obstacles increases. Certain parts of the review process are subject to the schedules of other offices. When there is sufficient lead time, OSP staff can compensate for these problems. Therefore, faculty should make every effort to provide the maximum time possible for OSP to process and adequately review their proposals.

What if the PI or PI's team is submitting the proposal to the sponsor?

In some cases, a PI or his/her team may have the ability to submit the proposal directly to the sponsor and only require a letter of intent from OSP (e.g. subawards, contracts). The same deadlines apply regardless of whether OSP or the PI's team will submit the proposal to the sponsor. The PI (or designated departmental administrator) will receive the applicable signed proposal forms back from OSP to be submitted to the sponsor by the department. A full electronic copy should be sent to OSP for filing. Lastly, please note that the policy only applies to proposals that have a sponsor deadline.

What happens if my proposal is not submitted by the OSP deadline?

While OSP will make good faith efforts to provide diligent review, if your proposal is not submitted to OSP following the 5/2 business days deadline in accordance with the Proposal Submission Deadline Policy, an exception request must be submitted by through the Request for Waiver form. “Late” proposal becomes an “at-risk” proposal AND needs OVPR Approval.

What happens if a holiday falls within the OSP deadline dates?

If the sponsor deadline is on Tuesday, and Monday is a holiday observed by OSP staff, then the Administrative Proposal is due by 9am on the Monday before the holiday, and the final form is due by 9am on the Thursday before.