Where To Start
Applying for External Funding
Do you have a project developed and want to find external funding or do you want to identify external funding and develop a project? Here are the steps to follow in working with Pre-Award staff in the Office of Research and Projects (ORP), to find those resources, and submit a successful proposal.
Step 1: Identify a funding source for your project or area of interest.
- Use the Grant Forward database to find funding opportunities
- Contact Pre-Award staff for assistance in locating funding sources.
- Crowdfunding Procedures
Step 2: Download Guidelines of Funding Opportunity.
Be sure to review the agency Guidelines to determine:
- Applicant eligibility
- Program due dates (e.g. due dates, award amounts, eligible activities, etc.)
- Budgeting specifics
- Submission requirements (e.g. methods, registration requirements)
- Special circumstances related to program requirements (e.g. timeline, intent to submit, budgets, personnel, etc)
- Budgeting specifics
Step 3: Create Application/Proposal in Kuali Research. An online tutorial is available 24/7.
Grants.gov and most federal grants: Kuali Research is a system-to-system (S2S) program and will submit grant proposals directly through the portal for Grants.gov and many other federal agencies. You can access the Kuali Research online tutorial at any time.- When you create a proposal in Kuali Research your Dean or Assistant Dean is notified. However, make sure to have a conversation with the appropriate supervisors to ensure they can support your proposal.
- At the same time, an ORP PreAward Specialist will be designated to support getting your proposal routed and submitted.
Step 4: Create a budget in Kuali Research. NOTE: The budget CANNOT be amended once it is routed UNLESS it is returned to the creator.
Negotiate budget items, such as course buy-out or matching funds before you finalize the budget. The budget MUST match the scope of the work. If assistance is needed in budget development, contact your designated ORP PreAward Specialist. The ORP PreAward Specialist will use the information provided to enter the budget in Kuali for you.
Budget development includes:
- Budget justification
- Sub-award and associated documents if applicable. Your designated ORP PreAward Specialist will work with the agency to ensure all required documents are completed.
- Cost share/matching funds budget if applicable. Only required cost share is allowed. Please work with your chair to identify the funding source of any match funds. This is an area your designated ORP PreAward Specialist is happy to discuss with you as well.
Step 5: Register your proposal for submission [if required]
NOTE: If you are submitting a proposal through Grants.gov and many other federal agencies, you will need to work with your designated ORP PreAward Specialist to ensure an account has been established. Many funders require establishing an account with the agency prior to submitting a proposal.
This timeline occurs before the submission deadline.
Funders that require registration include, but are not limited to:
- NSF - Research.gov
- NIH - eRA Commons
- Grants.gov - while required by many federal agencies, SIUE has an institutional account that is maintained by ORP.
- Private foundations often use their own submission platform. Consult the funder's website for information on how to submit your proposal.
Step 6: Complete the necessary compliance documents at the proposal stage in Kuali Research.
Compliance documents may include IRB, IACUC, or FCOI. Generally, only FCOI is required at the proposal stage.
Federal funders require FCOI disclosure when submitting a proposal. Submit this information through Kuali Research COI module.
For compliance questions, please contact researchcompliance@siue.edu.
Step 7: Regularly review the proposal status in Kuali Research.
A timeline will be established when you begin your proposal in Kuali Research indicating important dates in order to submit on time.
If you are the PI, make sure all other personnel are completing their sections in a timely manner.
Please ensure all sections are complete so that it can be submitted for approvals in Kuali Research a minimum of 10 working days prior to the agency's required due date.
Step 8: Ensure all sections of your Kuali Research proposal have been completed.
The designated ORP PreAward Specialist will conduct one last check for the below and follow up with the PI for any missing documentation:
- Ensure proposal is in compliance with agency guidelines.
- Any sub-award documentation has been completed if appropriate.
- Required compliance and regulatory and assurances have been completed.
- Ensure all attachments have been made.
- You may adjust attachments after submitting the proposal in Kuali Research. NEW attachments MAY NOT be attached during routing.
- A letter requiring the signature of the authorized organization Representative (AOR), Jerry Weinberg- Associate Provost for Research, is available upon request. Call the ORP pre-award contacts for this letter.
Step 9: Submit your proposal in Kuali Research for routing.
NOTE: This needs to occur a minimum of 10 working days prior to the agency's submission deadline. Your designated ORP PreAward Specialist will review the proposal to ensure it is complete and the budget is accurate before submitting for routing in Kuali Research.
Failure to comply with this deadline may result in your proposal not being able to be submitted by the agency's submission deadline. Once the designated ORP PreAward Specialist submits your proposal in Kuali Research, the formal routing and approval process begins. Electronic approval in Kuali Research takes the place of obtaining signatures on the routing form as was done previously.
Once the proposal is submitted in Kuali Research, the budget will be locked down. You will still be able to make changes in the narrative sections and upload required forms if needed.
You will be contacted regarding any discrepancies so they can be resolved prior to the required agency submission deadline.
