UD Proposal Development Guide

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT BUDGETS & RATES SUBAWARDS REFERENCE FAQS

Explore Research Roles and Responsibilities

Where can I locate research funding opportunities? How do I develop a competitive proposal? Where do I find the UD data I need to complete my budget? You’ll find the answers here, courtesy of the Research Office. A handy proposal checklist also is provided for your convenience.

Remember, it takes time and effort to develop a successful proposal — in fact, proposal success rates average 20–33%, depending on the field. Funding agencies reject half the proposals they receive because the applicant did not follow instructions or the proposal did not match the funding program.

However, the rewards for garnering research funding can be great, enabling you to explore new frontiers, instruct your students in the conduct of research, and yield new discoveries and knowledge of benefit to society.

*All proposals submitted to external sponsors from the University of Delaware, regardless of the amount, source of funding or the type of project must be reviewed and approved by the Research Office in accordance with UD’s External Sponsorship and Grant policy. For a proposal to be submitted, a proposal record must be created in the UD grants module system. This will originate a form to route for approval of the proposal submission.

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PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Institutional Information

NIH Proposal Checklist

NSF Proposal Checklist

PI Eligibility

Institutional Information

NIH Proposal Checklist

Category	Items
SF424 RR – REQ’D	Remember to use 9-digit zip codes. Remember standard start dates apply for NIH. Field 11, Descriptive Title, is limited to 200 characters. Field 15, auto filled based on data entered into the RR Budget or PHS 398 Modular Budget. Field 19, Authorized Representative, email should always be udelaware-awards@udel.edu. Authorized representative is determined by first year total costs (Contract & Grant Analyst: up to $250,000; Assistant Director, Contracts & Grants: up to $500,000; Associate Vice President, Research Administration: up to $1M; Provost: $up to $2M; President: over $2M. Field 21, Cover Letter Attachment, NIH encourages a cover letter in certain scenarios only. It is required for Mentored Career Development applications and Fellowship applications. *Do not include Personal Identifiable Information (PII) or Protected Health Information (PHI) anywhere in the application.
RR Performance Sites – REQ’D	List all locations where work will be performed, If 50% or more of the work will happen off-site, UD cannot claim F&A expenses under the standard rate. The off-campus F&A rate will apply.
RR Other Project Information – REQ’D	Complete questions 1-6. Proposals that indicate use of human subjects are required to complete the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information (see requirements in this section below). Proposals that indicate use of animals are required to submit Vertebrate Animals section. See PHS 398 Research Plan for more information. ATTACHMENTS: Project Summary/Abstract (limited to 30 lines of text) Project Narrative (limited to a couple sentences) Bibliography Facilities & Other Resources Equipment Other Attachments should only be included when required by the solicitation.
RR Key Persons – REQ’D	PI(s)/PD(s), senior/key personnel as well as Other Significant Contributors must have eRA Commons Credential. ATTACHMENTS: Biographical Sketch w/ Credential (5 pages unless the solicitation says otherwise; sometimes it is 2 pages) Education Block (Chronological order) Section A: Personal Statement (May cite up to 4 publications or research products) Section B: Positions, Scientific Appointments and Honors (Reverse chronological order – current position should be first in the list) Section C: Contributions to Science (May include up to 5 contributions of up to ½ page each. Within each contribution, you may cite up to 4 publications or research products relevant to the contribution. Option to provide a federal hyperlinked URL to a full list of published work also.) *Fellowship, dissertation research and candidates for diversity supplement applications onlySection D: Scholastic Performance (Predoctoral applicants must list, by institution, all* undergraduate and graduate courses with grades. Postdoctoral applicants must list, by institution and year, all graduate scientific and/or professional courses with grades.) Current & Pending Support (not required unless it is mentioned in the solicitation. C&P is typically part of Just In Time information (JIT).)
NIH Salary Cap	Salary must not exceed NIH cap for faculty per Salary Cap Summary: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm or graduate students cannot exceed the “0 Level Post Doc” stipend rate, inclusive of stipend, fringe, and tuition. On the budget justification, include a statement indicating the PI/Other Personnel (as appropriate) are budgeted at the NIH Salary Cap
RR Budget – Use when required or allowed by the solicitation	Typically used when direct costs exceed $250,000 per year (excluding subaward(s) F&A). If this type of budget is used and you have subawards in your budget, you will also need to complete the RR Subaward Budget Attachment. Applications due on or after 10/05/2023: : If a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) is required, costs to support these activities, may be requested in the appropriate cost category. Details regarding Data Management and Sharing costs must be specified in the Budget Justification attachment. ATTACHMENTS Budget Justification for all requested costs. Applications due on or after 10/05/2023: If a DMS Plan is required, include a brief justification, clearly labeled “Data Management and Sharing Justification,” of the proposed activities that will incur costs, followed by the estimated dollar amount (total direct costs). Briefly summarize the type and amount of scientific data to be preserved and shared, the name of the established repository(ies) where they will be preserved and shared, and the general cost categories (ex: curating data and developing supporting documentation, local data management activities, preserving and sharing data through established repositories, etc.) including an amount for each category and a brief explanation. Specify in the justification if no costs will be incurred for Data Management and Sharing. The recommended page length for this section is no more than half a page.
PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information – REQ’D when research involves human subjects	Follow Forms H instructions to complete this form, if applicable.
PHS398 Modular Budget – Use when required or allowed by the solicitation	Modular budgets are applicable to certain research grant applications requesting direct costs of $250,000 or less per year (excluding subaward(s) F&A). The modular budget is applicable only to R01/U01, R03, R15, R21/UH2, R34/U34, and R15/UA5 applications. For all modular budgets, request total direct costs (in modules of $25,000 up to $250,000), reflecting appropriate support for the project. ATTACHMENTS Personnel Justification - include the name, role, and number of person-months devoted to this project for every person on the project. Do not include salary and fringe benefit rate in the justification. Consortium Justification - include the total costs (direct costs plus F&A costs), rounded to the nearest $1,000, for each consortium/subcontract. Additionally, any personnel should include their roles and person months; if the consortium is foreign, that should be stated as well. Additional Narrative Justification - include explanations for any variations in the number of modules requested annually (except when responding to FOAs with direct costs that do not spread evenly across budget periods. E.g. R21 NOFOs that allow $275,000 in direct costs over two years). Also, this section should describe any direct costs that were excluded from the total direct costs (such as equipment, tuition remission) and any work being conducted off-site, especially if it involves a foreign study site or an off-site F&A rate. Applications due on or after 10/05/2023: If a DMS Plan is required, the Additional Narrative Justification is required and must include a Data Management and Sharing justification clearly labeled “Data Management and Sharing Justification” within the Additional Narrative attachment, followed by the estimated dollar amount (total direct costs). Briefly summarize the type and amount of scientific data to be preserved and shared, the name of the established repository(ies) where they will be preserved and shared, and the general cost categories (ex: curating data and developing supporting documentation, local data management activities, preserving and sharing data through established repositories, etc.) including an amount for each category and a brief explanation followed by the requested dollar amount. If no costs will be incurred, enter “0” for the requested dollar amount. Also include a brief justification of the proposed activities that will incur costs. The recommended page length for this section is no more than half a page.
RR Subaward Budget Attachment – REQ’D when a subaward is included and the RR Budget is used PHS398 Cover Page Supplement – REQ’D PHS398 Research Plan – REQ’D only for Research, multi-project, and SBIR/STTR applications	ATTACHMENTS Introduction to Application – only required for Resubmission and Revision applications Specific Aims (limited to 1 page) Research Strategy (limited to 6– 12 pages) – See NIH Page Limits for full list of page limitations. Research Strategy should address (1) Significance, (2) Innovation, and (3) Approach. Progress Report Publication List – only required for RENEWAL applications Other Research Plan Sections Vertebrate Animals – to be completed when RR Other Project Information indicates use of animals Select Agent Research - to be completed when RR Other Project Information indicates use of select agents at any time during proposed project period Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan – to be completed when multiple PIs are designated on the R&R Senior/Key Persons Form Consortium/Contractual Arrangements – Include if you have consortiums/contracts in your budget. Suggested format and content: “Consortium/Contractual Arrangements The University of Delaware will establish the necessary consortium/contractual arrangements with [entity name] (not to exceed the proposed total amount of [$XXX]) to provide funding for their portion of the project during the period covering [Date – Date].” The appropriate programmatic and administrative personnel of each organization involved in this grant application are aware of the agency’s consortium agreement policy and are prepared to establish the necessary inter-organizational agreement(s) consistent with that policy. Letters of Support – include any letters necessary to demonstrate the support of consortium participants and collaborators such as Senior/Key Personnel and Other Significant Contributors Resource Sharing Plan – only required where the development of model organisms is anticipated Other Plan(s) Applicants proposing to conduct research that will generate scientific data must attach a DMS Plan (except T, F, C06, R13, Gs and Research-Related Infrastructure Program applications) Applicants seeking funding for research that generates large-scale human or non-human genomic data to provide a plan for sharing of these data as part of their DMS Plan. See NIH's "Writing a DMS Plan" for additional information. Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources—required if Biological and/or Chemical Resources will be used. 1 page is suggested. A negative statement is not required. Appendix - Maximum of 10 allowable appendices. See NIH Notice Number: NOT-OD-18-126 for updated list of allowable appendix materials.
PHS Assignment Request – OPT’L Additional Forms	PHS398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form (REQ’D only for Career Development (K) Award) Letters of reference are required PHS398 Research Training Program Plan (REQ’D only for Institutional Training (T) Award) PHS398 Training Budget (Use when required or allowed by the FOA) PHS398 Training Subaward Budget (Use when required or allowed by the FOA) PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form (REQ’D only for Fellowship (F) Award)

