Proposal Categories
The categories of proposals that the Office of Research Administration (ORA) processes include standard proposals, pre-proposals, supplements, continuations, and proposals where University of Maine (UM) is a subrecipient to another institution or organization or a non-lead collaborator on an NSF proposal. A Notice of Intent to Submit a Proposal (NOI) should be submitted through PARS for all types of proposals.
Standard proposals are full proposals that are submitted by UM to a sponsoring agency. Principal Investigators (PIs) are required to follow the full proposal submission timeline, and routing through PARS is mandatory.
The term “Pre-proposals” encompasses anything officially submitted to a sponsor prior to submission of a full proposal. This includes white papers, letters of intent, concept papers, and preliminary proposals. Pre-proposals for projects in which UM will be a subaward or collaborator, and pre-proposals for a limited competition are also covered by this policy. Pre-proposals may or may not request a detailed budget, and they may or may not need to be directly endorsed or submitted by UM’s Authorized Organizational Representative; neither of these conditions precludes submission through ORA.
Pre-proposal policy and procedures
Supplements (sometimes referred to as amendments) involve additional funds that were not anticipated at the initial proposal submission. They may involve an extended project period, or the funds may be awarded during the current period. Supplements require a new budget and budget justification, as well as a modified scope of work. These proposals are required to be routed through PARS for approvals.
Continuations are proposals that involve incremental funding that was anticipated and approved at the time of the initial submission. Generally, they involve multiple-year projects that are funded annually, or incrementally. A new budget and justification are often necessary, though routing through PARS is not always required. PIs should work with ORA staff to determine what steps are required.
UM is Subrecipient or Non-lead Collaborator
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.