Submission of Proposals for External funding to Support Research, Scholarship or Programmatic Activities

I. General

The College encourages the submission of proposals seeking support for research, teaching, scholarship, or programmatic activities. The Dean’s Office provides support in proposal development and preparation through its Director of Grant Development. Some proposals for external support may be strengthened by cash and/or in-kind contributions from the College and/or University. The College’s point of contact for initiating discussions regarding such contributions is the Director of Grant Development.

II. Dean's Office Review and Approval of Proposals

Any proposal for external funding, regardless of the potential funding instrument (grant, contract, cooperative agreement, subaward, check), must be reviewed and approved by the Dean’s Office prior to submission. The College’s point of contact to initiate Dean’s Office review is the Director of Grant Development. The Dean’s Office review serves several purposes. The review will ensure that all aspects of any proposal are consistent with existing University and College policies and procedures, especially with regard to budget, hiring, employee benefits, indirect costs, and intellectual property. Toward this end, the Dean’s Office may consult with other offices on campus. The review will substantiate commitments for any cash and/or in-kind contributions to the proposed work, will ensure that all aspects of the proposal budget and justification are accurate and appropriate, and will examine broader financial and budgetary implications that may come into play if an award is made. It is also important that the Dean’s office be aware of the content of proposals that are submitted for a variety of purposes, related to tracking, reporting, development, and alumni relations. There may be instances where there is uncertainty regarding whether a proposal/award would be classified as a sponsored project or a gift (see http://www.villanova.edu/vpaa/orsp/awards/managingaward.htm#8). Regardless of whether a proposal/award is a sponsored project or a gift, the Dean’s Office Review and Approval process outlined here is to be followed.

III. Timelines

A. At least two weeks prior to proposal submission (at least 4 weeks if cash and/or in-kind contributions are being requested), inform the Director of Grant Development that a proposal is being prepared.
 
B. At least one week prior to proposal submission, submit a final budget and a Proposal Review and Transmittal Form signed by the proposal’s Principal Investigator and the appropriate Department Chair, along with an abstract and a draft of the proposal to the Director of Grant Development.

C. Obtain approval of the Dean’s Office, indicated by an appropriate signature on the Proposal Review and Transmittal Form.

D.  D. Only when these steps have been completed should the proposal package be submitted to Office of Research and Sponsored Projects for final processing.

Proposals submitted by College faculty or staff members for external support for activities in which faculty or staff represent themselves in their official University capacity, or for activities involving Col-lege or University resources or space, must go through the above process.

Questions should be directed to:
Dr. Melanie Vile
Director of Grant Development
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Mendel Science Center 65-D
Email: Melanie.Vile@Villanova.edu
Phone: (610) 519-8945