Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

Some of the more commonly asked questions about proposal preparation and award administration are listed below. If you do not find the answer to your questions here, please contact an ORSP staff member, email orsp@unco.edu, or call 351-1907

• How do I find a grant opportunity for a project I would like to develop?
  The Funding Opportunities section of this website describes some of the resources available to help you find funding to support your work. You may also request assistance from ORSP by contacting Director Chris Saxton.
• Who can answer my questions about a sponsor's proposal guidelines

  ORSP staff members have expertise in different areas of proposal development and submission;

  • Visit the Who Do I Call? page for detailed contact information.
  • For questions regarding allowable costs and budget requirements, email your Grants and Contracts Administrator.
  • For questions about preparing your proposal documents for submission and electronic submissions systems, contact your Grants and Contracts Administrator. 
  • If your proposal information will be going to another organization to be submitted as part of its proposal to a funding agency, contact your Grants and Contracts Administrator.
• When do I need to inform ORSP that I am planning to submit a proposal?
  As soon as you are considering submitting a proposal notify ORSP by completing a Quick Proposal (QP) in Streamlyne. The information you provide on the QP allows the ORSP staff to schedule workloads and contact you to plan for proposal development and submission.
• The proposal guidelines say that I need to register for Grants.gov (or some other proposal system); is that something I should do?
  ORSP registers the university for all proposal submission systems. However, you may need to be signed up as a principal investigator to use a system. Contact your Grants and Contracts Administrator if you are unsure or if you don't know if you are already signed up.
• Do I need to notify ORSP if I'm going to work with a partner at another institution, and that institution is going to submit our proposal?
  Yes. In this situation, your sponsor is that other institution. The funding agency to which their proposal (including the information for your work) will be submitted is referred to as your prime sponsor. Your proposal to the other institution will be processed through ORSP like any other proposal.
• The sponsor requires that I need to submit a letter of intent (sometimes called a notice of intent, pre-proposal, or other similar term). Do I send it myself, or does it need to go through ORSP?
  If the letter of intent has to provide any budget information, a description of your project, or a commitment from the university of any kind, it must go through ORSP. However, if the sole purpose is to let the sponsor know how many proposals to expect in order to plan for the review process, you may send it yourself. Please copy ORSP at orsp@unco.edu on your submission email.
• May I include individuals who are not UNC employees on my proposal?
  Yes. However, they may not be included as personnel in your proposal budget. If you plan to use non-UNC personnel, you will need to either hire them as consultants or subcontract with their institutions/organizations.
• When do I have to provide ORSP with my completed, final proposal documents?
  ORSP must have final versions of all proposal documents by 9:00 a.m. three business days prior to the sponsor's deadline date. See the Internal Submission Deadline Policy.
• I want to show that UNC is contributing cost share on my Budget; how do I find sources of cost share funding?

  Unless the sponsor's guidelines require it, UNC does not contribute cost sharing on proposals. If the sponsor does require a cost share, you should first discuss it with your chair/director and then your dean/VP. Funds for institutional cost sharing may be available, but only if you provide evidence that your units are contributing or reasons that they are not able to.

  If the sponsor guidelines do not require cost share, but do recommend it, you should contact your ORSP Grants and Contracts Administrator to discuss the process of requesting cost share.

• How do I know what costs I can include in my proposal budget?

  Items charged to a sponsored program must first be expenses that are allowable to the university and State of Colorado.

  After that, items that can be budgeted in a proposal will depend on the sponsor and the program to which you are applying. Most proposal guidelines include information that will answer this question. General provisions for the allowability of costs on federal proposals are described in the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), Subpart E – Cost Principles.

  Please contact the ORSP Grants and Contracts Administrator who will work with you to develop a budget that meets all requirements.

• I'm submitting to a sponsor that doesn't require institutional signature. May I submit the proposal myself, or does it need to go through ORSP?
  No.  All proposals soliciting funds for sponsored projects must go through internal routing for approval using the Quick Proposal. See University Regulations 3-7-114(2) and Guidance on Sponsored Projects for details. Contact your Grants and Contracts Administrator if you are not sure if your proposal is for a "sponsored project."