Feature	Notes
Font	Use an Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia typeface are recommended, although other fonts (both serif and non-serif) are acceptable. Font size must be 11 points or larger. (A Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; the font size requirement still applies.)
Type Density	Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15 characters per linear inch. Type may be no more than six lines per vertical inch.
Paper Size and Margins	Use standard paper size (8 ½" x 11). Use at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. No applicant-supplied information can appear in the margins.
Page Formatting	Use only a standard, single-column format for the text. Do not include any information in a header or footer of the attachments, including page numbers.
Text Color	No restriction, although black and other high-contrast text colors are recommended since they print well and are legible to the largest audience.
Figures, Graphs, Diagrams, Charts, Tables, Figure Legends, and Footnotes	may have a smaller type size but it must be readily legible and follow the font typeface requirement.
File Attachments	All proposal attachments should be in PDF form. File names can contain the following: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. NIH recommends avoiding the use of ampersand. Filenames must be 50 characters or less (including any spaces between words) and you can only have single spaces between words in filenames.
Hyperlinks and URLs	Hyperlinks and URLs are only allowed when specifically noted in the solicitation. The use of them is typically limited to citing relevant publications in biosketches and publication lists. They are almost always prohibited in page-limited attachments.
Page Limits	Adhere to page limits as defined by the solicitation or here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/page-limits.htm

NSF Proposal Checklist

Category	Items
Cover Sheet	Solicitation number, and due date (if applicable) Requested effective dates should allow at least six months for NSF review, processing and decision. Title follows naming convention, if required (i.e. Collaborative Research, RAPID, RAISE, EAGER) If a LOI was submitted, enter the LOI ID number issued upon submission If a preliminary proposal was submitted, provide the Preliminary Proposal Number Funding of a Foreign Organization or Foreign Individual. List applicable countries involved if this box is checked. International Research/Education/Training Activities. List the primary countries involved on the Cover Sheet. Select “Collaborative Status” based on type of proposal submitted Off-Campus or Off-Site Research: Check this box if UD is the lead organization and any organization participating in the collaborative activity involves data/information/samples are being collected off-campus or off-site, such as fieldwork and research activities on vessels and aircraft. Co-PIs limited to 4 individuals
Project Summary – REQ’D	1 page max. Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts addressed (required headings)
Project Description – REQ’D	15 pages max including images and figures Includes: Objectives for the period of the proposed work and expected significance Relation to longer-term goals of the PI's project Relation to the present state of knowledge in the field Relation to work in progress by the PI under other support and to work in progress elsewhere Broader Impacts resulting from proposed activities (separate heading) Description of the work to be performed by the subaward must be included in the project description If a foreign organization or individual is proposed, a justification must be included in the project description including: Why support from the foreign counterpart’s in-country resources is not feasible; Why the foreign organization or foreign individual can carry out the activity more effectively than a U.S. organization or U.S. individual What unique expertise, organizational capability, facilities, data resources, and/or access to a geographic location not generally available to U.S. investigators the foreign organization or foreign individual brings to the project; and What significant science and engineering education, training, or research opportunities the foreign organization or foreign individual offers to the U.S. Must not include Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) Results from Prior NSF Support: Include for each PI and Co-PI who has received NSF funding with an End Date or current funding (including NCEs) in the past 5 years regardless if directly related to proposal or not. Limited to 5 of the 15 pages If the project was recently awarded and there are no new results, describe major goals and broader impacts. Required elements per PI/Co-PI: The NSF award number, amount and period of support; The title of the project; A summary of the results of the completed work, including, for a research project, any contribution to the development of human resources in science and engineering; Separate headings for Broader Impacts and Intellectual Merit A listing of the publications resulting from the NSF award (a complete bibliographic citation for each publication must be provided either in this section or in the References Cited section of the proposal); if none, state "No publications were produced under this award.” If the proposal is for renewed support, a description of the relation of the completed work to the proposed work.
References Cited – REQ’D	Each reference includes: The names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication- no “et al”), The article and journal title, book title, volume number, Page numbers, and Year of publication
Biosketch – REQ’D for Senior Personnel (No page limit)	Must be generated through SciENcv. Identifying Information: Name should be entered as Last Name, First Name, Middle Name ORCID ID: Optional Organization and Location: Enter City, State/Province, Country where Primary organization is located Professional Preparation (REVERSE Chron. Order (highest degree to lowest degree); includes Postdoctoral appointments) including institution, location (formatted as city, state/province and country), major/area, degree and year (formatted as MM/YYYY) Academic/Professional Appointments (Reverse Chron. Order): Must include all titled academic, institutional, or professional appointments whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary (including adjunct, visiting, or honorary), including location (city, state/province and country) Products (5 related; 5 other significant); Each product must include full citation information; however, “et al” may be used in the event that listing multiple authors makes it difficult to fit the information into the allotted space. If only publications are included, the heading "Publications" may be used. Senior Personnel are required to certify that the information provided in their Biosketch is accurate, current, and complete.This includes information related to domestic and foreign appointments and positions. Certification also includes they are not a party in a malign foreign talent recruitment program. For Other Personnel, proposers may include biographical information for Post Docs, other professionals, or students (research assistants) with exceptional qualifications that merit consideration in proposal evaluation. The non-senior personnel biographical information does not need to comply with the NSF Biosketch format but must be clearly identified as ‘Other Personnel’ biographical information and uploaded as a single PDF file in the Other Supplementary Documents section of the proposal. Equipment Proposals should provide for each auxiliary user a short biographical sketch and a list of up to five (5) publications most closely related to the proposed acquisitions Must be uploaded as a single file per each Senior Personnel associated with the proposal
Current & Pending (C&P) – REQ’D for Senior Personnel	Must be generated through SciENcv. Include all federal and non-federal current projects and pending projects with a time commitment even if they receive no salary support from the project(s). Include information on objectives and overlap with other projects Include in-kind contributions NOT for use on the project/proposal being proposed (such as office/laboratory, space, equipment, supplies, employees, students) In-kind support/contributions that are intended for the use on the project/proposal being proposed to NSF must be included in the Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources. Include funding directed to the individual (vs. UD) if it has a time commitment • Disclose contracts associated with participation sponsored by foreign governments, instrumentalities, or entities, including foreign government-sponsored or affiliated activities or government-sponsored talent recruitment programs (even if through an intermediary). Senior Personnel are required to certify that the information provided in their C&P is accurate, current, and complete and that the individual is not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program. “This Proposal” submitted by PI must be listed as pending. Must be uploaded as a single file per each Senior Personnel associated with the proposal.
Budget – REQ’D	If more than two months of salary in any one year is requested, justification for requesting more than 2 months should be included. The names of the PI(s), faculty, and other senior personnel and the estimated number of full-time-equivalent person-months for which NSF funding is requested and the total amount of salaries requested per year are listed. If PI/Co-PI salary is not requested, their names should not be included in the budget. Participant Support requested includes information on the number of participants to be supported. Subawards have a separate budget. Post-docs and Graduate Students, if budgeted, require a mentoring plan in supplementary docs.
Budget Justification – REQ’D	5 pages max; if subawards are included, each subaward justification is limited to 5 pages. Equipment is justified, listed individually by description and estimated cost. International travel is justified including countries to be visited (also enter names of countries on the proposal budget), and dates of visit, if known. Definition of a salary year: “The University of Delaware effort policy defines a “salary year” as September through August” should be included F&A calculation should be included
Facilities, Equipment & Other Resources – REQ’D	Only existing resources directly applicable to the proposed work are described. Collaborators: Include description of work to be performed provided, must not include any quantifiable financial information Any substantial collaboration with individuals not included in the budget should be described in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources document (also include a letter of collaboration from each)
Supplementary Documentation	Any substantial collaboration with individuals. Letters of collaboration should be limited to stating the intent to collaborate and should not contain endorsements or evaluation of the proposed project. The PAPPG suggests standard language to use in letters of collaboration.
Suggested Reviewers*	List suggested Reviewers or Reviewers not to include. Include mail address and institutional affiliation. *For reviewers not to include, the reason why does not need to be included.
Collaborations and Other Affiliations – REQ’D	Collaborators & Other Affiliations Information must be separately provided for each individual identified as senior project personnel in the proposal. Must use NSF Excel template Rows may be inserted as needed and the font size within a cell may be reduced to accommodate long names or other information. Column size and font type must not be altered. Information is not required to be sorted alphabetically.
Synergistic Activities – REQ’D for Senior Personnel	1-page max Include up to 5 distinct examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual’s professional and scholarly activities that focus on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its creation.
Mentoring Plan – as REQ’D	If a postdoctoral researcher or graduate student is included in the budget, then a mentoring plan is required. Limited to 1 page for the entire proposal.
Data Management Plan – REQ’D	Data Management Plan – 2-page max

