Pre-Award Process

This includes help finding funders for a project idea

If you have a project idea, but don’t know where to start finding funding, follow these steps.

• Fill out this Request for Proposal Development Support Form. The more information about your project or idea the better. However, if you really are not sure where to start, that is okay too!
• A member of the SPO Pre-Award team will reach out to you and assist you with finding potential funding sources
• For each funding source you wish to pursue, you will need to begin either the pre-proposal or the new project application process

When the funder needs something in advance of the full proposal

If you have a project that requires information to be submitted before the full proposal follow this process

1. Complete the Preliminary Proposal Form and return it to SPO email.
2. Our Associate Director of Pre-Award and Research Development Services will reach out to see what assistance is required
3. Once SPO and your department have approved the documents, we will work with you to submit to the potential funder.

When there’s a grant you want to apply for

You are ready to start the New Project Application Process if the following steps are completed:

• You have a project idea identified
• You have a potential funding opportunity identified
• You have completed any pre-proposal steps required by the funder (and were invited to submit a full proposal if necessary)

When you are ready to begin the application process for a sponsored project application, follow these steps

1. Complete the intent to submit form (the sooner the better but no later than 14 business days before the submission deadline)
2. The Associate Director of Pre-Award and Research Development Services will reach out to you to set up an initial meeting and develop a timeline for your project proposal.
3. You will receive a routing from from SPO based on the information you provided on the intent to submit form, you will need to complete the form and update any information that has changed and return this to sponsoredprojects@wou.edu no later than 5 business days before the submission deadline.
4. SPO provides budget development assistance, if you would like to take advantage of this service, the initial budget setup meeting needs to take place no later than 14 business days before the submission deadline.
5. If the funder requires additional attachments, these need to be submitted to the Sponsored Projects Office for review no later than 8 business days before the submission deadline. Please note that any document that requires general council review and/or signature must be submitted no later than three weeks prior to the routing form deadline.
6. The routing form, budget, final proposal, and all necessary routing form attachments need to be submitted to sponsoredprojects@wou.edu no later than 5 business days before the submission deadline.

Will WOU be the pass-through entity for any subawards or contracts? Meaning, will WOU provide a subaward to an outside recipient to carry out a portion of the award? If yes, please complete Attachment D and include all required documents stated on the form for each subrecipient.

For each subaward your project will be granting, each of these forms will need to be completed and submitted with attachment D to be sent for approvals with the routing form.

• LETTER OF COMMITMENT
• BUDGET AND JUSTIFICATION
• SCOPE OF WORK
• RISK ASSESSMENT FORM

For existing projects that are being updated

If any aspect of your current award is changing but you do not need to re-apply to the funder in order receive additional funding or extend the project dates, then this form is for you! Example: A no-cost extension of project dates, an increase in project funds, changes in administrative support, etc. 

• Complete and submit Project Amendment Form, along with your renewal/amendment documents to the SPO email address: sponsoredprojects@wou.edu  

• For any changes to date and/or budget, an updated administrative support attachment (Attachment A) will be required.

• If your amendment requires any changes to your budget, then an updated budget (Attachment B) will be required as well. 

If your form requires a contract through general counsel, the expected processing time is 3 weeks minimum, so please plan accordingly.

For new sponsored projects that don’t require an application process or a proposal development

The purpose of this form is to gather information necessary to obtain appropriate internal administrative and academic approvals. For external projects that do not have a proposal or an application process, please complete this form. This includes intergovernmental agency agreements, direct awards, and other projects through carefully cultivated partnerships.

1. Complete this form when you have an externally funded project that has already been negotiated with a community partner and/or funder (as long as it does not require a competitive application process)
2. Submit this form as well as your contract/agreement and attachments A-D as applicable to sponsoredprojects@wou.edu for SPO to route for necessary signatures
3. Once approved, SPO will route your contract/agreement through the general counsel’s office (this process takes at least three weeks, so budget your time accordingly)
4. Once this process is completed, the post-award team will reach out to set up an onboarding meeting.