Proposal Submission Timeline

UCCS requires that all sponsored project proposals be reviewed and approved by the Offices of Sponsored Projects and Research Integrity (OSPRI). Proposals are required to have OSPRI approval in the form of a signature (written or electronic) prior to submission to any sponsor. The signature of the authorized University official (Ex. Director OSPRI) indicates the University’s endorsement of and commitment to the project.

A minimum of five working days is necessary to allow for full administrative review prior to submission.

Plan ahead with OSPRI, to ensure your proposal is submitted at least five business days prior to the deadline date to provide adequate time for review, electronic submissions, and sponsor acceptance. OSPRI is available to submit proposals during standard business hours – Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm.

*If a sponsor specifies a deadline after 5PM, all OSPRI reviews/signatures/approvals must be in place prior to 5PM.*

There are a large number of applications flowing through our office daily. The five day requirement allows us to review your application properly for compliance and other administrative issues and allows for time needed to resolve any potential problems.

Considerations for Electronic Submission:

All electronic submissions are not treated the same.
Does the PI and/or UCCS need to be registered users?
All electronic application submissions must be approved by OSPRI prior to submitting to sponsor.
Allow time for potential technical issues.
A proposal will not usually be considered by the sponsor if it misses the deadline. Be sure to read the instructions.

Note that your Department/School/Center may impose additional requirements regarding review and approval of sponsored project proposals. Be sure to consult with your department staff early for assistance in preparing your application for submission to OSPRI.

Recommended Timeline

Time	Action
4–6 Weeks in advance of the SPONSOR deadline date Excluding holidays days For subcontracts, due date is the date proposal is due to prime institution (i.e. pass through institution).	Discussion with OSPRI Note that the full 6 weeks is needed for any of the following: Budgets over $1 Million Cost-Sharing Subawards or subcontracts Differential F&A Distribution Addendum Curriculum changes Research security compliance
4 Weeks	It is the responsibility of the PI to carefully read the sponsor’s guidelines, including eligibility requirements, budget limits and restrictions, required documents and formatting, and submission deadlines.
2 Weeks (10 Business Days)	Finalize budget, justification, and scope of work (including subawards)
5 Business Days Why do I need to submit 5 days in advance of the deadline?	PI sends all FINAL proposal documents for submission to OSPRI To ensure a full review all FINAL documents should be sent as early as possible; 5 business days is the latest that materials should be received. Proposals received less than 5 business days prior to deadline may receive an abbreviated review to ensure they are submitted to OSPRI/sponsor on time. OSPRI reviews proposal documents to ensure compliance with university and sponsor guidelines, advises the Principal Investigator (PI) of any outstanding items, resolves issues, finalizes the proposal record, and reviews the internal routing process or Cayuse. It then conducts final University compliance checks, identifies any additional edits needed, provides the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) signature if required, and either submits the proposal or grants approval to submit.
2 Business Days	Proposals received late may receive an abbreviated review to assure they are submitted to the sponsor on time. The timing of proposal submission is critical to the success of UCCS’s research enterprise. Thorough review is essential to support our departments and Investigators.

To allow for a thorough review of each proposal, a completed, routed record should be submitted through Cayuse and received at OSPRI at least 5 business days prior to the sponsor’s deadline.

Though these guidelines are strongly encouraged, it is the intent of the OSPRI proposal team that all completed grants received prior to the sponsor’s deadline (and/or 5pm) will be submitted. Please note that grant applications may be withdrawn by UCCS after submission to a sponsor, and prior to acceptance of a sponsored award, if compliance, financial, or other issues are discovered.