• Submitting a Proposal through CSU
  Proposal Pieces - Information about CSU
  Preparing Budgets
  • On-Campus Catering Menu and Cost Guide
  • Off-Campus Catering Policies Procedures and Links
  • Room Rental Rates
  • Miscellaneous Fees (AV equipment, Technicians, Parking Fees and more)
  Guidelines for Course Buy-outs from Grants
  OSPR Forms
  Drug-Free Workplace Grant Forms (required for most federal grants) :
  President Schwartz Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 Memo
  Employee Certification: Drug-Free Workplace Form (Must be downloaded and included with your federal application where approproate and required.)
  CSU Drug-Free Workplace Site Registration (Must be downloaded and included with your federal application where appropriate and required.)
  IACUC-Animal Research and Use Protocol Forms
  IRB-Human Subjects in Research Forms
  StaMP (Statistical Mentoring Program)
• Contact OSPR

Submitting a Proposal through CSU

When you are ready to route your proposal for University Approval be sure to include the following steps:

• Alert the OSPR offices (Parker Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor. Ext.3624) that you intend to submit a proposal externally. You should also tell OSPR the deadline date for submission of the proposal to the grant agency.
• Make sure that you complete the Proposal Transmittal Form (the "Brownsheet") and fill out the form as instructed. Obtain the following signatures in this order:
• (1) Project Director(s), (2) Department Chair/Center Director, (3) Dean.
• Complete the Conflict of Interest Form.
• If Human Subjects are used in the research, an IRB-reviewed IRB Protocol Form is required. See the IRB Policy Page for more information on Human Subjects at CSU.
• If Animal Subjects are used in the research, a completed IACUC Protocol Form is required.
• If Recombinant DNA is used in the research, a completed RDNA Form is required.
• Attach all internal forms to the completed proposal. The completed proposal includes not only the narrative but also all agency-required application forms.
• Submit the internal forms, the completed proposal, and the number of copies required by the funding agency to OSPR in Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor. Please allow OSPR five working days between the time you submit your proposal to our office and the agency's deadline.
• OSPR reviews the proposal to ensure that CSU administrative regulations have been followed; OSPR collects the remaining endorsements and forwards the proposal to the funding agency.

Preparing Budgets
Why is a budget and its justification so important to your project's proposal? Isn't the strength of your idea enough to garner attention and funding? A proposal budget is a cost estimate of work which must be accomplished in order to attain the objectives of your proposed project. Prospective sponsors need a very clear and concise statement that explains your proposed expenditures and justifies each budgeted item. Your budget must indicate why you are requesting a particular item and how it is relevant to the success of your project. For example, budget justification explains why trained staff is necessary to the success of your project. Without that crucial staff, you, the project leader is faced with performing all tasks or with eliminating crucial parts of the project. When you address the budget justification part of any application, be sure that you are being accurate and thorough. Good projects are routinely rejected by funders because the budget justification is either faulty or unclear.

During the project proposal's review process, the funder will do a cost analysis of your proposals. That means they will examine the specific elements of your proposed expenditures and then examine your budget statement to determine the necessity, reasonableness and allowability of the cost, relative to their mission and guidelines. You will find that each agency, public or private, has guidelines concerning acceptable and unacceptable costs..

For a glossary and guide to assist you in preparing a project budget, please click here.