Proposal Submission Guidelines
Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) requires a completed proposal package to be submitted to their office via Cayuse five (5) business days in advance of the proposal due date. SPO will not review a submission if the completed proposal is not submitted to them 5 business days prior to the due date.
The School of Engineering is requesting no less than ten (10) business days in advance of the SPO deadline, for a total of fifteen (15) business days prior to the proposal due date. This is sufficient time for the RA to submit by the SPO deadline. Exceptions may be made on occasion, and the SoE RA will support PI’s as time allows. However, it is important to note that a thorough review or a timely submission to SPO cannot be guaranteed when sufficient time is not provided.
Proposal Submission Timeline
As soon as the faculty member is aware of a funding opportunity and plans on applying, please notify our office ASAP, following the steps below:
STEP 1: At least 15 Business Days BEFORE DUE date - Submit the SoE Extramural Proposal Support Request Form
- The submission will be auto-routed to the Research Administrators (soegrants@ucmerced.edu)
- Completion of this Form begins the proposal process
STEP 2: The Research Administrator will create a Cayuse Record number in the system.
STEP 3: 10 Days of Preparation
- The 10 days will ensure that proposal requests are processed with minimal impact to other crucial contract and grant functions.
- PI meet in person or by phone with his/her RA to discuss the proposal
- Faculty and Staff Roles & Responsibilities Checklist (link)
STEP 4: At least 5 Days Business Days before DUE date – submit to SPO
STEP 5: DUE DATE
Support from Research Development Services (RDS)
RDS can assist faculty with any research or research training proposal which meets any one of the following criteria (request for assistance must be at least nineteen (19) working days prior to the proposal due date – this time frame is inclusive of the time required for SPO Review):
- The proposal is either the faculty member’s first or second grant proposal submitted while at UC Merced; or
- The proposal is being submitted in response to any funding opportunity specifically targeted for early career faculty (tenure track Assistant Professors); or
- The proposal is a research training grant involving at least ten student participants (at the undergraduate or graduate level); or
- The proposal is being submitted in response to a limited submission opportunity (and the applicant has successfully competed in that internal LS opportunity); or
- The proposal involves two or more sub-awards with UC Merced as the lead applicant; or
- The proposal involves eight or more PIs, co-PIs and/or Senior Persons, whether from UC Merced or other institutions; or
- The proposed total direct costs will exceed $1.3M.
