Dean's Review of Grant Proposals

June 6, 2003

TO:    Chairs, Directors and Staff Responsible for Proposal Submission

FROM:  Ed Schmidt


I am writing to remind you that when proposal routing forms are brought
to the Dean's Office for signature, we require four things:
 1. the routing form
 2. a copy of the proposal summary or abstract
 3. a copy of the budget pages (including the budget explanation)
 4. the complete proposal including all of the agency forms
    and other material which will be submitted

We will copy the routing form after signing it and will retain items
2 and 3 for our files.  I need to look at the proposal before I sign but
you can then have it back.

This is not a new requirement but we are getting more and more routing
forms for signature which lack some or all of the other items.  From now
on I will not sign routing forms if the other items do not accompany
them.

We want one person in the Dean's Office to be responsible for proposals.
So from now on, I will sign all proposals except when I am going to be
away from the office for more than a day.  In that case someone else will
be designated to handle any proposals which must be signed to meet a
deadline.

Finally, let me note that I need time to review a proposal before
signing it.  If I am available and the proposal is straightforward, this
should require no more than 15 minutes.  However, if I am not available
or if there are any questions which must be answered it may take longer.
Sometimes when a proposal is submitted electronically the routing form
is actually circulated for signatures after the proposal has been
submitted and after the deadline.  In those cases, there is no is no
urgency so this should not be a problem.  Otherwise, you should plan
to bring proposals for signature a day or more before any deadline.

I would appreciate it if you would make sure that anyone in your department
who is involved in proposal submission is aware of these requirements.