Common Proposal Components

All proposals for extramural funding must be submitted through Sponsored Programs, with the exception of limited submission pre-proposals and pre-proposals that do not require an institutional signature.
View the detailed requirements, including forms, for submission through Sponsored Programs.

Most proposals are submitted electronically and have a built-in electronic cover page, with the table of contents automatically generated as part of the electronic application. Institutional information needed to complete the cover page is here, https://research.ucdavis.edu/about-us/institutional-information/.

The Abstract or Project Summary must be suitable for public distribution and understandable to both the scientist and layperson. See the relevant sponsor’s grant proposal guidelines to ensure all formatting and other requirements are met.

Often there are strict formatting requirements for this section such as limits on the number of characters (NSF), words, or lines (NIH), as well as instructions on using the third person or including specific information on expected outcomes.

In addition to the project abstract, NIH requires a separate upload: a 2-sentence Project Narrative that explains the relevance of the proposed research to human health.

The Research Development Toolbox has abstract/project summary templates for many sponsors.

Depending on the sponsor, this section might be called Research Strategy, Project Description, or Project Narrative. This section describes the project, its purpose, relevance, and implementation. Each sponsor has specified guidelines for the Project Narrative/Description.

The Research Development Toolbox has templates for the project description/research strategy for many sponsors.

The Research Development Toolbox has templates for the IP Plan and the Technology to Market & Commercialization Plan.

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship – The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship integrates science and business for social benefit.
• InnovationAccess – InnovationAccess provides services that connect research to the marketplace and is focused specifically on protecting and commercializing intellectual property as well as fostering entrepreneurship within the campus community.

Most agencies require that you check a box in the proposal indicating whether human subjects will be included in the research. Typically, you must also indicate the Federal Assurance Number for conducting human research. Some agencies, but not all, also require as part of the proposal, a plan for the inclusion of human subjects in research.

• NIH Definition of Human Subjects Research
• NIH Human Subjects templates
• NIH New Human Subjects and Clinical Trial Information

Most agencies require that you check a box in the proposal indicating whether vertebrate animals will be included in the research. Typically, you must also indicate the IACUC Number for conducting research on animals. Some agencies, but not all, also require as part of the proposal, a plan for the inclusion of vertebrate animals in research.

PHS Policy and the NIH Grants Policy Statement (https://grants.nih.gov/) require institutions to verify, before award, that the IACUC protocol and the grant application(s) funding the project utilizing IACUC protocol describe the same care and use of animals. The process is referred to as “Congruency Review” and is performed by the Principal Investigator by signing this form.

• NIH vertebrate animals templates
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare – Vertebrate Animals Section

The Budget and Budget Justification (also called a budget narrative) is a financial proposal reflecting the work proposed and outlines the expected project costs in detail. It should mirror the project description.

• Guidance by Budget Category
• Facilities and Administrative (F&A or Indirect Cost) rates
• OR Budget Templates and FAQs

Most agencies require Biosketches (Curriculum Vitae) for key personnel and recommend using SciENcv to generate biosketches.

• NIH templates
• NSF biosketch info and tipsheet

Most funding agencies require a References Cited section for all references cited in the Project Narrative/Description and/or Research Plan component unless otherwise noted in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

The Research Development Toolbox has Bibliography & References Cited templates for NIH and NSF.

The University Library can assist researchers in literature searches.

• Researcher Services Department
• Open Access Fund

The Facilities and Resources section provides information on the organizational resources that will be used in conducting the proposed work.

The Research Development Toolbox has Facilities and Resources templates for NIH and NSF.

• In order for NSF, and its reviewers, to assess the scope of a proposed project, all organizational resources necessary for, and available to, a project must be described in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal (see Chapter II.D.2.g for further information).
• Core Facilities and Services

Data Management Plans/Resource Sharing Plans describe how proposals disseminate and share results.

The Research Development Toolbox has Data Management Plan/Resource Sharing Plan templates for NIH and NSF.

• NSF Policy (http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp)
• NIH Sharing Policies and Related Guidance on NIH-Funded Research Resources
• The University Library provides resources and tools to aid researchers in preparing Data Management Plans through their Data Analysis and Management webpage.

Some funding agencies require a Current and Pending Support section at the time of application. This section describes what funding a researcher is currently receiving, as well as what funding the researcher has applied for.

NSF requires Current and Pending Support for all key personnel at the time of application.