OSP Proposal Preparation

Grant Proposal Basics | Proposal Development | Funding Sources | Proposal Routing | Subcontract/Consultant Agreements | NIH Grant Application Resources | R01 and R21 Agreements | Biosketches and Budgeting | Multi-PI, Facilities, Human Subjects and Vertebrate Animals, Resource Sharing | Progress Reports | K-Awards and F-Awards

Grant Proposal Basics

Proposal Submission - Helpful Hints​

Please note that the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) due date is seven business days prior to the sponsor due date.

It is very important to always read and follow the Sponsor’s Guidelines and proposal directions as these vary among Sponsors and are often revised and/or updated.

Proposal Development and Preparation

OSP staff are available to consult with Principal Investigators (PIs) and staff on the development and submission of their proposal, including:

1. Review of Sponsor Guidelines
2. Assistance with Budget Development
3. Review of Sponsor Forms

Visit the Budget section for additional information regarding budget preparation.

Identification of Funding Sources

OSP staff can provide assistance to PIs and staff in identifying potential funding sources. The OSP office subscribes to several electronic and paper publications with the latest information on potential funding opportunities.

Additional resources for funding opportunities:

• Funding Institutional
• NIH Extramural Research Funding
• Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute

Office of Sponsored Programs Proposal Routing

The PI is required to route each proposal submission using Cayuse SP. The OSP routing form is no longer in use. Proposals with the following items attached are now routed in Cayuse SP:

1. Final OSP reviewed budget
2. Copy of research proposal (draft copy acceptable)

Note: Proposal routing using Cayuse SP is required for new submissions, continuation proposals, renewals and transfers. Please note that all proposals submitted through Lurie Children's require routing, including subcontract proposals in which another institution is the prime grantee and a portion of the work will be subcontracted to Lurie Children's. Access Cayuse SP for electronic proposal routing.

Proposal Submission Guidelines for Subcontract and Consultant Agreements

• What you'll need for a subcontract and/or consultant agreement​

NIH Grant Application Resources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world.

NIH strives to make their application process as transparent as it can be, providing a number of resources to investigators on the web, including:

Information about applying to NIH

• NIH Grant Application Basics
• Tips for Grant Writing and Preparation
• NIH Policy for New and Early Stage Investigators
• NIH New Investigator Guide to Funding
• All NIH Parent Funding Opportunity Announcements
• NIH Standard Deadline Dates
• All About Grants (NIH podcasts)

NIH's Peer Review Process

• NIH Peer Review Process
• NIH Policy on Allowable Resubmission Applications
• NIH Policy on Post-Submission Materials (FAQs)

Find NIH-funded Research and Other Information

• Search NIH-Funded Research Activities (NIH RePORTER)

NIH Revised (2011) Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Policy

What Grantees Need to Know about the Revised FCOI Policy (Presentation by NIH OEM, 11/30/2011)

• NIH Webinar

New, Resubmission, and Competing Renewal Applications

For R01 and R21 applications

Application & Forms

• Parent Announcements
• SF424 & PHS398 Instruction Manual
• Checklist for R01 Applications PDF
• Sample of Successful R01
• Checklist for R21 Applications​ PDF
• Criteria and Considerations for R01 & R21 Applications

Biosketches

• See November 2014 guidance on changes to biosketches, effective for proposal submissions on or after 1/25/15. Samples/templates included in this FAQ.

Budgeting

• R01 Budget Template
• R21 Budget T​emplate​​
• Cost-Share Worksheet Template
• K Award Cost-Share Worksheet

For Applications Using Modular Budget Format

• Sample Modular Budget PDF
• Sample Personnel Justification (and template)
• Sample Consortium Justification (and template)
• Sample Additional Justification (and template)

For Applications Using Detailed R&R Budget Format

• Sample R&R Detailed Budget PDF
• Sample R&R Budget Justification (and template) 

Multi-PI Model

• NIH Multi-PI Policy
• NIH Multi-PI FAQs
• Sample Multi-PI Leadership Plan PDF
• NIH Multi-PI Presentation

Facilties & Other Resources and Equipment

• Lurie Children's Facilities & Resources Descriptions (SF424 Instructions and Template)
• Lurie Children's Equipment Description (SF424 Instructions and Template) PDF

Human Subjects & Vertebrate Animals

• Instructions for Preparing Human Subjects Protections Attachments PDF (taken from the SF424 Instruction Manual​)
• Help for Writing Vertebrate Animal Section PDF

Resource Sharing

• Resource Sharing Guidance
• Sample Data Sharing Plan
• Sample Sharing Model Organisms Plans

Progress Reports (Non-Competing Renewals)

For RPPR reports

• eRA Commons
• My NCBI Tutorials (for tracking your publications and integrating them with your eRA Commons acccount)
• Blank Other Support Page Template
• Sample Other Support Page

• Effective Oct. 2012: Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) and Training Module available to NIH grantees (NIH announcement)
• NIH Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) training and instructions

NRSA Career Development Awards (K-Award)

• K-Kiosk
• Parent K-Application Announcements
• K application template PDF
• K application checklist PDF
• Submitting Letters of Recommendation via the eRA Commons PDF (taken from the SF424 Instruction Manual)
• Criteria and Considerations for K-Applications

NRSA Individual Fellowship Awards (F-Awards)

• F-Kiosk​
• Parent F-Application Announcements
• F application template PDF
• F application checklist PDF
• F application Biosketch
• F application Biosketch Sample
• Submitting Letters of Recommendation via the eRA Commons PDF (taken from the SF424 Instruction Manual)
• Fellowship Letter of Reference Form​ (PHS 416-1)
• Criteria and Considerations for F-Applications​