Grant Development Workflow

STEP 1: Pre-Proposal Activities

Scholar

  • Emails Research & Grant Development Office (RGDO) at rgdo@ku.edu to schedule a discussion of the Scholar's project and funding needs.

  • Writes a brief synopsis describing the idea, plan of work, and anticipated funding needs and sends with Scholar's current CV to RGDO contact prior to appointment.

Research & Grant Development Office (RGDO) Staff

  • Provides meeting availability and information about access to Pivot (an easy-to-use key-word-searchable database for finding current funding opportunities specifically tailored to research needs) and shares relevant RGDO funding opportunities list(s).

  • Asks Scholar about research goals, and discusses potential funders, describes typical grant components, and recommended grant and fellowship proposal development timelines.

  • Discusses a potential cycle of grant and/or fellowship applications across academic year cycles going forward.

  • Alerts Scholar to internal deadlines and discusses time-dependent services RGDO can provide.

STEP 2: Develop Proposal

Scholar

  • Commits adequate time to develop a competitive application, at least 6 weeks for an individual fellowship application and at least 3 months for an institutional grant—longer is better.

  • Tells RGDO contact which application(s) seem best suited to the current project, consults further about approaches to specific grants or fellowships.

  • For Institutional grants, fills out PI checklist which the KUCR grant specialist will provide via email with a live link and instructions.

  • Begins writing and gathering the requisite component of the proposal (e.g., project description, summary/abstract, supporting materials).

  • If a budget is required, provides RGDO contact with an estimate of anticipated activities, dates, and costs.

  • Completes and submits separate applications to KU Office of Research Integrity, as appropriate (e.g., human subjects review, conflict of interest forms).

  • Requests letters of commitment, support and/or reference, as required.

RGDO Staff

  • Works with Scholar to lay out a realistic proposal development tasks list and timeline, including target dates for completion of the various components.

  • For institutional applications, RGDO contact alerts KUCR Pre-Award or KUEA (as appropriate) and serves as Scholar's liaison through the application development and submission process.

  • Sets up online access, provides Scholar with log-in information and asks whether Scholar wishes to complete the forms (individual applications) or wishes RGDO contact to do so.

  • Institutional grant forms must be submitted through KUCR or KUEA, RGDO contact will export forms and send to Scholar for review and approval prior to submission by KUCR or KUEA.

  • Works with Scholar to develop, refine, and finalize all the components of the grant application.

STEP 3: Prepare and Submit Proposal to Granting Agency

Scholar

  • Makes final revisions to proposal components and sends to RGDO for final review prior to submission.

  • For individual awards, if submission via email is required, Scholar submits application; if RGDO, KUCR or KUEA is submitting, Scholar emails RGDO contact their approval to submit the application.

RGDO Staff

  • If Scholar submits final draft components of application at least 10 working days (Monday-Friday) before the agency deadline, RGDO contact provides close review and any final editorial suggestions.

  • If Scholar sends RGDO contact all final (ready to submit) materials at least 5 working days prior to agency deadline, provides final review of all components before sending them to KUCR or KUEA and helps facilitate final institutional review, approval, and submission (institutional grants) or direct submission to the agency either by RGDO staff on Scholar's behalf or by Scholar directly (individual grants and fellowships).

STEP 4: Follow-Up

Scholar

  • Tells RGDO contact the result as soon as Scholar receives notification from the agency (RGDO otherwise does not have access to results).

  • If awarded an individual fellowship requiring salary bridging support, notify RGDO contact, who will assist with Supplemental Salary Fund and research leave request.

  • Request peer review comments, if the agency allows.

RGDO Staff

  • When a fellowship application is successful, consults with Scholar about the Supplemental Salary Fund and research leave request process and, if award is eligible, guides Scholar through the SSF application procedures.

  • If application was not successful, assists Scholar to interpret reviewers’ comments (if the agency provides them and the Scholar shares them) for potential use as constructive criticism to revise for resubmission, as appropriate.

RGDO Links