Proposal Development Guidelines and Tools

The Division of Research team works with you to prepare highly competitive proposals for external funding and ensures compliance with university, states and federal regulations. 

Proposal Development Tools

Proposal Development Process 

Now that you have found the grant or contract opportunity, you have to write the proposal.

  •  Read the solicitation carefully. Note the period of performance (e.g. 1 year, 5 years), funding ranges, due dates, page limits, font and style requirements, required appendices, etc.
  • Make note of due dates for pre-proposals, letters of intent, or concept papers and the due date for the full proposal submission. Many funding agencies request pre-proposals as a way to narrow the field of potential projects allowed to submit a full proposal.
  • Evaluate the potential sponsor to determine whether your idea is a good fit. See what they have funded in the past and even ask to see successfully funded proposals.
  • Conduct a web search to find examples of successful proposals for the same opportunity. Reviewing examples can provide you with tips for the proposal layout, content, and figures.
  • Prepare yourself for writing the proposal: Conduct a literature review, discuss your ideas with colleagues, identify collaborators from NC A&T or other institutions early in the process.
  • If you have collaborators from non-NC A&T intuitions who will receive funding if this grant is successful, you will need to work with Division of Research staff to acquire an official statement of work, budget, budget justification, and other documentation specific to the sponsor requirements, prior to the grant submission.
  • When you have decided to submit a proposal responding to an opportunity, submit a Notice of Intent to RAMSeS via email. Division of Research’s response will provide the name and contact information of the Office of Sponsored Programs grants administrator who will handle submission of your proposal. All proposals MUST be submitted to the granting agency by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
  • Create a detailed task list and timeline for proposal development. Remember to include time for your (and your team members’) chair and dean to authorize the proposal and a minimum of three days for Office of Sponsored Programs Staff to review and submit the proposal to the funding agency.
  • Start writing the proposal and remember to follow the solicitation guidelines.
  • Develop a Budget. This includes all of the cost to conduct the work described in the project narrative and NC A&T Facilities and Administrative Costs.
  • Division of Research staff are happy to conduct proposal and budget reviews to help assure you have met all of the requirements in the solicitation.
  • When proposing to conduct research on animals or human subjects, remember that NC A&T is subject to a wide range of federal and state policies established to ensure ethical conduct in research. Start your proposal well in advance of the sponsor deadline so that compliance and ethics requirements are met. Review the NC A&T Policies and Guidelines for Research webpage for more details.
  • Finalize your proposal and budget and submit it in RAMSeS for routing and approval at least 3 business-days before the submission date.
  • Remain in contact with your grant administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs as the proposal is reviewed and submitted.

 Frequently Asked Questions