A proposal requesting support from any funding agency will most often consist of the following:

A. Title Page

Title Page – For those funders that do not provide application packages or have other specific requirements, the Principal Investigator must construct some form of title page. Generally, the title page will contain:

• Title of the proposed project
• College and Department or Institute
• Name and title of the Principal Investigator and/or Co-Principal Investigator
• Time period and inclusive dates of the proposed project
• Total support requested
• Name and address of the funding agency
• Table of Contents – with page numbers
• Abstract – A brief description covering the purpose, important features, and significance of the project.

B. Project Description

Project Description – A typical description of the project may contain many or all of the following details:

• Project Rationale
  • Introduction
  • Statement of the Needs and Problems
  • Goals and Objectives of the Project
  • Relation of the Project to the State of Knowledge in the Field
  • Significance of the Project
• Procedures
  • Statement of Approach
  • The Means by which Objectives will be met
  • Anticipated Problems
• Evaluation
  • Methods and Tools of Data Collection and Assessment
• Management
  • Organization of the Project
  • Project Staff and their Roles
  • Project Schedule

Personnel – Generally, biographical sketches including pertinent publications of the Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator(s), and key project personnel should be included.

C. Budget – Direct Costs, Indirect Costs and Matching Costs

Budget – The budget serves to identify the cost of the project to the sponsor. The budget also serves as a further measure of the Principal Investigator's capabilities since there must be a reasonable relationship between the project as described and the Principal Investigator's assessment of the various cost elements:

Direct Costs – Some or all of the following may be included as direct costs:

• Salaries include all personnel, titles, the percentage of time each will devote to the project, the rate of pay, and amount requested from the sponsor to support each person per year (or for the budget period). Salary costs must be planned in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements or College salary schedules for non-unit professionals.
• Other professional research staff and technicians may be compensated for periods during which their services will benefit the project.
• Fringe benefits include the College's contributions to retirement programs, health insurance, and unemployment compensation.
• Permanent equipment needs must be itemized and justified. Permanent equipment is defined as an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. In addition, the Principal Investigator must determine that the equipment requested is not already available within the College. The cost of equipment generally includes needed accessories, installation, and delivery costs. In some cases, the sponsor may provide the equipment directly rather than provide acquisition funds, or short-term rental may be preferred.
• Consultant fees may be paid only to experts outside the College who provide a unique contribution to the project. Federal agencies specifically prohibit the payment of consultant fees from Federally-supported projects to persons employed by the Federal government and often set a limit on the daily rate that can be paid to non-Federal government employees.
• Supplies and expendable equipment items should be identified and justified. Examples of these items include chemicals, glassware and small electronic components, as in the preparation and distribution of questionnaires or other brochures and forms, and minor fees for informants in anthropological or sociological studies.
• Travel is an expected practice and an accepted cost in most projects if there is a need for the Principal Investigators to consult with colleagues and disseminate new knowledge through scholarly discourse (i.e. meetings, conferences, symposia, etc.). There must be a correlation between the project and the purpose of the meeting. Such costs may include transportation and room and board. Travel should take place in accordance with the College’s Travel Policy unless the terms and condition of the grant award provide for different requirements. When the grant employee submits paperwork for a conference, meeting off campus or travel, they must also provide an agenda or meeting minutes as back up and proof.
• Other direct costs may have to be identified such as:
  • Subcontracts with other entities which provide a substantial programmatic contribution to the project require specific approval of the sponsor. Thus, the proposal must include documentation (i.e., a work statement budget and institutional endorsement) by the subcontractor of the services to be performed and their cost.
  • Rental of space that is necessary in order to carry out the project.
  • Communication costs such as long distance telephone costs and postage charges where large volumes of mailing are required.
  • Stipends for participants in special training programs, when specific allowable by the funding agency.

Indirect Costs – overhead and administrative costs which cannot be identified specifically with a particular program, project, or activity. They are costs that are incurred for several purposes which are necessary to the operation of the College for example, library resources, building maintenance, and general administration. A negotiated indirect cost approved by a cognizant Federal agency is used for all Federally-funded projects, as allowed.

Matching Costs – a cash amount and/or in-kind contribution (the estimated or actual dollar value of volunteered services such as donated personnel time, free use of equipment, etc.) that a funder may require. The term is often used interchangeably with cost-sharing. Typical match requirements fall around 30% match, meaning that you must document and show cash and/or in-kind contributions that equal the value of required percentage of match of the grant funds you’re requesting. Even if a funder does not require match, it is often good practice to list and track in-kind contributions to the project.