Proposal Review, Processing, and Approval
Proposal Submission
Most federal sponsors require proposals to be submitted electronically via established portals such as Grants.gov, NSF’s Research.gov, or NIH’s ASSIST. At UM, all proposals must first be created and routed through Cayuse, UM’s grants management system, where PIs must prepare the proposal record, attach all required components (e.g., budget, budget justification, scope of work, RFP, proposal narrative), and route tasks to their department’s Pre‑Award Proposal Development Analyst for institutional and OSP review.
PI responsibilities include ensuring all proposal materials are uploaded into Cayuse and submitted to OSP at least five business days prior to the sponsor deadline for standard proposals and at least ten business days prior to the sponsor deadline for complex proposals, to allow sufficient lead time for review and approval.
An Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is required to submit all proposals; this will be your proposal development analyst. In most cases where a proposal is prepared in a sponsor portal PIs will have access to collaborate on proposal development prior to submission. For assistance with creating or linking an account in a sponsor portal to the University of Montana please reach out to your Proposal Development Analyst.
All UM proposals submitted to external funding agencies must be reviewed, approved, and transmitted by OSP, regardless of sponsor requirements. To facilitate this process, OSP uses Cayuse, an online grants management system. Cayuse gathers key administrative and fiscal information about the proposal, as well as compliance and regulatory information, needed by the UM Proposal Development Analyst to provide approval and proceed with grant submission.
The PI should complete the Cayuse record at least five business days in advance of the sponsor deadline. The PI must notify the Proposal Development Analyst that the Cayuse record is ready for their review who will work with the PI to finalize the proposal in Cayuse. OSP retains the right to hold back a proposal or decline an award if the above materials are received past OSP's internal deadline.
Once finalized, the Proposal Development Analyst will route the Cayuse record for internal approvals. At this stage, the PI must review and approve the Cayuse record, certifying the proposal is accurate and in compliance with UM and agency guidelines. Once the PI certifies the Cayuse record, it will be routed to the PI’s department head or dean for final approval.
The proposal will not be authorized or transmitted to the sponsor until the Cayuse record is complete and accompanying documents have been received by OSP. A link to the Cayuse database and instructions for working in Cayuse are available on the OSP website.
Materials Required for Review
When requesting OSP review of a proposal the following must be attached in the completed Cayuse record:
- Budget in the UM budget template
- Budget justification
- Scope of work
- any other sponsor-required documents
Required Review and Signatures
In most cases, when submitting proposals to external sponsors, the electronic or written signature of an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is required. This authorization certifies compliance with Federal regulations and pre-acceptance of terms and conditions of the award.
Proposal Review and Approval Responsibilities
The Proposal Responsibility Chart details particular proposal tasks that need to be completed, and by which party, to ensure sufficient time for internal review and processing.
If a proposal is received fewer than five business days before the deadline, only a minimal compliance review will be performed. This limited review focuses solely on ensuring the proposal meets basic submission requirements.
PI Responsibilities
- Read the sponsor’s RFA/RFP/NOFO carefully and discuss project with research team;
- If needed, contact sponsor program officer to determine if project is a fit (provide summary and CV beforehand);
- Notify Proposal Development Analyst, Departmental Research Administrator (DRA), and Department Chair of impending submission.
- Contact any needed personnel such as consultants, subcontractors, evaluators, etc. to collect required documents;
- Draft the project narrative and provide to team and personnel assisting with submissions.
- Access proposal development document templates provided by the Pre-Award Team and begin adding content.
- Upload all required materials to the Cayuse record and notify your Proposal Development Analyst
- Review and make any final edits to documents recommended by Proposal Development Analyst.
- The final responsibility rests upon the PI to ensure scientific/technical accuracy of the contents of the proposal and compliance with all University and sponsor requirements and guidelines.
Departmental Research Administrator (DRA) Responsibilities
- Review effort commitments to ensure PI is not overcommitted on effort.
- Provide PI with any needed information for budgetary documents such as current rates for salary, fringe benefits, etc.
- Assist PI with any forms such as Federal SF-424 documents, cover sheets, etc.
Department Head and Dean Review and Approval Responsibilities
- Ensure commitment to the PI by allowing sufficient time and effort to conduct the project.
- Ensure sufficient space and resources for the proposed work.
- Meet cost sharing commitments in accordance with the Cost Sharing Policy.
- The Department Head or Dean’s approval of the Cayuse record certifies their review and approval of the proposal.
OSP Pre-Award Review and Approval Responsibilities
- Provide PI with current proposal development templates.
- Review the budget against the budget justification to check for accuracy.
- Review, edit, and make suggestions to all prepared documents.
- If needed, assist with filling out any sponsor required forms such as Federal SF-424 documents, cover sheets, etc.
- Collect any institutional approvals needed and ensure all forms have been received, reviewed, and documented in the Cayuse record.
- Review proposals for compliance with university and sponsor requirements.
- Work with PI to obtain approval on modifications to indirect costs (F&As).
- Verify cost sharing commitments and/or matching funds and seek approval from Dean or department head.
- Route Cayuse record for certification and approval by PI and department.
Pre-Award Budget Revisions & “Just-in-Time” Requests
Sponsors may require additional supporting documentation prior to the review and/or award of a proposal. PIs should maintain a file for all supporting materials used in the development of a project budget that may include copies of price quotes or documentation for equipment, travel costs, animal costs, or other costs. Preserving these documents and maintaining their accessibility may prevent delays in processing and/or reductions in funding in some cases. Sponsors may wish to support a project but at a reduced level of funding. If requested, a revised budget should be submitted to OSP for review before submitting it to the sponsor. Reductions in proposed budgets should be evaluated to determine whether there is a significant change in the PI’s level of effort or scope of work. OSP is responsible for negotiations of any changes to the proposal at this stage and when notified of such negotiations, the PI must refer the sponsor to OSP, specifically, to the department’s Proposal Development Analyst.