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As part of the Grants and Contracts Office, staff support is available to help faculty prepare competitive and timely applications. Assistance includes analyzing sponsor guidelines, establishing timelines, editing and reviewing documents and forms for compliance, providing templates, budget development, budget justifications and coordination with sub-awardees and collaborators.

Proposal Development support also includes collecting information needed for the internal approval process, completing the PeopleSoft Routing Sheet as well as the sponsor submission package. To allow sufficient time for each component of the proposal to be carefully completed, please request proposal development assistance eight weeks before the sponsor’s deadline.

Partial list of Proposal Development services

  • Finding Funding
  • Biosketch editing and formatting
  • Budget development and budget justifications
  • Edit text for consistency, correctness and compliance
  • Assist with grant application forms and submission process
  • For questions or to request proposal development assistance, please contact Laura Franklin.
  • Links to Documents:
  • Intake Questionnaire
  • Facilities and Resources Document

In addition to SOM proposal development support, investigative teams pursuing large or complex grants have access to the Strategic Proposal Development Service which is part of the MU Division of Research, Innovation & Impact (RII). The Strategic Proposal Development Service provides support for large, complex and strategically important grants. Services are coordinated with academic units and departments and are intended to be supplementary and complementary.

How to Apply

The application process involves preparing a set of documents that address requirements, both for MU, and for the external funder. MU Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) requires that applicants submit a detailed internal project budget, that the project be entered into the PeopleSoft system, and that approvals are obtained from individuals on the project, their chairs and deans. Additionally, for applications to federal funders, SPA must confirm that all project personnel are compliant with federal conflict of interest guidelines.

To apply for NIH funding, all investigators must have an eRA Commons ID. If you do not have one, you can request that SPA create one for you by completing the NIH eRA Commons Registration Form. NIH requires applications to be submitted electronically -- MU uses ASSIST, NIH’s web-based service for the preparation, submission and tracking of grant applications.

Before submission to SPA, SOM Grants and Contracts reviews and approves proposals on behalf of the Dean of the School of Medicine. This includes proposal submissions, LOI, JIT, RPPR, Other Support Document request, etc. Completed applications should be submitted to Grants and Contracts seven business days before the sponsor’s deadline.

Steps for Writing a Proposal

  • Find a Funding Opportunity that matches research
  • Start Early
  • Draft Specific Aims
  • Write Research Plan
  • Build Your Team
  • Create a Budget
  • Complete Biosketches

Tools and Resources

Presentations