AgPAS Draft

Proposal Support Services:

• Enhances Proposal Quality: AgPAS Contract Administrators help refine grant proposals, ensuring clarity, coherence, and alignment with funder guidelines, thus increasing submission competitiveness.
• Ensures Compliance: Administrators are well-versed in complex regulations and policies, helping researchers meet all compliance requirements (e.g., human subjects, data sharing, budgetary constraints).
• Saves Time and Reduces Administrative Burden: Researchers can focus on scientific content while administrators handle formatting, budget preparation, document management, and submission logistics.
• Improves Funding Success Rates: Meticulously prepared and compliant proposals are more likely to receive funding.
• Facilitates Collaboration: Administrators coordinate among multiple stakeholders—researchers, finance, legal, and external partners—streamlining communication and document flow.
• Provides Strategic Insight: Administrators can guide proposal development strategies, suggest funding opportunities, and offer insights based on past grant review trends.

• Supports Institutional Growth: This support contributes to the institution’s overall research output, funding portfolio, and reputation.
   

  Snapshot of the Proposal Preparation Process: 

Finding Funding Opportunities

• Funding Opportunities via Division of Research
• Internal Funding
• Limited Submissions
   

Sponsor Guidelines
Understanding and adhering to sponsor guidelines is essential for submitting a compliant and competitive proposal. Each sponsor - whether federal, state, foundation, or industry - has its own set of rules, formats, and submission requirements. These may include specific page limits, formatting instructions, budget restrictions, required attachments, and submission procedures.

• Before beginning your proposal, carefully review the full solicitation or funding opportunity announcement (FOA). Pay close attention to eligibility requirements, deadlines, and required documents. Some announcements will have supplemental guidance that is extremely important to follow. If anything is unclear, reach out to your assigned Contract Administrator for assistance. 

  We also provide summaries of common sponsor requirements to assist with the proposal development process for agencies like NIH, NSF and USDA.

• NIH 
     Key Compliance Requirements
     Financial Conflict of Interest is required by NIH at the pre-award phase
     Formatting Basics
• NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide [Effective May 20, 2024]
     Key Compliance Requirements
     Financial Conflict of Interest is required by NIH at the pre-award phase
     Formatting Basics
• USDA NIFA
     Key Compliance Requirements
     Financial Conflict of Interest is required by NIH at the pre-award phase
     Formatting Basics

• Common Application Components

  Proposal application requirements can differ significantly depending on the sponsor. Federal agencies like NIH, NSF, and USDA often have detailed formatting rules, specific forms, and electronic submission platforms. Private foundations and industry sponsors may have more flexible or informal requirements but still expect professionalism and clarity.

  Each sponsor sets its own guidelines for what must be included—such as biosketches, budget justifications, data management plans, and letters of support—as well as how these items should be formatted and submitted. Failure to follow these instructions can result in administrative rejection.

  Before you begin writing, carefully review the sponsor’s full solicitation and contact the unit assigned contract administrator with any questions. We’re here to help interpret requirements and ensure your application is complete and compliant.

  

• Routing

  All proposals must be routed through AgPAS to the Office of Research Administration (ORA) before submission to ensure institutional compliance and authorization. Routing allows departments, colleges, and central offices to review budgets, confirm compliance with sponsor and university policies, and provide required approvals.

  Ideally, all final proposal packages should be routed to ORA ideally at least 6 business days before the sponsor deadline—to allow adequate time for review and revisions. Most proposals are routed using Kuali Research.

  Your unit-assigned contract administrator can assist you in preparing the routing package, including required documents such as the budget, proposal, and approval forms.

  Note: ALL proposals, pre-proposals, nonfunded/cooperative agreements, MTAs, MOUs, MDAs, IP Waivers….. must be routed through AgPAS

  To Route or Not to Route in Kuali Research to ORA
  Guidance provided in accordance with the ORA handbook (pg. 49) 

