Post-Submission

Once your proposal has been submitted, there are a number of potential actions that may occur before you will receive a final decision, including:

Most funding sources publish details about timeline and approach for proposal review and determination of awards. For questions, please contact your Pre-Award Sponsored Projects Administrator.

Contacting the Funding Agency During Review

Generally, applicants should not contact the funding agency for information on the proposal's status during the review process. An exception may be made when there is a significant development (e.g., research findings, changed circumstances, unavailability of the Principal Investigator (PI) or other key personnel, etc.) that might materially affect the outcome of the review. The program officer should be contacted by the PI to discuss the merit of any significant development and its impact on the review. 

Technical or Budget Modifications

Once a proposal has been reviewed and is pending a final funding decision, the PI may be contacted by the program officer to discuss technical or budgetary issues. 

  • PIs cannot negotiate Facilities and Administrative (F&A) cost reductions and should refer all F&A issues to their Pre-Award Sponsored Projects Administrator (SPA). 
  • Budget reductions of 10% or more may require a corresponding reduction in the scope of the project, unless the program officer, PI and SPA agree to retain the original scope of work. 
  • A revised Electronic Proposal Clearance System (E-PCS) record must be created for all agency required budget revisions.

Resubmission of a Declined Proposal

Applications that do not comply with proposal preparation and submission requirements, are incomplete, or are not responsive to the solicitation or announcement are usually returned to the applicant without review. The application must be substantially revised and resubmitted for the next available deadline. Some agencies require that revisions to a proposal be clearly marked within the proposal, as well as be addressed in a summary statement to the reviewers' comments. In addition, some agencies limit the number of times a declined proposal can be revised and resubmitted. Be sure to consult the agencies policy prior to resubmitting. Resubmissions are reviewed as new proposals, subject to the standard review procedures for new applications. A new E-PCS record must be created for each resubmission.

Withdrawal of a Pending Proposal

The PI may withdraw a proposal from review at any time before a final funding decision is made. The PI must notify their Pre-Award Sponsored Projects Administrator of the withdrawal in writing. Withdrawal can be based on a number of circumstances, such as funding for the project from another source or the PI or other key personnel will be unable to perform the work. The University may withdraw a proposal from review at any time that it is in the best interest of the institution. Proposals submitted without institutional approval (SPS), may be withdrawn.  

Pre-Award Spending

Under limited circumstances, Principal Investigators (PIs) may request authorization to spend funds in support of a sponsored project in advance of receiving a notice of an award from a sponsor.