Feature	Notes
Font	Use Arial (not Arial Narrow; mac users may also use Helvetica and Palatino), Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger; Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger. A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, tables, or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters. Other fonts not specified above, such as Cambria Math, may be used for mathematical formulas, equations, or when inserting Greek letters or special characters.
Type Density	When printed, text in the entire proposal (including figure captions) may be no more than six lines per vertical inch.
Paper Size and Margins	Standard page size (8.5 x 11 or 11 x 8.5) with 1 inch margins in all directions required.
Page Formatting	Single column format for the text is strongly encouraged. Do not include page numbers (the system will automatically paginate a proposal).

PI Eligibility

Proposal Development Assistance

Proposal Info/Checklist

Proposal Writing

3-Day Proposal Deadline Policy

Proposal Development Assistance

Proposal Info/Checklist

Proposal Writing

3-Day Proposal Deadline Policy

Categories of Sponsored Activities

NSF Safe and Inclusive Environment Plan

Categories of Sponsored Activities

NSF Safe and Inclusive Environment Plan

BUDGETS & RATES

Budget Categories

Budget Justification Guidelines

Budget Justification Template

Budget Salary- DHHS Caps

Budget Categories

BUDGET CATEGORIES

Proposal budgets are itemized by budget categories. The categories map to accounts when the proposal is awarded. Use this budget category list to guide the proposal budget process.

Excel Download

Updated: 6/12/2024

Budget Category	Account	Budget Item	Budget Item Description	No F&A in MTDC	Fringe (for Personnel)
Personnel	123000	CLERK	Administrative Salaries: Non-Exempt Employees*		58.0%
Personnel	122600	GRADST	Graduate Student		12.3%
Personnel	122610	GRADTR	Graduate Trainee		0%
Personnel	122700	GRDFL	Graduate Fellow	X	0%
Personnel	120200	OSRPER	Professional Staff (also Postdoctoral Researchers)		41.9%
Personnel	125200	OTPERS	Miscellaneous Wage		8.6%
Personnel	120400	OTPROF	Professional Staff: Supplemental Pay		8.6%
Personnel	121800	PERSON	Faculty Summer Pay**		41.9%
Personnel	120800	PSTDOC	Postdoctoral Associate		0%
Personnel	121100	SRPERS	Faculty Academic Pay		41.9%
Personnel	126000	STUWG	Student Wages		0%
Personnel	126000	UNGRAD	Undergraduate Student***		0%
Fringe Benefits	129000	FRINGE	Employee Benefits
Travel	130000	DOTRAV	Domestic Travel
Travel	130500	FOTRAV	Foreign Travel
Materials and Supplies	140000	SUPL	Materials and Supplies
Other	140190	ANIMAL	Animal Care Costs (Per Diem, Housing)
Other	150300	EQMAIN	Equipment Maintenance/Repair
Other	145611	FOOD	Catered Food (Not Per Diem Meals)****
Other	140001	OTHER	Other Direct Costs
Other	149250	PARTCOMP	Human Subjects Participant Compensation
Other	148300	PBLCTN	Publication Costs
Other	146195	PTCARE	Patient Care Costs	X
Other	150000	RENO	Building Alterations/Renovations
Other	154200	RENTAL	Building Rental (Not On-Campus)	X
Other	155200	RVSHARP	R/V Sharp Service Center	X
Other	146800	SHIP	UD Owned Boat Ops	X
Tuition	149000	TUITIO	Graduate Student Tuition*****	X
Participant Support	146190	PTOTHR	Participant Support Costs: Other Vendor	X
Participant Support	146115	PTSTIP	Participant Support Costs: Students	X
Participant Support	146100	PTSUBS	Participant Support Costs: Non-Employees	X
Participant Support	146190	PTTRAV	Participant Support Costs: Travel Vendor	X
Equipment	160000	EQUIP	Capital Equipment	X
Equipment	153100	FABCAT	Parts for Equipment Fabrication	X
Subawards	153200	SUB<25	Subaward Costs up to $25,000
Subawards	153300	SUB>25	Subaward Costs after the initial $25,000	X
Consultants	146000	CONSLT	Consultant Fees
F&A	195000	FACADM	Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A)

* Duties must comply with 2CFR200.413(c)
** Use 121900 without retirement benefits (9.8%) in the summer
*** Use 125200 for undergraduate students not enrolled
**** RARELY allowable on Federal funds
***** See UD Tuition Policy: 40% must be budgeted to the sponsor.

