IFAS Proposal Preparation and Deadline Policy

Principal investigators (PIs) work with their department Research Administrator (RA) to create and route proposals through the UF Integrated Research Support Tool (UFIRST). Once the RA hits the "Submit for Review and Approval" button, the system automatically routes the proposal to the Unit Leader for approval. Please Note: the IFAS Proposal Office will not begin reviewing submissions until the PI has certified and the Unit Leader has approved. Both of these actions indicate to our office that this proposal is submit ready. Find more information about the UFirst process here.

IFAS Proposals will review existing approvals, review documentation, and verify the indirect cost before approving. A proposal is eligible for review and approval once the following is included:

•   the scope of work,

•   the budget (an internal budget may be requested to verify the IDC requested),

•   the budget justification, and

•   the sponsor guidelines or a copy of the existing agreement

•   if a reduced IDC rate is applied, provide evidence of a published rate or approved letter that abides by DSP's exemption policy

Once approved, the submission will automatically move forward for a Dean’s approval.

Effective June 22, 2018, the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) instituted a hard deadline for submission of proposals announced at least 30 calendar days prior to the due date. These proposals must arrive in DSP, submit-ready, by 9 a.m. on the business day prior to the sponsor deadline. DSP will not submit proposals that miss this window. Proposals submitted in response to a solicitation announced less than 30 days from the sponsor’s due date are exempt from this deadline policy. DSP will fully review and submit these exempt proposals, depending on time and staff availability. DSP will fully review and submit these except proposals, depending on time and staff availability.

• For all proposals:

  For proposal solicitations published by the sponsor at least 30 calendar days from the due date, IFAS requests three (3) business days from the DSP’s deadline to complete the college-level approval process. This allows IFAS to properly review proposals and decrease the risk of missing non-compliant sections, addressing oversights or errors in budgeting, and of encountering technical glitches and bottlenecks. It guarantees that PIs will meet DSP’s deadline, improves the quality of proposals and eliminates the possibility that DSP will not submit a proposal.

  •   Submissions must be ready to submit to the sponsor. In addition to certain requirements outlined by DSP, proposals should be complete, certified by the PI and appropriately reviewed by the Unit Leader.

  •   While UFIRST allows a department to begin the approval process before the submission and/or the necessary internal documents have been uploaded, and for the ‘return’ of proposals to complete the submission, these options should be used sparingly.

  •   Complete submissions will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

• What should faculty do?
  • Start early by sharing sponsor guidelines (e.g. RFP’s, solicitations, sponsors policies, ect) with their department RA as soon as possible.
  • Be sure to give their unit RA all required proposal documents in a timely manner so that they can meet with DSP’s and IFAS’s proposal deadlines.
  • Communicate any internal timeline for proposal completion to collaborators.
• What should unit leaders do?
  • Work with your unit RA and faculty to understand the unit-level implications of complex proposal components such as cost sharing, budgeted faculty time, subcontracts, etc.
  • Help communicate changes to UF policy.