When DePaul administrators, faculty, or staff prepare grant or contract proposals for external funding, they are acting on behalf of the University. For that reason, all such proposals, including letters of intent and preliminary proposals, must pass through a review and approval process established by the University in advance of submission. Following is an overview of that process.
Step 1
Contact the Office of Research Services (ORS) as soon as you begin work on a submission by contacting a member of our Pre-Award staff .
Be prepared to advise ORS of the agency/program you are considering a submission to, planned project partners/collaborators and an anticipated project term.
Upon contact with this information, you will be assigned an ORS Liaison, who will work wtih you to facilitate the review and approval process.
We also recommend, at this time, you notify your departmental chair or supervisor of the planned submission.
Step 2
No less than 5 business days in advance of your proposal submission deadline, provide the complete submission electronically to your ORS Liaison.
A complete submission includes the complete application, narrative, budget and justification, and sub-award documentation (if relevant).
Your ORS Pre-Award Liaison will review the information you have provided and coordinate with you any changes necessary to your submission to meet the requirements of the University, agency/program announcement and to secure institutional approval of the submission. If your submission is a foundation or corporation, ORS will also liaise with your Advancement Representative. Your ORS Liaison will send the submission out electronically for institutional review and approval as soon as ORS review is complete. ORS will identify what approvals are needed based on the nature of the submission and the established criteria for the selection of approvers. If changes in your proposal are requested by the approvers, ORS will communicate these to you and will resubmit your proposal for reconsideration of approvers as soon as the changes are made.
Related to the timeline, please note:
a. if DePaul is a subcontractor on a submission, the deadline date is the date the applicant organization requires DePaul's materials; this date may be earlier than the funding agency's deadline;
b. some funder's electronic submission systems advise submission should occur 48-72 hours in advance of a deadline; this time is not factored into the above cited 5 business-day window and should be added to it, if relevant to your submission;
c. submissions with budget requests over $2M, or those that involve substantive international activities, cost sharing/sustainability commitments, subcontracts to third-party organizations, or require pre-review of contract language, preparation of representations and certifications packages, or request indirect cost waivers will require additional lead time for institutional review and approval. Consult with your assigned ORS Pre-Award Liaison to anticipate required institutional review time that meets the individual circumstances related to your submission.
Step 3
Provide ORS staff the required submit access (if an electronic submission) no later than 10am on the business day before your submission must be transmitted to the funding agency to meet the deadline. For example, if your proposal must be submitted on Tuesday to meet the agency deadline, ORS must be given submit access by 10 am the preceding Monday.
ORS will submit the proposal to the funding agency on your behalf once all institutional approvals are secured, or if a submission to a corporation or private foundation, release the approved budget to DePaul's Advancement Office and you to coordinate the foundation/corporation submission.
Please Note: If for some reason you will not be accessible at your institutional phone number and email during the 5 business-day period immediately preceding the planned submission, it is critical that your ORS Pre-Award Liaison has an alternate means of reaching you by phone and email during institutional business hours.