What is a Sponsored Program?

Sponsor refers to the person or organization providing funding, and generally a sponsored program is an external (or non-GVSU) entity offering funding in the form of a grant or contract to an employee or program of GVSU for the purpose of research, programming, or creative activities. See the Externally Sponsored Projects Policy for more information and definitions.

When should I contact the Office of Sponsored Programs?

When you’re interested in submitting a proposal to an external sponsor, you should reach out to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). It is our policy that you must submit your final, OSP-approved budget for GVSU approvals five business days before the sponsor deadline. However, it’s best to contact us much earlier, as your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) can help you with all aspects of your submission, from finding funding through contract negotiation, and especially development of your budget and obtaining GVSU approvals to submit. If you reach out to us early, we can help you anticipate any potential complications that will require more time to arrange before submission to the sponsor. You can find your Grants and Contracts Specialist in the GCS Directory.

Why do I need to work with the Office of Sponsored Programs?

GVSU policy states that all submissions to an external sponsor must be processed via the Office of Sponsored Programs. But we offer so much more than this – we are here, at minimum, to help you develop your budget, obtain GVSU approvals to submit, and review and submit proposals (when required by the sponsor). We can also assist with finding funding opportunities, discussing proposal and contract strategies, developing a timeline for your submission, compiling proposal documents, and many other aspects of this process. You are the expert in your subject matter, and we are experts in GVSU policy, federal sponsors, and many sponsor regulations!

What is a PI and am I eligible to be a PI?

The Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD) is the individual who is responsible for all aspects of the project. All tenure-stream faculty at GVSU are automatically eligible to be a PI or PD, and other faculty (affiliate, visiting, and adjunct) and staff need to confirm their eligibility by making a special request. Here is the PI policy, and you can request eligibility by reaching out to your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) for the application form.

Do I need to do any training in order to submit a grant proposal?

We recommend you review these FAQs and familiarize yourself with the Education and Training materials developed by GVSU’s OSP. If you plan to submit a grant to the National Science Foundation (NSF), you are required to complete the one-hour Research Security Training within one year before submission, which is available via the GVSU Office of Research Compliance and Integrity.

How long does it take to submit a proposal to an external sponsor?

A very simple, straightforward proposal requires at minimum a discussion with your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) to develop and finalize your budget and budget justification, and a submission in the OneAegis system for internal approvals five business days before the sponsor deadline. Most projects are more complicated than this, and require coordination with other offices at GVSU or external partners. Your GCS can put together a checklist of all components of your proposal and a timeline of who is responsible for which step, and when, so that you will have plenty of time to organize all aspects of your submission. Please note that if you are coordinating with another institution (like if you will have or be a subaward), you will need at least another five business days in advance of the sponsor deadline to complete necessarily preliminary arrangements with the other institution, who may also have their own timeline restrictions.

How do I find a funding opportunity?

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) can help you find a funding opportunity that aligns with your project or program needs. We offer access to the funding database Pivot-RP, have resources posted on our website, and also offer a webinar on finding funding as part of our Research Matters Series – we can offer this training in person on request as well.

What is a Request for Proposal (RFP)?

A formal funding opportunity is generally called something like a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and this is the published description of the funding opportunity and how to apply for it. Sponsors may share these in different ways: published on a website, in a database of funding opportunities, sent via correspondence, etc. You should read this carefully, and also share it with your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS). This document often includes evaluation criteria which can be very helpful as you develop your proposal. Pay special attention to: eligibility (both for you as Principal Investigator (PI) and GVSU as an institution), deadline, components and format of the proposal, budget requirements (minimum/maximum request, what funds can be used for, indirects, match). Your GCS will also read the RFP and help you understand the requirements.

What kind of documents do I need for my proposal?

While all sponsors have different systems and requirements, most proposals require a proposal narrative describing what you intend to do, justifying why this is an impactful project, and why you are best suited to do it. This can range from a paragraph-length Scope of Work (SOW) to a 15-page project description. All proposals will require a budget (see below for more on budgets). Other potential components include:

• Timeline
• Abstract
• Personnel documents (a cv/resume or biographical sketch, current and pending support, list of collaborators)
• Description of facilities
• Mentoring plan
• Letters of support, collaboration, or institutional approvals

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) offers a webinar on Applying for Funding at GVSU which includes a discussion of components of a grant proposal as part of our Research Matters Series – we can offer this training in person on request as well.

