Policy Statement

Faculty members and researchers across the University engage sponsors and co-investigators as collaborators through sponsored programs to invigorate discovery and to participate in the intellectual communities of their disciplines. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is committed to facilitating and enabling this engagement while providing responsible stewardship of University commitments and resources.

The complete and final proposal, accompanied by the necessary Departmental and College (i.e., Department Chair and Dean), as well as any other attachments or approvals required by the sponsor or the University, must be received by  ORSP at least five (5) full business days prior to the sponsor's due date. In cases in which the University of Scranton is a subcontractor, the sponsor's due date will be determined by the submitting institution.

If ORSP internal deadlines are not met and we do not have sufficient time for a thorough review, the proposal will not be submitted.

The request for exception to this policy must be made by the Principle Investigator to the Director of Research and Sponsored programs.   Exceptions are not expected.  In cases of serious extenuating circumstances, ORSP will work with the Principle Investigator if made aware that the proposal will be presented to ORSP less than 5 days prior to the deadline, and will make every effort, within the time and staff constraints of ORSP, to submit on time.  Please note that OSP must frequently review and submit many different proposals for the same deadline, carefully allocating time to each. OSP can provide the highest level of service to faculty when adequate lead time is given to review the proposal. An excessively heavy proposal volume may preclude on-time submission of any proposal that arrives late in the queue and right before the sponsor deadline.

The timely submission of proposals ensures sufficient time for the thoughtful consideration and review of proposal narratives and budgets for compliance with University and sponsor policies. 

Review of outgoing proposals by responsible officials within the College and at the University level allows for the identification of potential administrative, financial, or programmatic challenges to the success of the proposal or program. The sponsored programs professionals in ORSP analyze the responsiveness of the proposal to the requirements of the sponsor's announcement, including the adequacy of budgets and budget justifications. Engagement of these professionals allows University investigators to submit proposals of the highest quality and with the highest probability of success.

The timely submission of proposals for review also allows ORSP to identify any elements of a proposal that are at variance with University policy, practice, or priorities. Occasionally, faculty or investigators envision projects that present programmatic, administrative, or financial challenges to the University. Only certain University officials within have the legal authority to approve the submission of proposals on behalf of the University of Scranton.

The University reserves the right to retract any proposal submitted by individuals who lack this institutional authority.

Proposal Submission

University of Scranton policy requires that all members of the University (faculty/staff) confer with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) before submitting proposals to external funding agencies (federal, state, local, private) regardless of the grant amount.  ORSP will procure appropriate academic and administrative approval before submitting proposals to external funding agencies.

Important Note:  If a completed EFPA form and all submission-ready documents or files are not received by ORSP at least 5 working days prior to the submission deadline, ORSP cannot guarantee timely submission of the proposal.

The   Externally Funded Projects Approval Form is an MSWord fill-able form.  Navigate to each field using the tab key.  Some fields require typed entries; others require selection from dropdown boxes. Complete applicable shaded fields, print all pages, sign and date the second page, attach a copy of your proposal (or draft) and, if needed, the Significant Financial Interest Disclosure Form and forward it to Eloise Libassi, ORSP, for processing.

Please e-mail Eloise Libassi or call x6301 for further information.

The following resources are available to assist Faculty and Staff with constructing winning grant proposals:

General Guidelines from CFDA: Developing and Writing Grant Proposals

BW Fund: Constructing a Winning Grant

NSF: A Guide for Proposal Writing

Grant Writing Tips from HED: Higher Education for Development (formerly ALO)

Grants.gov: Resources