Preparing and Routing Extramural Support Proposals

Instructions for Preparing and Routing Proposals for Extramural Support

The IU South Bend Office of Research and the Office of the Vice President for Research in Bloomington request at least a two week lead time to put through an external grant proposal. To ensure that federal and state guidelines are met and that the intellectual and academic objectives of the University are maintained, all proposals for external funding must be reviewed at appropriate administrative levels prior to submission. As soon as you starting thinking about applying for a specific grant opportunity you should contact the Office of Research (4181).

The items discussed below cover frequently asked questions regarding the preparation and review of proposals. Help with proposal preparation (organization, complying with agency guidelines, editing, etc.) and with budgets is available by calling 574-520-4181. Current rate information is available at https://southbend.iu.edu/research-off/Budget.php.

Special Needs

The Contracts and Grants Coordinator will certify that Principal Investigator/Project Director has filed disclosure. The signature on the Route Sheet certifies that information provided in "Conflict of Interest" box is accurate. The Office of Research cannot accept a proposal without this certification.

Principal Investigator/Project Director is responsible for ensuring that all required disclosures were made by others associated with his or her project. The signature on Routing Sheet certifies this assurance.


Routing sheet >>

Under federal regulations, all proposals involving the use of human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the IU South Bend Institutional Review Board. Assurance of approval must be submitted to the agency at the time the proposal is transmitted to the agency or no later than 60 days from the date of transmission. This review requires that an application describing the human subject involvement be completed by the Project Director no later than when the proposal is routed. Guidelines for the use of human subjects and the necessary forms may be obtained here.


Routing sheet >>

Projects involving more than one department or campus require all participating units to sign off on the route sheet. Issues such as indirect cost allocation will be determined internally among the units involved. Faxed copies of route sheets are acceptable to assist in obtaining the various approvals.


Routing sheet >>

Proposals which include a subcontractor/subrecipient in the budget must include the following information provided by the proposed subcontractor:

  • budget
  • work statement
  • letter of support signed by the business official of the subcontracting institution

Subcontractor Letter >>

Q | Should I reapply to an agency that rejected an earlier proposal?

A | Most agencies answer this question with a resounding "YES." For many programs, the success rate of first-time applicants is very low; but a significant number of those proposals are funded upon resubmission.

Contact the Office of Research to discuss strategies for resubmission.

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