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University of Maine Proposal Timeline Policy

Purpose

This policy establishes standardized procedures and deadlines for the preparation and submission of sponsored research proposals at the University of Maine. It is designed to ensure compliance with sponsor and university requirements, enable timely institutional review, and facilitate high-quality proposals.

Applicability

This policy applies to all faculty, staff, and researchers at the University of Maine seeking external funding for research, education, or other sponsored activities.

Proposal Types

Proposals submitted for external funding fall under the following categories:

Encompasses anything officially submitted to a sponsor prior to submission of a full proposal. This includes white papers, notices of intent, concept papers, and preliminary proposals.

Explore Pre-Proposal Policy and Procedures for more specific details.

A full application that is submitted to the sponsor for consideration of funding for a new project.

A non-competing application for a second or subsequent budget period within a previously approved project period. Continued support is usually contingent on satisfactory work progress, as verified in a required report, and on the availability of funds.

A request for an increase in support, made during a currently funded project period, which will allow for expansion of the project’s scope or research protocol.

In cases where UM is the subrecipient to another institution or organization, or where UM is the non-lead collaborator on an NSF collaborative proposal, the full proposal submission timeline must be followed, and the proposal must be routed through PARS. If UM will be a subrecipient, in addition to the standard proposal documents (budget, bios, etc.), a scope of work for the UM portion of the project will be required for submission.

Proposal Development Timelines

Pre-Proposals

All pre-proposals that require institutional endorsement prior to submission must be submitted to ORA for review through the Notice of Intent (NOI) function in PARS five (5) business days prior to submission. Institutional endorsement means any proposals submitted through a federal agency portal or any proposal requiring signature by a University of Maine authorized official.

* Exception: If a pre-proposal includes a budget which cannot be changed after submission, it must be routed through PARS and must follow the ORA Proposal Submission Timeline of 15 business days

Proposals Under $2 Million (Total Cost)

All proposals with a total project cost under $2 million must follow the timeline outlined below:

ASAP

  • Notify ORA of intent to submit
  • Submit the completed Notice of Intent (NOI) Form on PARS

At Least 15 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • Submit a complete draft proposal package to ORA; including:
  • Budget
  • Budget justification
  • Abstract/Scope of Work
  • Sponsor guidelines

At Least 10 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline – (if proposal has cost sharing)

  • PARS routing initiated with ORA approved budget, budget justification and abstract/Scope of Work

At Least 5 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

At Least 3 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • Final proposal package (including final narrative) for submission
  • PARS fully approved

Proposals Exceeding $2 Million (Total Cost)

For proposals over $2 million, additional planning and coordination are required: all deadlines must be strictly adhered to in order to give upper administration adequate time to fully review and endorse your submission. If one of these key deadlines is not met, permission from the Director or Associate of ORA must be granted in order for the proposal to move forward.

ASAP

  • Notify ORA of intent to submit
  • Submit the completed Notice of Intent (NOI) Form on PARS
  • List of PI’s, Co-PIs and named senior personnel provided to ORA proposal staff

At Least 15 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • Submit a complete draft proposal package to ORA; including:
  • Budget
  • Budget justification
  • Abstract/Scope of Work
  • Sponsor guidelines
  • If subawards are included, budget, budget justification, Scope of Work and indirect costs rate agreements are due at this time
  • If cost share is proposed, the draft budget must include proposed cost share amounts and must identify sources on the cost share sources tab

At Least 10 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • PARS routing initiated with ORA approved budget, budget justification and abstract/Scope of Work
  • Completed subrecipient commitment forms, if applicable
  • Current and pending forms for all senior personnel forwarded to ORA proposal staff for review

At Least 7 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • All revisions to current and pending forms complete and approved by ORA Director
  • Draft narrative provided to proposal staff for inclusion in package for the President’s approval

At Least 5 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

At Least 3 Business Days Before Sponsor Deadline

  • Final proposal package (including final narrative) for submission
  • PARS fully approved

Institutional Review

ORA requires sufficient time for a thorough review of all proposals to ensure compliance with:

  • Sponsor guidelines
  • University policies
  • Federal and state regulations

Submissions that do not meet the deadlines may be rejected or submitted with limited review, at the discretion of ORA.

Exceptions

Any deviations from this policy must be approved in writing by the Director of ORA. Exceptions will only be considered under extenuating circumstances and must be justified by the Principal Investigator (PI).

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