Submit a Proposal
Before a grant or contract proposal can be submitted to an external sponsor, it must first be routed and approved internally. This process ensures compliance with University of Maine policies and sponsor guidelines and facilitates the coordinated management of awards.
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Internal Routing and Approval
Routing
All proposals must go through the University’s internal review process. This includes departmental, college, and Office of Research Administration (ORA) approvals.
Approval
Proposals must be approved by all required institutional officials prior to submission. Without this approval, proposals should not be sent to the sponsor.
Order of Approval Precedence for Proposal Submission
Before submission to the sponsor, all proposals must be approved through the following sequence:
- Principal Investigator (PI)
- Certifies proposal accuracy, effort commitment, compliance with policies, and data stewardship.
- Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs)
- Certify accuracy, effort, and compliance; approve credit allocation.
- Cost Share Providers¹
- Confirm availability and appropriateness of cost share funds.
- Closing Account Administrators¹
- Confirm coverage of any over-expenditures or disallowed costs.
- Department Chair/School Director/Institute or Center Director
- Certifies project alignment with unit mission, investigator capability, compliance, and resource availability.
- Dean
- Acknowledges project alignment with college goals and budgetary impacts.
- Vice President for Research & Dean of the Graduate School (VPRDGS)
- Approves large projects, institutional risks, and authorizes ORA submission for >$2M proposals.
- UMS Chief Business Officer
- Reviews large project budgets (> $2M).
- Provost
- Approves any related curriculum changes.
- President
- Certifies project alignment with University mission and authorizes >$2M proposals.
- UMS Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Authorizes >$5M proposals per UMS policy.
¹ Cost share and closing account approvals may vary in order depending on individual roles.
Communication With Sponsors
To maintain clarity and compliance in all external communications:
Addressing Communication Conflicts
If any PI communications with sponsors conflict with ORA guidance, ORA will work directly with the PI to resolve the matter internally before further external communication.