  YES	IT DEPENDS	NO
  Proposals for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts (including new proposals, supplements, continuations, transfers of projects to UMD, etc.)	Revised budgets (check with your Contract Administrator)	Reductions in Proposal Budgets (ORA should review and sign/submit the reduced budget, but full routing is not necessary)
  Invited proposals for anything similar that will be submitted by UMD to an external sponsor	Change in Scope of Work (check with your Contract Administrator)	Internal UMD SEED Grant Programs
  Contracts/Funded Agreements received directly by a department or PI for sponsored projects		Internal UMD Limited Submission Programs
  LOIs and Pre-proposals that require a signature of an authorized representative or submission through an electronic system that ORA access and/or includes cost-sharing or a detailed budget		Internal UMD Incentive Funds
  Non-Funded Agreements such as Intergovernmental Personnel Agreements (IGPAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), Data Use Agreements (DUAs), Equipment Loan Agreements

Pre-Award Review Timeline Disclosure

To ensure accurate, compliant, and timely submission of sponsored project proposals, the following internal deadlines apply to all proposal submissions requiring institutional review and approval:

Minimum Internal Review Deadlines

• 6 Weeks Prior to Sponsor Deadline
   Complete the AgPAS Notice of Intent (NOI), including preliminary information about the funding opportunity and proposal requirements.
• 4 Weeks Prior to Sponsor Deadline
• Submission of AgPAS questionnaire and meeting with AgPAS Contract Administrator to discuss sponsor application requirements.
• 3 Weeks Prior to Sponsor Deadline
   Budget and supporting justification should be finalized, including collaborators and subawards/subcontractors
• 2 Weeks Prior to Sponsor Deadline
  Submit all application components of the proposal for AgPAS review (e.g., budget, budget justification, biosketches, current & pending support, facilities documents, subaward documents, and any internal forms). Final versions of these documents must be received to initiate formal routing to the Office of Research Administration.
• 1 Week Prior to Sponsor Deadline
   Submit final technical/scientific documents (e.g., project narrative, research plan, abstract) to the Office of Research Administration for full review and inclusion in the final submission package. 

Late Submissions

Proposals that do not meet the above timelines may be reviewed at the discretion of the Assistant Director of AgPAS. However, AgPAS cannot guarantee a full compliance review or on-time submission for proposals received after the internal deadlines. Priority will be given to proposals that comply with the stated timeline.

Why These Deadlines Matter

These internal deadlines are designed to:

• Allow sufficient time for review and corrections
• Ensure compliance with institutional, sponsor, and federal requirements
• Prevent last-minute submission errors or system failures
• Maintain fairness and consistency in the review process

For more information please refer to the AgPAS Proposal Review Based on Lead Time policy. 

Notice of Intent
The Notice of Intent (NOI) is a Google Form submitted by faculty that informs AgPAS of the faculty’s intent to engage in activity with a party outside of UMD. Such activity may include proposals, pre-proposals, non-funded agreements, MTAs, MOUS, NDAs and IP waivers.,  

• AgPAS strongly encourages faculty to submit the NOI at least 6 weeks prior to the sponsor deadline. This timeline affords the AgPAS Contract Administrator adequate time to review and familiarize themselves with the submission specifics. Each opportunity is different, varying in requirements, rules, and submission process.
• Within 2 days of submitting the NOI, your assigned AgPAS Contract Administrator will contact you to discuss the process in general, specific terms, required documents, and deadlines. 
  This will be the first of many interactions.

Questionnaires
This form requests more detailed information than the NOI and serves as a reference for compliance issues. Some details are fluid and should not delay your submission to the questionnaire.

• Funded Questionnaire: Required for all proposals that are requesting funding
• Non-funded Questionnaire: Required for MOU's, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Data Use Agreements, Software Licenses, Teaming Agreements, Equipment Loans, etc.  
• Material Transfers: For material transfers, use the Material Transfer Agreement instead.

Proposal Support 

Proposal Submission Forms 

Budget Sheet Templates 

• Standard AgPAS Budget template (Mandatory for budgets where UMD is the lead institution)
• AgPAS USDA NIFA Budget template (Mandatory for USDA NIFA budgets only)
• Generic Budget template (For use when subaward partners do not have a budget form)
• Cost-Share Worksheet
• Percent of Effort Conversion Table
• Sub-recipient Commitment Form
• Organized Research Unit -or- Significant Project Designation
• Provost Routing Form 
   

Office of Research Administration Guidance

• Office of Research Administration Website
• ORA's Sponsored Research Handbook

InTerp
UMD Conflict of Interest Office/Disclosure Office 

Targeted Funding Search Tools

• Funding
• Funding Internal
• Limited Submissions