Budget Justification Guidelines

Budget Justification Template

Budget Salary- DHHS Caps

Administrative Salaries

Equipment

Facilities & Administrative (F&A)

Fringe Benefit Rates

Administrative Salaries

Budget Category	Budget PS Account	Expense PS Account
CLERK	123000	123XXX
OSRPER	120200	120XXX

Equipment

Facilities & Administrative (F&A)

Type of Activity	Unit	Site of Activity	Sponsor	FY 2020 Rate	FY 2021 Rate	FY 2022-2025 Rate
Organized Research	College of Agriculture and Natural Resources	On Campus	Federal	46%	51%	51%
State	38%	38%	38%
Industry	46%	51%	51%
Off Campus	Federal	28%	28%	28%
State	28%	28%	28%
Industry	28%	28%	28%
All Other Units	On Campus	Federal	59.5%	60%	60%
State	38%	38%	38%
Industry	59.5%	60%	60%
Off Campus	Federal	28%	28%	28%
State	28%	28%	28%
Industry	28%	28%	28%
Other Sponsored Activities (Public Service)	All Units	On Campus	Federal	38.4%	38.4%	38.4%
State	32%	32%	32%
Industry	38.4%	38.4%	38.4%
Off Campus	Federal	26.3%	26.3%	26.3%
State	26.3%	26.3%	26.3%
Industry	26.3%	26.3%	26.3%
Sponsored Instruction (Training)	All Units	On Campus	Federal	48.6%	48.6%	48.6%
State	32%	32%	32%
Industry	48.6%	48.6%	48.6%
Off Campus	Federal	33%	33%	33%
State	33%	33%	33%
Industry	33%	33%	33%

Fringe Benefit Rates

Type	From	To	Personnel Category	FY 25 Rate	For Agriculture 3A Funding (only)	Location
Fixed	7/1/24	6/30/25	Faculty/Professional Employees	41.9%	34.7%	All
Fixed	7/1/24	6/30/25	Staff Employees	58.0%	39.7%	All
Fixed	7/1/24	6/30/25	Graduate Students	12.3%	12.3%	All
Fixed	7/1/24	6/30/25	Other*	8.6%	8.6%	All
Provisional	7/1/25	Until Amended

Modified Total Direct Cost

Salary Reference Sheet

Graduate Tuition Rates

Off-Campus Definition

Modified Total Direct Cost

Account	Description
122700	Graduate Fellow – Non-Taxable
126300	Stipends
146100	Participant Support Non Employee
146115	Participant Support Student
146190	Participant Support Vendor
146800	CEOE Ship Charges
148100	REU Scholarship Support
148800	Audit Fee
149000	Tuition
149300	Financial Aid
153100	Equipment Fabrication
153300	Subcontract Payments > $25,000
154200	Rental Cost of Offsite Facilities
155200	RVSHARP Ship Charges
16xx	Equipment > $5,000
19xxx	Overhead & Credits

Salary Reference Sheet

Graduate Tuition Rates

Off-Campus Definition

SUBAWARD PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Subaward Proposal Info

Subaward Monitoring

Federal Demo Project (FDP)

Subawards Proposal Forms

Subaward Proposal Info

Subaward Monitoring

Federal Demo Project (FDP)

FEDERAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT (FDP) EXPANDED CLEARINGHOUSE PARTICIPATION

UD is a member of the FDP, a non-profit organization comprised of Universities and other research institutions along with representatives of several research-oriented Federal Agencies. Among other activities, the FDP develops tools for its members to streamline the administration of research. One of those tools is the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse, a nation-wide database containing institutional profiles and data of 200+ member institutions. The member institutions agree to obtain the institutional data needed to prepare subrecipient agreements from this database rather than requiring each other to prepare administrative informational forms for every proposal they jointly submit. This saves a great deal of administrative work for all of the participating institutions and provides them with an easily accessible, up-to-date source of this data.

Who determines if the other institution is a member of the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse?
Where do I get a user ID and password for the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse?
How do I let the Research Office Contract and Grant Administrator know that the subaward institution is a member of the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse?
Do I need to send UD’s Letter of Intent template (LOI) to the other institution for them to complete?
Does the other institution’s Letter of Intent (LOI) need to follow the same format as UD’s FDP LOI?
What do I do if another FDP Expanded Clearinghouse member institution asks me to complete their Subrecipient Commitment Form?
When UD is a subrecipient under an institution that is not a member of the FDP Expanded Clearinghouse, can I send them a UD FDP Letter of Intent?
Who uses the Letter of Intent (LOI)?

Subawards Proposal Forms

PROPOSAL REFERENCES

Gifts vs. Sponsored Project

Data Management Plans

Institutional Letters of Support

UD Financials: PeopleSoft

Gifts vs. Sponsored Project

Data Management Plans

DATA MANAGEMENT PLANS

Many federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and most recently the National Science Foundation (NSF), are requiring that grant applications contain data management plans for projects involving data collection. Beginning January 18, 2011, proposals submitted to NSF must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled “Data Management Plan” (DMP). This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. According to the NSF Grant Proposal Guide, the DMP will now be reviewed as an integral part of the proposal. Proposals that do not include a DMP will not be able to be submitted.

Elements of a Good Data Management Plan include:

Data description: Brief, high-level description of the information to be gathered; the nature, scope and scale of the data that will be generated or collected.
Content and Format: Formats in which the data will be generated, maintained, and made available, including a justification for the procedural and archival appropriateness of those formats.
Access and sharing: Indicate how you intend to archive and share your data and why you have chosen that particular option. This should include a description and rationale for any restrictions on who may access the data under what conditions and a timeline for providing access. This should also include a description of the resources and capabilities (equipment, connections, systems, expertise, repositories, etc.) needed to meet anticipated requests. These resources and capabilities should be appropriate for the projected usage, addressing any special requirements such as those associate with streaming video or audio, movement of massive data sets, etc.
Statement of plans for metadata content and format, including description of documentation plans and rationale for selection of appropriate standards. Existing, accepted standards should be used where possible. Where standards are missing or inadequate, alternate strategies for enabling data re-use and re-purposing should be described.
Intellectual Property Rights Protection: Statement of plans, where appropriate and necessary, for protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property and other rights.
Security: A description of technical and procedural protections for information, including confidential information, and how permissions, restrictions, and embargoes will be enforced.
Selection and Retention Periods: A description of how data will be selected for arching, how long the data will be held, and plans for eventual or termination of the data collection in the future.
Archiving and Preservation: Description of plans for preserving data in accessible form. Plans should include a timeline proposing how long the data are to preserved, outlining any changes in access anticipated during the preservation timeline, and documenting the resources and capabilities (e.g., equipment, connections, systems, expertise) needed to meet the preservation goals. Where data will be preserved beyond the duration of direct project funding, a description of other funding sources of institutional commitments necessary to achieve the long-term preservation and access goals should be provided.
Storage and Backup: Storage methods and backup procedures for the data, including the physical and cyber resources and facilities that will be used for the effective preservation and storage of the research data.
Responsibility: Names of the individuals responsible for data management in the research project.*This particularly important when working with multiple PIs and/or collaborative partners.
Budget: The costs of preparing data and documentation for archiving and how these costs will be paid. Requests for funding may be included, depending on the agency (i.e., NSF guidance)

RESOURCES

Institutional Letters of Support

INSTITUTIONAL LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Institutional Letters of Support

Procedure for Requesting Letters of Support and Cost Share Commitments from the Research Office

Principal investigators (PIs) are encouraged to review UD’s Cost Sharing Policy. Cost share letters and or commitments require sufficient preparation and often a long lead time. PIs should start this conversation with their respective department chairs, or college research office/deans as early as possible. All proposals that require cost share commitments and/or letters of support from UD leadership (President, Provost, VP Research) should follow the steps outlined herein. Please route all the requests for cost shares and letters of support requiring UD leadership support through the Associate Vice President for Research Development. Encourage the PI’s and Research Deans to engage with the Research Office (RO) as early as possible through the Research Development Office. Use email researchdev@udel.edu for communication to the Research Office. The timeline depends on the complexity of the cost shares/commitments and level of letters of support and is specified below:

Please route all the requests for cost shares and letters of support requiring UD leadership support through the Associate Vice President for Research Development. Encourage the PI’s and Research Deans to engage with the Research Office (RO) as early as possible through the Research Development Office. Use email researchdev@udel.edu for communication to the Research Office.

