Sponsored Programs Proposal Submission Timeline Requirements
Estimated Reading Time: 7 MinutesEffective for proposals due to the sponsor after September 15, 2025, the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge is implementing a formal Sponsored Programs proposal submission timeline requirement. Following this standard timeline will allow for:
- clear, fair, and uniformly applied levels of service to all investigators
- sufficient time for Sponsored Programs to identify and resolve submission problems and submit high-quality proposals
- effective stewardship of resources both at the university and college or unit levels; and
- the most effective foundation for ensuring compliance with sponsor, university and college or unit policies.
The required proposal components and the deadlines by which they must be provided to Sponsored Programs allows staff to complete their review prior to submission to the sponsor. The deadlines vary depending on whether a proposal is classified as complex or standard.
General requirements
- All proposals seeking externally funded awards, grants, or contracts must be routed for institutional review and approval through Sponsored Programs.
- Faculty must alert Sponsored Program staff of an intent to apply by completing the Sponsored Programs Proposal Intake Form. Investigators working with units that have their own data intake mechanisms (e.g., College of Medicine Grants Management Office, Comprehensive Cancer Center Grant Support Center, Engineering Sponsored Program Services, Grants Development Support Unit for College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences) must complete their unit's form and should not complete the Sponsored Programs form as data entered into these other systems will be transmitted to Sponsored Programs.
- Proposals not meeting these deadlines will not be submitted during the current submission cycle. Exceptions (e.g. when the time between program announcement and closing date does not allow for these deadlines) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Exceptions may be granted on a one-time basis at the discretion of Sponsored Programs.
- Proposals will not be submitted after Sponsored Programs closes at 5 p.m., even if the agency's deadline is later, or on weekends.
- ERIK's timeline does not replace existing unit-specific proposal submission requirements. Longer unit deadlines will supersede ERIK deadlines, and Sponsored Programs will honor unit decisions to not submit proposals when unit timelines have not been met.
Standard proposals
Proposals not meeting the complex criteria are considered standard proposals, including proposals where Ohio State is not the lead applicant but is a subawardee in another applicant's proposal. Lead applicants may require subawardee proposal documents before their sponsor deadline. In such cases ERIK's timeline will be triggered by the date the lead applicant requires the proposal documents from Ohio State. So, for standard proposals due September 15, an intake form must be completed by September 1.
Complex proposals
Complex proposals require significant time and resources to draft and assemble the administrative, business and technical components of the proposal. Complex proposals:
- have an annual budget of more than $1 million or a total project period budget more than $5 million; and/or
- involve five or more collaborating institutions, whether paid or unpaid, such as subawardees, community partners, companies, or other organizations with Ohio State as the lead.
Internal Deadlines for Proposal Review and Submission
The following items are required by Sponsored Programs before proposals may be submitted to sponsors. Deadlines listed are lead times prior to the day the proposal is due to the sponsor, and items will be due by noon on those days. For example, if a proposal is due to the sponsor by 5 p.m. Friday the entire standard proposal would be due to Sponsored Programs by noon on Wednesday. Timelines noted are the minimum to meet the requirement. Every effort should be made to notify Sponsored Programs of an intent to submit and provide documents as far in advance as possible.
| Proposal Items | Standard Proposals | Complex Proposals |
|---|---|---|
| PI notification in proposal intake system | 2 weeks | 3 months |
| Subaward documents | 7 business days | 4 weeks |
| Budget documents when cost share or voluntary reduction of indirects proposed* | 6 business days | 3 weeks |
| Final budget and administrative documents | 4 business days | 2 weeks |
| Research documents | 2 business days | 7 business days |
| ePA-005 routed for approvals* | 3 business days | 5 business days |
| Proposal complete/ready for SPO review | 2 business days | 3 business days |
*If budget includes cost share or a voluntary reduction in indirect costs, budget documents and PA-005 must be submitted at least 6 business days in advance of proposal deadline to allow time for review.
Proposal item definitions
- PI notification in proposal intake system - Faculty must alert Sponsored Program staff of an intent to apply through their college or unit system if applicable, or by completing the Sponsored Programs Proposal Intake Form.
- Subaward documents - include the final subaward budget in sponsor format, budget justification, scope of work, subrecipient letter of intent, senior personnel documents, and any other subaward documents required by the sponsor.
- Budget documents when cost share or voluntary reduction of indirect costs is proposed - include budget information when cost share or matching is included and/or when the indirect costs being proposed are less than the full amount that could be requested per sponsor and university guidelines. Additional approvals may be required.
- Budget and administrative documents - include the final budget (with any required and approved cost share), budget justification, and administrative documents. Administrative documents include application forms, biosketches, current and pending support, collaborators and other affiliations, facilities and resources, letters of support, data management and sharing plans, post-doctoral mentoring plans, IRB or IACUC approvals where applicable, and any other non-scientific documents required by the sponsor.
- Research documents - include Narrative, Summary, Project Description, references, and any other required research documents.
- ePA-005 - the Proposal Authorization form must be submitted for signatures with final budget and justification attached. The PA-005 should be submitted at least 6 days prior to the sponsor deadline when the budget includes cost share or voluntary indirect cost reductions.
- Proposal complete/uploaded to sponsor system if appropriate, ready for SPO review and submission - this means the final proposal package, including all required forms and documents, is uploaded into any required sponsor systems or otherwise made available for final SPO review and submission. Needed corrections to documents identified by the SPO during review are allowable.
Common Questions
Form Requirements and Process
Who should submit the Sponsored Programs intake form?
Principal Investigators or their designees should provide the proposal information. Sponsored Programs will not complete the form.
Can I just email my SPO the information about my proposal instead of completing the form?
No. The intake form allows Sponsored Programs to more effectively track proposal submissions. Use of the Sponsored Program or unit intake forms is required in order for proposals to be considered for submission and to meet the proposal notification requirements.
Does the intake form replace the ePA-005?
No. The ePA-005 will be required when the full details of the proposal, including the final budget and all compliance information, are available, and no later than three business days prior to the proposal due date.
I received a funding agreement but did not submit an intake form or PA-005, what should I do?
Sponsored Programs will review to determine whether the agreement can be accepted when the proposal timeline requirements have not been followed. If an exception is made, both a proposal intake form and a PA-005 must be completed.
Timeline and Deadlines
When should the proposal be ready for SPO review if the due date falls on a Monday?
All timelines are based on business days. Proposals due on Monday should be ready for SPO review by 12 p.m. noon on Thursday.
Can I ask my SPO to submit a proposal after 5PM if the sponsor deadline falls after that time?
No. Sponsored Programs staff are available during normal business hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.. Proposals will not be submitted by OSP after 5 p.m. or on weekends.
Scope and Applicability
Do the timeline requirements apply to proposals that do not need a signature from OSP or submission from an authorized organizational representative?
Yes. These requirements apply to all formal or informal submissions to external sponsors, regardless of whether an authorized organizational representative is required to sign or submit the proposal.
Do the timeline requirements apply to letters of intent that require OSP signature (e.g. NSF, AHA, PCORI)?
Letters of intent are not required to follow the full proposal timeline requirements. However, it is recommended that they be ready for SPO review and submission at least one business day prior to the due date, and SPOs will not be available to submit after 5:00 p.m. or on weekends.