Most sponsors specify proposal forms or formats and provide guidance about content, page limitations and numbers of copies that are to be submitted. The sponsor guidelines should be strictly adhered to when preparing and submitting a proposal. Proposals typically contain the following basic elements:

1. The Proposal Submission Request form, created by CU�s Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) is the first step. Your CIRES Proposal Analyst will prepare this form for you, which you will certify, and electronically sign. This should be done early in the proposal process, along with a draft budget and a draft budget justification. OCG keeps a record of this with the proposal in their proposal database.

Cover page

• It is an integral part of the proposal, first because of the information it carries, and second because it bears the signatures that are required to make the proposal a formal, certified document. For more information, see OCG.

Abstract

The abstract describes the major objectives of the proposed research and the scientific approach to meet these objectives. It serves a variety of purposes. Funding agencies often use the abstract in assigning the proposed work to the appropriate program area for review. Reviewers use the abstract to gain an initial perspective of the key concept of the proposed work and its significance. After funding is secured, the abstract may be used for entry in national databases and its keywords are picked up for quotation indexes. For more information, see OCG.

Project Summary for NSF proposals
NSF proposals must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for publication, not more than one page in length. It should not be an abstract of the proposal, but rather a self-contained description of the activity that would result if the proposal were funded. The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It must clearly address in separate statements (within the one-page summary): (1) the intellectual merit of the proposed activity; and (2) the broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity. (See Chapter III of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide for further descriptive information on the NSF merit review criteria.) It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader. Proposals that do not separately address both merit review criteria within the one-page Project Summary will be returned without review.

Project description

The project description (also referred to as the statement of work or research plan) is the most important part of any proposal. It should include sufficient information needed for evaluation of the project, independent of any other document. The project description provides a full and detailed explanation of the proposed research including an explanation of the objective and a description of the procedures to be followed in carrying out the project objective. For more information, see OCG.

Budget (See OCG.)

The budget includes a reasonable estimate of the financial support required to conduct the project, including justification of budget expenses. Typical budget categories include:

• Direct Costs
• Indirect Costs
• Cost Sharing

Salaries
Salary figures are based on the percentage of effort by each individual on the project applied to his/her annual salary for University professional and research staff, graduate and undergraduate students.

Fringe Benefits
The fringe benefit rate is calculated as a percentage of salary. The rate will vary depending on personnel classification.

Equipment
Any item of equipment having a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life of one year or more is considered capital equipment and exempt from Facilities and Administrative costs (F&A). General purpose equipment, such as office furniture, general use computers and printers, fax machines etc., are unallowable by most sponsors. Computers, software, field and lab instruments dedicated exclusively for use on the proposed research project are typically allowable.

Materials and Supplies
Expendable items with a useful life of less than two years or a cost under $5,000.

Travel
Domestic and foreign travel are listed separately. Destination and purpose of the trip should be identified. Transportation costs (coach airfare, rental car, mileage), registration fees, lodging and per diem are included.

Publication Costs
Typically not included in year 1 of the project. Estimate the number of pages multiplied by page charges.

Consultants
Each consultant should be listed separately with their specialty or service to the project and the consultant's total projected cost on the project.

Other
Other costs typically include items such as communication and duplication charges and are usually less significant in cost than the other previously mentioned categories.

Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A Costs or IDC)
Indirect cost rates are negotiated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and are averaged over the costs of all research done on our campus. Due to Federal requirements, a rate has been established at the Boulder campus. Thus, indirect costs are charged on all items of direct costs, except for capital equipment, subcontract costs beyond the first $25,000, tuition remission, and participant support costs.

Cost sharing is any cost to the project not borne by the sponsor. Only include when specifically required under the terms of the particular grant.

Budget Justification

• A budget justification identifies the need for a particular cost and how the cost was estimated. For additional information, see OCG.

Biographical information

• Proposals should demonstrate that project personnel with critical management or technical roles are qualified, capable, experienced and confident in carrying out the proposed objectives. Biographical information for PIs and Co-PIs should include their professional experiences and positions, a bibliography of publications (especially those relevant to the proposed investigation), technical and management performance on relevant prior research efforts.

Current and pending funding information for PI and senior personnel (See OCG.)

Facilities and resources statement (See OCG.)

Additional attachments (See OCG.)