The timeline depends on the complexity of the cost shares/commitments and level of letters of support and is specified below:

Cost Sharing and F&A Modifications:

Standard equipment match requests should follow the Equipment Cost Share policy and be communicated to the RO at least 1 week in advance of the submission date.
RO should be notified at least 2 weeks from the submission date for proposals with substantial match such as non‐equipment match. Large/complex proposals, such as Major Research.
Instrumentation grants, or proposals involving more than one college, generally require very substantial university cost share commitments and therefore need even more lead time.
Unless F&A is limited by the sponsor, any reductions of F&A, including its use as cost share need to be communicated to the RO at least 2 weeks in advance.

Letters of Support (LOS):

Letters of support that involve language for cost shares need to follow Cost Share schedule noted above. See also #3 below.
At least 5 business days before proposal submission date for letters of support that need President or Provost signature. 3 business days for letters of support that need VP for Research support.
The PI and/or respective Research Dean must provide a draft summary for such letters and key points that must be emphasized in the LOS paying careful attention to the solicitation’s guidelines.

PDF Download

UD Financials: PeopleSoft

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Getting Started

Am I eligible to serve as a principal investigator (PI) on a research proposal?

Principal Investigators Eligibility

Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators have primary institutional responsibility for providing scientific/technical leadership and administrative and financial management of sponsored projects. As such, the University has designated the following personnel as eligible to serve as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on sponsored projects*

All full-time faculty regardless of academic rank
Visiting faculty/visiting scientists during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
Adjunct faculty during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
Full-time, academic non-administrative professionals in classified positions at or above Level 31E
All full-time postdoctoral fellows* and researchers
Under exceptional circumstances documented in writing, other qualified individuals may be designated as a PI. Such designation requires the approval of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Innovation, and must be endorsed by the chair of every unit and the dean of every college in which the research project is to be performed. If granted, this PI designation is limited to the proposed research project under consideration, i.e. it does not afford blanket status to serve as a PI on other proposals. To qualify for an exception, the following criteria must be met:
- Only individuals identified to the external sponsor as a PI or CPI in the submitted proposal need to have the PI eligibility approval form completed
- The proposed research must be a programmatic priority of the University
- There must demonstrably be no qualified member of the UD faculty who is capable of serving or available to serve as the PI
- The proposed PI must possess the academic and experiential qualifications that are prerequisite to service as a PI at UD, and his or her participation as the PI must be demonstrably necessary for the successful funding and execution of the research project
- The proposal PI must enter into a signed contract with the University assuring that (a) the work will be conducted in accordance with the high standards of quality expected of all PIs; (b) the PI will comply with all University policies relating to the conduct of research; and (c) the research project will be conducted consistent with all federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to the conduct of research
- Completion of the Research Office PI approval form and submission of a curriculum vitae (CV)
- Completion of the Proposal Development Assistance Request Form if you are requesting proposal development assistance.

Process for submission of PI Eligibility Form:

Form should be completed and all signatures obtained
CV must be included with form
Email the completed form and CV to your Contract & Grant Analyst who will obtain the required Research Office approval signature
Contract & Grant Analyst will return executed form to department administrator

* Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator status may be rescinded for cause.
*A PI approval form is required to permit postdoctoral fellows to serve this role
*A Proposal Development Assistance Request Form is required to to be submitted for proposal development assistance.

If an exception is made to make someone an eligible PI and that person isn't a full-time University employee, the chair or dean must be a co-PI on all proposals for that person.

Retired Faculty Serving as Principal Investigators

Some faculty members wish to continue their research programs after retirement from the University, but do not qualify for status as principal investigators because they are no longer full-time UD employees. Retired faculty members may apply for PI status using the existing Research Office PI approval form.

If the request is approved, retired faculty members may serve initially as co-PIs on proposals with a full-time faculty member as PI (this would typically be the department chair or another senior faculty member). If the proposal is funded and the retired faculty member is hired to work on that grant, he or she may then serve as the PI during the life of the grant. At the time of hiring, the retired faculty member may be appointed to an appropriate professional staff position (such as, for example, senior research fellow), but under no conditions may be re-hired on the faculty (as, for example, a research professor).

Graduate Students as Principal Investigators

The Research Office acknowledges the importance of permitting graduate students to lead sponsored projects where appropriate. There are several sponsors who offer pre-doctoral grants whereby the work is conceived of and carried out entirely by a graduate student. In these cases, a faculty member is identified as a mentor and oversees the project nominally. (examples: NASA: Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Program (JPFP), NIH: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, NIH: Predoctoral Training at the Interface of the Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences, DOE: The National Methane Hydrates R&D Program - Graduate Fellowship Program).

To that end, the eligible PI approval form may be used at the time of proposal routing to permit the graduate student to have this role. Also, please have the department administrators ensure the graduate student’s supervisor code is associated with a chair and dean code. This will allow the proposal approval web form to be routed appropriately. The required completed form must be sent to the Research Office at least ten (10) working days before the deadline for submittal of the proposal to the funding agency.

There are still other sponsors for whom the need for submission and approval from an Authorized Representative of the University is not required. The student may submit these applications directly to the sponsor without coordination with the Research Office or a PI eligibility form (examples include: NSF Fellowship, Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships for Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching).

If there are questions concerning which type of funding the grad student is applying, contact the Research Office for guidance.

Responsibilities of a Principal Investigator

Serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) at the University of Delaware brings significant rewards & confers concomitant responsibilities. PIs are responsible for the intellectual direction of research and scholarship and for the education and training of students. In carrying out these critical tasks, PIs are also responsible for compliance with laws and regulations that touch on all aspects of the research enterprise.

To ensure compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and contract requirements the University of Delaware requires all PIs to receive training in the financial management of sponsored projects. Developed for PIs already at the University, the University's training program focuses on stewardship of funds, mandatory reporting requirements and particularized training in the fundamentals of federal grant and contract accounting. PIs must complete mandatory training before the University will release project funding.

Questions/ Concerns

What is a conflict of interest and do I have a conflict?

Where can I find Funding Opportunities?

What should a researcher do before submitting for funding? Or I've found a funding opportunity that is the right match for my research. What are my next steps?

Familiarize yourself with UD's Responsible Conduct of Research. Compliance with UD's code of conduct, policies, and procedures is critical. If human subject or animal subjects or will be using hazards materials, for example, would be used in your research project, you must abide by specific policies and complete specific forms and reviews as part of the proposal application. You'll find links to all of UD's policies and procedures and required forms here. Allow enough time to develop the proposal and meet the agency's funding deadline. Competitive applications often reflect the input of multiple colleagues, and large, multidisciplinary and multi-institutional projects require a great deal of advance planning even before writing the proposal can begin. Keep in mind that the Research Office needs a minimum of 72 hours — three business days prior to the agency deadline — to process your proposal or it will not be submitted to the sponsor. Submit keywords through the Employee Demographic Data (EDD) form prior to submitting a proposal. The Proposal Key Word are used to track proposals by subject category (for example: disease, avian, solar) and to link multiple science codes to projects. These identifiers are important for reporting both internally and externally by science categories. Please see your department administrator for assistance with the EDD. Know if "cost-sharing" is required by the funding agency. "Cost-sharing" refers to the University's commitment of funds, equipment, or services toward the project, beyond the funding that would be provided by the agency. Typical examples include equipment, personnel effort, and tuition. If cost-sharing is required, you need to find out if your dean would approve this cost before proceeding. Notify your departmental research administrator of your proposal plans. This individual works in partnership with a Contract and Grant Administrator in the UD Research Office. You can locate your department's research administrator on our Staff Directory Web page. This individual can help you learn the ropes by assisting you in the completion of required forms and in answering questions about cost rates and other details related to the development of your budget. If your proposal is for a federal grant and will need to be submitted via Grants.gov, this individual can help answer your registration questions. Find a faculty mentor. A junior faculty is encouraged to seek a faculty mentor. Some departments assign a mentor to a new faculty member. A senior faculty can guide a proposal process, from writing to submission.

