Proposal Submission Guidelines

All grant proposals must be processed through the office of Research Administration.  Research Administration ensures that the proposal meets the agency’s guidelines; that the budget is calculated correctly and in compliance with agency and university policies; that cost share commitments, if any, are appropriately documented; that any special compliance issues have been addressed; and that appropriate signatures have been obtained. 

A Proposal Approval Form must be completed prior to the submission of a grant or contract proposal and must be accompanied by a brief abstract of the project and a draft budget. This form must also be completed for amendments and supplements that add additional funds to existing awards. The purpose of this form is to request approval of department chairs, deans, and administrative officials for the activity proposed by their faculty or staff as required by CSU Chancellor’s Office and Sacramento State policies. In signing, department chairs, deans and administrative officials acknowledge receipt of information about the project and indicate approval to submit the proposal to the funding agency.

Most agencies now require electronic proposal submission. Given the different requirements of each system, timing is critical. Some systems require both the individual researcher and the institution to register. Some require registration up to two weeks prior to the submission of a proposal, and some require unusual formatting.

Due to these submission requirements, Research Administration requires that faculty contact their Sponsored Research Officer at least seven working days prior to the proposal submission deadline.