What kind of personnel documents will I need?

For many opportunities, a cv or resume will be requested of project leadership or all senior personnel – check the RFP's submission instructions to see if there are specific page limits, templates, or information required. For federal funding opportunities, like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you will have to develop specific personnel documents with provided templates. These include the Biosketch (a resume/cv) and the Current and Pending Support, which for the NSF and NIH are both generated in the SciENcv system (will require creating an account). If a Collaborators and Other Affiliations document is required, you will use the fillable pdf found here. NSF also requires a Synergistic Activities document, which is a one-page document describing five distinct examples of your professional and scholarly activities. If there are more personnel providing these documents besides the Principal Investigator (PI), each person should include their name at the top of the Synergistic Activities document.

What accounts do I need to create for my grant submission?

Depending on the sponsor, you may need to create a log-in to a submission portal. Work with your Grants and Contracts Specialist to determine if OSP or you are doing the submission, and who needs to have access to the submission portal. GVSU maintains institutional accounts in SAM.gov and other systems, and the PI and senior personnel will have accounts that affiliate to the institutional accounts.

• For submissions to the National Science Foundation (NSF), you will need to register for an NSF ID at least 48 hours before submission (preferably earlier), and affiliate this registration with GVSU (Navigate to 'Add Investigator or Authorized Organizational role.' You'll request PI/co-PI status and enter GVSU's UEI, which is Y2M5HUXKJPF1. This generates a request to OSP to approve your affiliation/role). This will be your login information for research.gov, and every senior personnel on an NSF submission needs their own id.
• For submissions to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you will need to establish an eRA Commons account affiliated with GVSU. Email OSP or your grants and contracts specialist to either request a new account (we will use your GVSU contact information) or to modify an existing account (if you already have one from another institution: please provide your username and former email address so we can look up your existing account and make the update). You will then receive an email to activate the account and provide additional information.
• For submissions via the grants.gov portal (used by many federal agencies), you will need a grants.gov account, which you will set up and affiliate to GVSU by providing the GVSU UEI, which is Y2M5HUXKJPF1.
• A login.gov account is also required by many federal agencies and allows access to multiple systems.

Can you help me with my budget?

Absolutely – this is one of the most important services the Office of Sponsored Programs provides, assisting you in developing a budget that is compliant with GVSU policies and practices, and those of the federal guidelines and the sponsor requirements. We will start with the GVSU Budget Template (needed for internal GVSU approvals), help you write your Budget Justification (text document that describes and justifies all budget entries, also needed for internal GVSU approvals), and help you translate your final, approved budget into the format required by the sponsor. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) offers a webinar on Introduction to Budgeting as part of our Research Matters Series – we can offer this training in person on request as well.

Common expenses and definitions:

• Buyout of time and effort means the grant is supporting a portion of your normal salary (institutional base salary or IBS). Typical buyouts are of your significant focus time (a % of your salary) or a course buyout (12.5% of a 9-month salary to cover a 3cr course)
• Receiving additional salary: if you are faculty on a 9-month contract, you can commit up to 3 months of summer time and effort and receive additional salary, calculated relative to your normal salary (institutional base rate or IBS) (33.3% of summer salary equals one month). If you are on a 12-month contract or have already committed 100% of your time to your position and other projects, you may, in some cases, be able to receive overload pay (link to GVSU policy)
• Paying students. Students (both undergraduate and graduate) are typically paid on an hourly rate, and can work up to 25 hours total while enrolled in classes, and up to 40 hours total when not enrolled in classes (generally during the summer). Your budget should indicate whether the hours are summer or academic year as this has implications for fringe.
• Graduate Assistants (GAs) receive a stipend AND tuition support, and can be 9-, 10-, or 12-month and full or half time. See the budget template for minimum stipends and tuition.
• Fringe is a percentage applied to the salary to cover additional employment costs, including federal Social Security and Medicare contributions, and additional benefits like healthcare and retirement. GVSU applies different rates by employee type, and depending on whether the sponsor is federal or not, and depending on whether it applies to additional salary (overload or summer pay). Please see the Fringe Rate tab on the budget template and GVSU’s rates. 
• Indirects are also known as Facilities and Administrative costs (F&A) or overhead. These are real costs for supporting research at GVSU, but which can’t be clearly assigned to a specific project or budget. Examples: electricity for your lab, building maintenance, staff time in the financial aid office, etc. GVSU has a federally negotiated rate of 29.6% (by federal agreement) which is standard in grant budgets. The sponsor may have a lower published indirect rate, and your GCS will help you apply that rate within your budget. (Link to GVSU policy)
• Match is additional funds from another source (generally from GVSU) which support the project. It is our policy to only provide match if it’s required by the sponsor. Match requirements vary: the sponsor may require a financial commitment (cash) and or in kind commitment (a commitment of time or other services to which a $ amount can be assigned) (Link to GVSU policy) 
• For all other types of costs, discuss with your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) who will assist in developing a reasonable, accurate, and compliant budget.