How do I develop a competitive proposal?

You need to have good, innovative ideas, an understanding of the funding agency's mission and goals, and pay careful attention to the theme and requirements specified in the funding announcement. A good proposal should be compelling, understandable, well-organized, grammatically correct, exhibit correct spelling, and it must meet the due date, formatting, and length requirements specified in the agency's guidelines.

If you've carefully read the agency's funding announcement and have specific questions about a proposal idea, consult the program officer at the funding agency for advice or clarification.

Most proposals contain common elements, such as the following:

A project summary that should clearly articulate the significance and innovation of the research and its expected outcomes
A project description that details the goals of the project and how you will accomplish them, often including how you will evaluate the project and disseminate the research to various public audiences to meet "broader impacts" requirements
References cited
A budget that is in line with the award range of the funding program along with a detailed budget justification that has been developed in compliance with UD's current rates (see the "Proposal Tools and Data" sidebar on this Web page); Biographical sketches of the project team, and
Letters of commitment/support from appropriate administrators and partnering institutions

Please note:

To request a letter of support from the UD Research Office, the Provost, or President, please follow this procedure:

Draft the letter of support
E-mail the letter to your Contract and Grant Administrator in the Research Office. To locate the correct staff member, see the Department Administrator directory in the Staff Directory

If changes to the letter are required, you will be notified.The Research Office will shepherd the letter and proposal to the appropriate UD administrator for signature and provide a copy to you for your files.

If your proposal requires an evaluation component, an excellent resource to consult on campus is the Center for Research in Education and Social Policyr. If your proposal requires "Broader Impacts" in informal public education and outreach, contact the Research Communications Initiative in the UD Office of Public Relations for advice. The office participates in selected proposals and also is aware of other units on campus who are involved in public education and outreach that may be available to assist you.

As you draft your proposal, make sure to cross-reference your content with key themes and requirements indicated in the funding announcement. Ask colleagues with experience writing winning proposals to read your draft and provide constructive criticism. You might also ask to serve on an upcoming proposal review panel for a particular agency to gain further insight into how proposals are evaluated.

Developing competitive research proposals is hard work, but the rewards can be great in terms of future discoveries. It's important not to be discouraged if your proposal is not funded, but to learn from the experience and prepare for the next opportunity.

The solicitation requires that my proposal be submitted electronically. How do I obtain access to various electronic submission site (example: Fastlane, ERA Commons, NSPIRE, etc)?

How do I route a proposal approval form for signatures?

I found a solicitation that limits the number of proposals that can be submitted. What is the UD Research Office proceedures on Limited Submission Proposals?

Do pre-proposals require UD Research Office approval?

I am preparing a letter of intent, does it have to be signed by the Research Office?

Who at University of Delaware signs as the authorized representative for proposal applications?

Authorized Representative	Proposed First Year Total
Contracts and Grants Analyst	Up to $250,000
Assistant Director, Contracts and Grants	Up to $500,000
Associate Vice President, Research Administration	Up to $1,000,000
Vice President, Research, Scholarship and Innovation	Up to $1,000,000
University Provost	Up to $2,000,000
President	Over $2,000,000

What basic information should be on the SF424 for a Grants.gov proposal submission?

What are the important points I should know when preparing an NIH Grants.gov application?

Where do I find more information about NIH Grants.gov application procedures?

Where can I find the NSF Grants.gov application guidelines?

Where do I find information regarding sponsor guidelines?

How do I construct a budget?

Proposal Preparation

Am I eligible to serve as a principal investigator (PI) on a research proposal?

Principal Investigators Eligibility

All full-time faculty regardless of academic rank
Visiting faculty/visiting scientists during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
Adjunct faculty during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
Full-time, academic non-administrative professionals in classified positions at or above Level 31E
All full-time postdoctoral fellows* and researchers
Under exceptional circumstances documented in writing, other qualified individuals may be designated as a PI. Such designation requires the approval of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Innovation, and must be endorsed by the chair of every unit and the dean of every college in which the research project is to be performed. If granted, this PI designation is limited to the proposed research project under consideration, i.e. it does not afford blanket status to serve as a PI on other proposals. To qualify for an exception, the following criteria must be met:
- Only individuals identified to the external sponsor as a PI or CPI in the submitted proposal need to have the PI eligibility approval form completed
- The proposed research must be a programmatic priority of the University
- There must demonstrably be no qualified member of the UD faculty who is capable of serving or available to serve as the PI
- The proposed PI must possess the academic and experiential qualifications that are prerequisite to service as a PI at UD, and his or her participation as the PI must be demonstrably necessary for the successful funding and execution of the research project
- The proposal PI must enter into a signed contract with the University assuring that (a) the work will be conducted in accordance with the high standards of quality expected of all PIs; (b) the PI will comply with all University policies relating to the conduct of research; and (c) the research project will be conducted consistent with all federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to the conduct of research
- Completion of the Research Office PI approval form and submission of a curriculum vitae (CV)
- Completion of the Proposal Development Assistance Request Form if you are requesting proposal development assistance.

Process for submission of PI Eligibility Form:

Form should be completed and all signatures obtained
CV must be included with form
Email the completed form and CV to your Contract & Grant Analyst who will obtain the required Research Office approval signature
Contract & Grant Analyst will return executed form to department administrator

If an exception is made to make someone an eligible PI and that person isn't a full-time University employee, the chair or dean must be a co-PI on all proposals for that person.

Retired Faculty Serving as Principal Investigators

Graduate Students as Principal Investigators

If there are questions concerning which type of funding the grad student is applying, contact the Research Office for guidance.

Responsibilities of a Principal Investigator

Questions/ Concerns

Where can I find research funding?

I've found a research opportunity that is right up my alley. What are the next steps?

First, familiarize yourself with UD's Responsible Conduct of Research. Compliance with UD's code of conduct, policies, and procedures is critical. If human or animal subjects, for example, would be used in your research project, you must abide by specific policies and complete specific forms and reviews as part of the proposal application. You'll find links to all of UD's policies and procedures and required forms here.

From a practical standpoint, you need to make sure you have enough time to develop your proposal and meet the agency's funding deadline. Competitive applications often reflect the input of multiple colleagues, and large, multidisciplinary and multi-institutional projects require a great deal of advance planning even before writing the proposal can begin. Keep in mind that the Research Office needs a minimum of 72 hours — three business days prior to the agency deadline — to process your proposal, or it will not be submitted to the sponsor. More background on the policy is available here.

From a fiscal standpoint, you need to know if "cost-sharing" is required by the funding agency. "Cost-sharing" refers to the University's commitment of funds, equipment, or services toward the project, beyond the funding that would be provided by the agency. Typical examples include equipment, personnel effort, and tuition. If cost-sharing is required, you need to find out if your dean would approve this cost before proceeding.

