Guidelines for Submitting Proposals

Proposals must be submitted in the format outlined below and are limited to 20 pages, exclusive of budget and attachments. There should be no attachments other than those considered essential for a complete understanding of the proposal. Each section of the proposal should be clearly identified with the appropriate heading. Proposals must be double–spaced in 12-point font. The following Sections should be included:

A. Title Page

The title page should contain the project title; unit and name of individual(s) seeking funding; telephone, fax and email addresses; approval signatures of department head(s) and dean(s); and date of submission.

B. Executive Summary

An executive summary, limited to 100 words, should immediately follow the title page. This brief abstract should be suitable for distribution within and outside the University and be written so that a non-specialist can understand it.

C. Narrative

  • Describe the project. Identify specific problems to be addressed; define their importance to the University’s mission, with specific reference to future funding opportunities; present the methodology and action plan to be used in addressing them, and delineate an evaluation plan.
  • Provide an overview of other work being done in the same field. Show how the proposed project differs from work underway elsewhere or how it complements other work. Describe any anticipated collaboration that might enhance the proposed project.
  • Specify the duration of the project and list project objectives.
  • Identify specific measures (benchmarks) for each objective.

D. Impact Statement

  • Describe the relation of the project to institutions mission and strengths. In addition, how will this project help to meet you departmental goals? (Please specify goals.)
  • Describe the potential impact of the proposed research or applied technology project.

E. Budget Revenues and Expenditures

  • Include your total project budget for the year.
  • Include any Department or College matching funds that would be provided.

    * Proposals with matching commitments will be scored favorably against those that do not provide such support.

    ** During the academic year (fall, spring) REF will only pay release time (rather than full salary) for personnel with faculty rank. REF funds cannot be used to support general administrative overhead costs.

  • Include a table of projected revenue for the project.
  • If the project has been a multi-year effort, include a revenue history from year one by source.
  • If the project is expected to continue beyond the next fiscal year, include expenditure and revenue projections for subsequent years using the above categories. All proposals must clearly specify how/when the project will become independent of REF funding.
  • If the project exists within the structure of an existing organized research unit, provide an overall budget (specifying expenditures and sources and amounts of revenue) for the larger entity.

F. Administrative Structure

Include (as applicable) the following information in the description of administrative structure related to the REF area of emphasis:

  • Extent of involvement and responsibility of the college dean and department head.
  • Research area administrative structure.
  • Industrial or other advisory structure
  • Mechanism to promote technology transfer.
  • Diffusion of research capacity throughout the University.
  • Diffusion of research capacity among other universities and the private sector.

G. Personnel

  1. Briefly identify principal administrators and researchers.
  2. For all individuals affiliated with the project, provide a list of grants or contracts currently held by them. If none, so specify.

H. Attachments (As Applicable)

  1. List all industrial collaborators and advisory board members. Include their titles and corporate affiliation.
  2. List all REF faculty investigators, with academic rank. Provide the FTE commitment by research area or project.
  3. Provide totals for all REF-supported (full or partial) undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral student slots for the coming year. Provide names where individuals are already identified.