What is a budget justification or budget narrative?

A budget justification or budget narrative is a text document that explains or justifies the costs in your budget. It should explain both the calculations or estimates you used to develop the numbers in your budget (a separate document), AND explain why those costs are necessary to your project’s success. The sponsor wants to see that you have carefully considered your project’s needs, and that you will be a responsible steward of their funds, if they provide you with an award. To write this document, you should follow the instructions from the sponsor (if they require a budget justification/narrative). Even if the sponsor does not require a budget justification, you will still need one for internal GVSU approvals, and in this case you can provide a text document with a brief explanation for each cost in your budget.

What is a Graduate Assistant (GA) Waiver?

A GA Waiver is a limited institutional resource provided by The Graduate School to waive tuition costs for a Graduate Assistant. For a grant program that does not allow tuition to be covered, or a grant with a limited budget that cannot feasibly cover tuition, The Graduate School will consider requests made on behalf of the applicant by Office of Sponsored Program staff. You will need to write a brief explanation of how the GA fits into the project plan, to include in the request. More information about GA Waivers and selection criteria.

What are internal GVSU approvals, and do I need them?

All requests for external funding for research and other sponsored programs must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for review and approval prior to submission to the external sponsor (link to GVSU policy). Internal GVSU approvals are obtained by submitting your proposal via the OneAegis system at least five business days prior to the sponsor deadline, and this submission must include your final, OSP-approved budget and budget justification, and a draft of your proposal narrative (you may continue to finalize your narrative while your proposal is routing for approvals. Please be in touch with your GCS to develop your budget in advance of this deadline.

The internal approval process includes review and approval of your proposal by the unit head and dean of every GVSU employee on the project leadership team, conflict of interest attestation by every GVSU employee on the project leadership team, Grants Accounting (if the proposal is over $100k), and the university’s Authorized Official. Depending on the details of your project, it may also be provided to various offices on campus for review, such as Research Compliance & Integrity for human or animal subjects, export controls, etc; Financial Aid, Information Technology, and others. Talk to your chair and dean and any relevant offices at GVSU about the proposal you’re developing, as they may have advice for shaping your proposal or your project may impact planning for your unit/college (for example, if you are hoping to receive a course buyout). Your chair and dean will be approving your proposal ahead of submission so making sure they are aware of your project will help this process along.

To obtain GVSU approvals for any proposal for external funding, you'll submit a form via OneAegis. 

GVSU users: click on the large GVSU logo in the middle of the login screen. This will open up a pop-up window where you will enter your GVSU network ID and password. (No separate username/password is required for IRBManager.) After entering your GVSU credentials, you will be routed to the OneAegis system.

User Guide for the OSP side of OneAegis

Please note: OneAegis proposal forms, with your final budget, must be submitted to OSP five business days before the sponsor's deadline.

How do I submit my proposal?

All requests for external funding for research and other sponsored programs must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for review and approval prior to submission to the external sponsor (link to GVSU policy). Depending on the opportunity, you as the PI may do the submission, or your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) and OSP will do the submission. We highly recommend you plan to submit at least 24 hours ahead of the sponsor deadline to leave time for any technical errors or last-minute surprises. Consider that the sponsor submission portal may require you to set up a log-in in advance, or connect your account to GVSU as an institution, so please leave time to complete this. You can begin uploading documents and filling out an application before you receive all GVSU internal approvals, but you must hold off on submission until you receive approval.

The submission portal is asking me for codes and details about GVSU – where can I find that information?

• GVSU institutional data (updated 8/22/2025)
• IRS Determination Letter
• GVSU Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
• GVSU Financial Reports (annual audits, federal awards report)
• GVSU Board of Trustees
• Your Grants and Contracts Specialist can help you track down other GVSU institutional information