With the appropriate administrative approval, the next thing to do is to notify your departmental research administrator of your proposal plans. This individual works in partnership with a contract-and-grant representative in the Research Office. You can locate your department's research administrator on our Staff Directory Web page. This individual can help you learn the ropes by assisting you in the completion of required forms and in answering questions about cost rates and other details related to the development of your budget. If your proposal is for a federal grant and will need to be submitted via Grants.gov, this individual can help answer your registration questions.

How do I develop a competitive proposal?

You need to have good, innovative ideas, an understanding of the funding agency's mission and goals, and pay careful attention to the theme and requirements specified in the funding announcement. A good proposal should be compelling, understandable, well-organized, grammatically correct, and exhibit correct spelling, and it must meet the due date, formatting, and length requirements specified in the agency's guidelines.

If you've carefully read the agency's funding announcement and have specific questions about a proposal idea, consult the program officer at the funding agency for advice or clarification.

Most proposals contain common elements, such as the following:

A project summary that should clearly articulate the significance and innovation of the research and its expected outcomes;
A project description that details the goals of the project and how you will accomplish them, often including how you will evaluate the project and disseminate the research to various public audiences to meet "broader impacts" requirements;
References cited;
A budget that is in line with the award range of the funding program along with a detailed budget justification that has been developed in compliance with UD's current rates (see the "Proposal Tools and Data" sidebar on this Web page);
Biographical sketches of the project team; and
Letters of commitment/support from appropriate administrators and partnering institutions. Please note: To request a letter of support from the UD Vice Provost for Research Office, the Provost, or President, please follow this procedure:
- Draft the letter of support
- E-mail the letter to your contract-and-grant administrator in Research Office. To locate the correct staff member, see the Department Administrator directory in the Staff Directory.
- If changes to the letter are required, you will be notified.
- Research Office will shepherd the letter and proposal to the appropriate UD administrator for signature and provide a copy to you for your files.

If your proposal requires an evaluation component, an excellent resource to consult on campus is the Center for Research in Education and Social Policy. If your proposal requires "Broader Impacts" in informal public education and outreach, a great external resource is the National Alliance for Broader Impacts Guiding Principles and Questions. Internally you are encouraged to contact the Research Communications Initiative in the UD Office of Communications and Marketing for advice. The office participates in selected proposals and also is aware of other units on campus who are involved in public education and outreach that may be available to assist you.

Developing competitive research proposals is hard work, but the rewards can be great in terms of future discoveries. It's important not to discouraged if your proposal is not funded, but to learn from the experience and move on, for another opportunity likely lies just around the corner....

Please follow this link to Data Management Plans.

The Research Development Office (RDO) serves as support to help faculty navigate today’s challenging research funding landscape and prepare competitive grant proposals. If you are planning to respond to a grant opportunity, big or small, and/or need help with strategizing on a research theme, please submit the Proposal Development Assistance Request form or contact researchdev@udel.edu.

My proposal has been funded! Now what do I do?

What is the difference between Post Doctoral Fellow and Post Doctoral Researcher?

Post Doctoral Fellow Guidelines

The title of "Post Doctoral Fellow" is designed for people who are at the University doing research primarily as independent learners, not on assigned projects as employees; the “Post Doctoral Fellow” designation is akin to an advanced graduate student, and the IRS specifically views post doctoral fellows as non-employees.

While there are Post Doctoral Fellows at the University who fit this description, there are also some who currently have this designation but are not eligible under existing UD policy, IRS regulations, or visa status. These people must be handled differently.

Therefore, there exists the job title of "Post Doctoral Researcher" for researchers who are here primarily to work on assigned projects as employees for a limited period of time after having obtained their doctorates.

The characteristics of Post Doctoral Researchers are:

Professional position
Fiscal appointments
Requires doctorate
Minimum full-time annual rate of $33,097
Benefits will be charged in the same way as other professionals (this is a significant difference from post doctoral fellows)
Annual appointments, renewable up to 2 times for a total of three years; exceptions may be approved by the appropriate Dean
HR code information:
- Job code: 299990
- Salary plan:272 (full-time) or 273 (part-time)
- Salary grade: 90

Questions regarding processing forms for post doctoral researchers, tax implications, etc., should be directed to HR systems administration. Questions concerning visa status should be directed to Foreign Student and Scholar Services.

Post Doctoral Researcher Implementation Guidelines

The position of Post Doctoral Researcher should be used when appropriate instead of Post Doctoral Fellow. The question of when this is appropriate is an academic judgment to be made primarily by the Dean in the context of the individual’s actual activities and Visa status. Post Doctoral Fellows’ primary responsibilities are comparable to those of graduate students: expanding their own knowledge, and often working with and guiding graduate and undergraduate students. The responsibilities of Post Doctoral Researchers are comparable to those of employees, where payment is dependent upon fulfilling an assigned work plan.

The following guidelines should be considered by Deans making the judgments.

Individuals with H1B Visa status cannot appropriately be classified as Post Doctoral Fellows.
For U.S. citizens and for others when Visa status is compliant, such as permanent residents and those who hold F-1 and J-1 Visa status, initial appointments may be made for one year as a Post Doctoral Fellow, as long as the Dean approves that this is consistent with the expectations of the appointment. The letter of appointment should stipulate the responsibilities in a manner that is congruent with such an appointment and should be signed, or otherwise approved, by the Dean.
Beyond the initial year, Deans will determine on an empirical basis whether the appointment should be as Post Doctoral Fellow or Post Doctoral Researcher based on the actual activities of the individual. When Visa status is compliant, two years is expected to be the maximum length of time for someone to hold Post Doctoral Fellow status, unless there is continuing external funding specifically for a Post Doctoral Fellow for a longer period.
When Visa status is compliant, current Post Doctoral Fellows should be reviewed by the Dean and a judgment should be made as to whether they are appropriately classified as Fellows, or whether they should be Post Doctoral Researchers or some other classification. The timing of that review may coincide with the end of the Post Doctoral Fellow’s current funding. That is, they may continue in this classification until the end date of their current funding source, at which point the Dean should review their classification in the context of the individual’s actual activities.

How do I gain secured access to the Grants system for proposal submission and inquiry?

I have a Post-Doc listed in my NSF proposal budget. What should I include in my Mentoring Statement?

I am preparing a NIH application that involves human subjects and I see there is an entire section of the Research Plan that is devoted to Human Subjects. What should be addressed in this section?

How do I know if I should add a project to my proposal for an individual in another department?

What approvals are required to add or remove projects from an approved proposal?

Proposal Submission

1. How do I obtain access to People Soft grants module?

2. How do I go about getting a letter of support for my research project from the UD administration (Deputy Provost for Research Office, Provost, or President)?

3. When do I need to route a Proposal Approval Form for signatures?

4. Do Pre-Proposals require Research Office approval?

5. I am preparing a Letter of Intent, does it have to be signed by Research Office?

6. What is the process for faculty to gain access to Research.gov?

7. Who at the University of Delaware signs as the Authorized Representative for proposal applications?

Authorized Representative	Proposed First Year Total
Contracts and Grants Analyst	Up to $250,000
Assistant Director, Contracts and Grants	Up to $500,000
Associate Vice President, Research Administration	Up to $1,000,000
Vice President, Research, Scholarship and Innovation	Up to $1,000,000
University Provost	Up to $2,000,000
President	Over $2,000,000

8. What is the procedure for a Sponsored Research Program Income?

9. How to avoid common problems and increase submission success regarding PDF documents?

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

Jeffrey Friedland
Associate Vice President for Research Administration
210 - A Hullihen Hall
Ph: (302) 831-4978

HOURS OF OPERATION

The University of Delaware Research Office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Research Office is closed Saturday and Sunday and observes all University closings and holidays. See the Academic Calendar for more information.

