Õ¬ÄÐÊÓƵ

Before your proposal can be submitted to a funding agency or sponsor, you’ll need to prepare and compile the following documents:

• Proposal Approval Form 

• Proposal abstract – a brief summary of your project

• Full proposal narrative – all technical or project content

• Detailed budget

• Budget justification

• Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or Request for Proposal (RFP)

• Signed Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) form

• Any required supplemental documents, such as:

  • IRB, IACUC, or other compliance approvals

  • Biohazard, Drone, or Intellectual Property disclosures

These documents help ensure your proposal meets sponsor requirements and complies with university policies and federal regulations.

 

Budget Reminder: Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs

Be sure to include Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs, also known as indirect costs, in your budget unless the sponsor explicitly prohibits them or sets a different rate.

• • Use Õ¬ÄÐÊÓƵ State's federally negotiated rate , or

  • Follow the allowable rate as identified in the sponsor’s guidelines or the Request for Proposal (RFP).

 

Compliance Reminder

Some projects may also require university compliance approvals before submission (e.g., IRB, IACUC, drone use, intellectual property).

Be sure to review the Required Approvals Before Submission page, and contact OSP if you're unsure whether these requirements apply to your work.

After all required proposal documents have been compiled, the proposal may enter the internal routing process. This ensures all required university approvals are secured before submission.

Submit all proposal documents to the Office of Sponsored Programs (lbennett5@murraystate.edu) at least 20 working days before the sponsor's deadline.

This allows adequate time for OSP review and internal routing. Proposals submitted with less notice may face delays, and timely review or submission cannot be guaranteed.

Routing Process

Once OSP reviews and approves the proposal documents, OSP will initiate Adobe Sign routing to streamline the process. Each approver will receive the form automatically in the following sequence:

• • Department Chair/Director

  • Dean

  • Division VP

  • Finance Director

• • President

If any reviewer does not approve the proposal, it will be returned to the PI for revisions or clarification. Once corrections are made, the routing process must restart from the beginning.

The proposal will not be submitted unless all signatures are acquired.

Once the internal routing process is complete, the PI will receive the signed Proposal Routing Form and email confirmation from OSP indicating the proposal is ready for submission.

The PI is responsible for submitting the final proposal to the funding agency/sponsor. If the funding agency/sponsor requires submission through an authorized institutional official, OSP will complete the submission to the agency.

The PI/PD will receive confirmation of submission via email.

Congratulations! If your proposal receives funding:

• Immediately forward all award notifications and contracts/agreements to OSP. Do not sign any award documents yourself.

• The President is the only individual with empowered authority to legally bind the University to any agreement.

• OSP will assist in obtaining the President's signature and route all final documentation.

• OSP will send official award documents to both the PI and the Grants Accounting Manager for post-award setup.