Office of Research



Office of Research

Submission Guidelines

Our office has the tools, resources and support needed to assist the UCF research community throughout the life cycle of a sponsored award.

Proposals for Sponsored Funding

 

The University of Central Florida’s Office of Research is here to support your grant development and submission efforts. As an applicant organization, UCF has an institutional responsibility to verify the accuracy, validity, conformity, and eligibility of all proposals submitted to a sponsor on behalf of UCF. This responsibility is shared between several institutional stakeholders, including the Principal Investigator (PI), the PI’s Chair or Director (or designee), business manager, grant administrator, and the Office of Research.

As the authorized organizational representative (AOR) delegated by UCF (see UCF Policy 4-214), the Office of Research reviews all proposals for sponsored funding to make the necessary representations, certifications, and assurances to the external sponsor. The AOR is responsible for ensuring that proposals are compliant, and that institutional, state, federal, and sponsor policies and guidelines are met, including the administrative, fiscal, and scientific information in the proposal. As the official signatory of UCF, the AOR will submit or approve the submission of all proposals for sponsored funding. The proposal review and approval process is performed through the Huron Research Suite (“HRS,” “Huron Grants”).

Proposal Review Process

Proposals, supplemental funding applications, and pre-proposals with detailed budgets must be submitted to the Office of Research for review and approval five (5) full business days prior to the sponsor’s published deadline according to UCF’s 5-Day Rule.

To begin the review process, the PI or business unit must create and submit a complete Funding Proposal (FP) record in Huron Grants. For detailed instructions, click here.

Once the Funding Proposal record is submitted through Huron Grants, it receives qualified reviews by trained Proposal Specialists in the Office of Research.

Funding Proposals undergo a two-step review process – Initial Review and Final Review.

List of items required at Initial Review – 5 days prior to sponsor deadline

  • Sponsor guidelines (Direct Sponsor and Prime Sponsor)
  • Sponsored-required documents and forms
  • Draft Technical Narrative/Scope of Work
  • Detailed budget and detailed budget justification
  • Subcontractor documentation, if applicable
  • Consultant Commitment Form, or letter of intent, if applicable
  • PI Submission Endorsements
  • Portal application printout, if applicable
  • Required approvals or requests for approval

 

 

 

Following Initial Review, it is the responsibility of the PI or business unit to resubmit the Funding Proposal through HRS forFinal Reviewand submission at least two (2) full business days prior to the sponsor’s deadline. Submission for Final Review certifies that the proposal is ready to be submitted to the sponsor. A complete Funding Proposal record atFinal Review includes the following elements: 

List of items required at Final Review – 2 days prior to sponsor deadline

  • All previously listed items
  • Final Technical Narrative/Scope of Work

 

Typically, the purpose of the pre-proposal is to make a preliminary determination on a research project, or to gauge the interest, size and/or range of competition for a particular funding program.Based on the pre-proposal, the sponsor may request a formal proposal including full technical and budget
information.

If a pre-proposal includes a detailed budget or cost share, it must be routed to the Office of Research for review via Huron Grants five (5) business days prior to the sponsor’s deadline. Pre-proposals that require AOR signature but do not include a detailed budget or cost share can be emailed to the assigned OR Proposal Specialist three (3) business days prior to the deadline.Pre-proposals that do not include a detailed budget, cost share, or AOR signature may be submitted by the Investigator.
However, Investigators are advised to include the following statement when submitting a pre-proposal directly to a sponsor: “UCF requires that all final proposals be submitted through the UCF Office of Research.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Location and Hours

University of Central Florida

Office of Research, Ste. 501

12201 Research Parkway

Orlando, FL 32826-3246

Monday – Friday

8am – 5pm

Note: Although agencies may have deadlines in the evening or on the weekend, the Office of Research does not
conduct business after 5pm, on weekends, or during stated UCF holidays. 

What about JustGrants portal submissions?

 It is highly encouraged to submit proposals for review more than 5 days prior to the agency deadline to ensure sufficient time for processing

When do my proposal elements need to be in final form?

All proposal elements must be in final form when a Funding Proposal record is submitted for review. Only the technical narrative (scope of work) may be in draft form until two (2) business days prior to the submission deadline.

Portal Submissions

 If the submission occurs through a portal, the portal application and all attachments must be complete and uploaded to the Funding Proposal record when it is submitted for initial review. The Proposal Specialist should also be granted access to the portal record to
support the submission process.

Which forms are reviewed by proposal specialists?

Effective 1.1.21 – the Biographical Sketch, Current & Pending Support, and Other Support forms are reviewed by Proposal Specialists for inclusion or omission only.

What about Hard Copy Submissions?

The Office of Research can prepare and mail a proposal package if the FP record is submitted for Initial Review eight (8) full business days prior to the deadline, and five (5) full business days prior to the deadline for Final Review. Otherwise, the business unit will prepare and submit the package.