Academic Calendar > Contact us >

Animal Welfare Assurance Number	D16-00457
Cognizant Federal Agency	Department of Health and Human Services Steven Zuraf (301) 492-4855
Congressional District	DE-00
DHHS Human Subjects Assurance Number	FWA00004379
DS-2 Latest Filing Date	7/1/2016
E-mail for Electronic Award Notifications	udelaware-awards@udel.edu
Federal Interagency Commission on Education (FICE) Number	001431
Fiscal Officer’s Title	Vice President for Research, Scholarship & Innovation
Indirect Cost Agreement Date	05/21/2024
Indirect Cost Rate Type	Predetermined
Fringe Benefits Rate Agreement Date	05/16/2023
IPES SID Number	1000170
Misconduct in Research, Latest Annual Report	02/27/2018
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code	611310
PHS Entity Number	1516000297A1
SAM Registration Expiration Date	10/15/2025
State of Delaware Organizational Code	90-01-01
University IRS Number	51-6000297
University of Delaware Commercial and Governmental Entity Code (CAGE)	015X1
University of Delaware Date of Incorporation	02/05/1833
University of Delaware DUNS Number	05-900-7500
University of Delaware Unique Entity ID Number (UEI)	T72NHKM259N3
University of Delaware Fiscal Officer	Dr. Miguel Garcia-Diaz
Institutional Address: University of Delaware Research Office 100 Discovery Boulevard Suite 1000 Newark, DE 19713-1325	RO Phone: 302-831-2136
Remittance Address: University of Delaware ATTN: Cashiers Office 413 Academy Street, Rm 250 Newark, DE 19716

Full Review ≥3 Business Days	Limited Review 2 Business Days	Minimal Review ≤1 Business Day
PI Eligibility
Fully-Approved Proposal Webform
UD, Federal, and State Compliances
Sponsor Guidelines, Terms, and Conditions
Consultation with Other UD Administrative Offices
Proposal Details
Other Management Plans

TYPE	DEFINITION	NOTES
Organized Research	Research activities include the inquiry, experimentation, or investigation to increase the scholarly understanding of the involved discipline. The project is making a creative contribution to solve a problem in its field. All research and development activities that are sponsored by federal and nonfederal agencies and organizations (including University research, which is research and development activities that are separately budgeted and accounted for by the institution under an internal application of institutional funds). This term includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques (commonly called research training) where such activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function.	Organized Research may be appropriate if you can answer yes to any of the following: Are there activities being developed and evaluation that will make a creative contribution to solve a problem? Will there be a scholarly inquiry, analysis, or critical study, hypothesis, or data collection? Will the findings be used to contribute to generalizable knowledge (i.e. meant to have an impact on others within the discipline) inside or outside the Institution? Will the results or outcomes be published, archived, presented, or viewed in some way as relevant beyond the specific participant population?
Other Sponsored Activities	Other Sponsored Activities include programs and projects financed by Federal and non-Federal agencies and organizations which involve the performance of work other than Instruction and Organized Research beneficial to individuals and groups external to the University of Delaware (UD). Examples of such programs and projects are health service projects, community service programs, non-credit instruction/community education, conference/seminars, cooperative extension services, or outreach projects. UD classifies Service and Testing Agreements as Other Sponsored Activities. Service Agreements do not involve a creative contribution to solve a problem. A Service Agreement creates or modifies tangible or intangible things (e.g. materials, ideas, reviews, processes, etc.) to assist the requested party in optimizing its knowledge. This may include repetitive, quantitative, non-experimental measurements under physically controlled conditions for which the data produced are expected to be within a pre-determined range of values or of reproducibility.	Other Sponsored Activities may be appropriate if you can answer yes to any of the following: Is the intended audience the public for receipt of or participation in a community service with no University research resources to be used? Is the intended activity a conference whose participants are not students enrolled at the University? Is the intended activity travel to a conference (excludes travel related to research)? Is the intended activity for service or testing that does not involve a creative contribution to solve a problem?
Sponsored Instruction/Training	Except for research training, as described above, the term Instruction includes all teaching and training activities of an institution whether offered for credits toward a degree or certificate or on a noncredit basis, and whether they are offered through regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division or an extension division. Examples include student instruction at any location, curriculum development, or projects where UD students receiving academic credits.	Research training should be considered research for purposes of UD PeopleSoft entry. Instruction may be appropriate if you can answer yes to any of the following: Will the activity support curriculum development not related to a research project? Will the activity support teaching/training activities (other than research training)? Is the intended audience students enrolled at the University?

Our Impact <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Meet Our Team <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Over 90 and Counting <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

UD Research Online <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Research Administrator Directory <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Upcoming Events <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Visiting UD <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Operational Excellence in Research Administration <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Foreign Involvement <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

From ideation to submission and beyond! <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Office of Economic Innovation & Partnership <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Research Administrator Directory <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Are you eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI)? <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Student Research <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Funding Opportunities Abound at UD <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Communicating Your Research <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Looking for a Form, Policy or Procedure? <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Looking for a Form, Policy or Procedure? <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Our Impact <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

UD Research Magazine <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

UD Partnerships <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

UD's Commitment to Research <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

Online Training <img style="display: inline; width: 25px;" src="https://research.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/navigtation-arrow-icon-3.png" alt="" />

UD Proposal Development Guide

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Institutional Information

NIH Proposal Checklist

NSF Proposal Checklist

PI Eligibility

Institutional Information

INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION

NIH Proposal Checklist

NIH PROPOSAL CHECKLIST (download pdf)

Forms H effective January 25, 2023

NSF Proposal Checklist

NSF PROPOSAL CHECKLIST 24-1

PI Eligibility

PI ELIGIBILITY

Proposal Development Assistance

Proposal Info/Checklist

Proposal Writing

3-Day Proposal Deadline Policy

Proposal Development Assistance

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

Services Offered

Proposal Info/Checklist

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Proposal Checklist

Sample Proposal Timeline

Proposal Writing

PROPOSAL WRITING RESOURCES

3-Day Proposal Deadline Policy

3-BUSINESS-DAY INTERNAL PROPOSAL DEADLINE POLICY

Categories of Sponsored Activities

NSF Safe and Inclusive Environment Plan

Categories of Sponsored Activities

CATEGORIES OF SPONSORED ACTIVITIES

NSF Safe and Inclusive Environment Plan

NSF SAFE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT PLAN (download pdf)

BUDGETS & RATES

Budget Categories

Budget Justification Guidelines

Budget Justification Template

Budget Salary- DHHS Caps

Budget Categories

BUDGET CATEGORIES

Budget Justification Guidelines

BUDGET JUSTIFICATION GUIDELINES

Budget Justification Template

BUDGET JUSTIFICATION TEMPLATE

Budget Salary- DHHS Caps

BUDGETING SALARY-DHHS CAPS

Administrative Salaries

Equipment

Facilities & Administrative (F&A)

Fringe Benefit Rates

Administrative Salaries

ADMINISTRATIVE SALARIES

Administrative Salaries

Equipment

Our Impact

Meet Our Team

Over 90 and Counting

UD Research Online

Research
Administrator Directory

Upcoming Events

Visiting UD

Operational Excellence in Research Administration

Foreign Involvement

From ideation to submission and beyond!

Office of Economic Innovation & Partnership

Research
Administrator Directory

Are you eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI)?

Student Research

Funding Opportunities Abound at UD

Communicating
Your Research

Looking for a Form,
Policy or Procedure?

Looking for a Form,
Policy or Procedure?

Our Impact

UD Research Magazine

UD Partnerships

UD's Commitment
to Research

Online Training

SUBAWARD MONITORING
The Role of the Department Administrator