PI Guides and Templates

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• NIH Proposal Checklist 2024
• RESEARCH INSTRUCTIONS FOR NIH AND OTHER PHS AGENCIES
• Biographical Sketch 
• Project Summary/Abstract Vs. Project Narrative
• Writing a great Specific Aims
• Sample Applications and More

Below are the most essential links for preparing an NIH application. Should you have any questions concerning the NIH proposal submission process, contact the OSP.

• Annotated Form Sets - These documents are a great visual resource for understanding many of the business rule checks NIH will run against your submitted application.
• Application Guides and Instructions
• Types of Grant Programs
• Forms and Formats for Submitting an Application - Includes biosketches, training grant data tables, and additional supplemental forms. 
• Requesting Administrative Supplements
• Formatting Instructions
• Page Limits
• Parent Announcements (Unsolicited Funding Opportunity Announcements) 
• NIH Standard Proposal Deadlines 
• NIH Grants Policy Statement (and other important notices on changes in policies) 
• How to Apply - NIH Video Tutorials

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Below are some additional links to help researchers with proposal submissions.

• NSF Proposal Checklist 2024
• Biographical Sketch
• Current & Pending Support
• Collaborators (COA)
• Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources

Below are the essential links for completing an NSF proposal application. Should you have any questions about the NSF proposal submission process, contact the OSP. 

• Browse NSF Funding Opportunities
• How to Prepare Your NSF Proposal 
• NSF Policy Office - Contains many resources and FAQs related to the proposal preparation process
• Proposals & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), May 20, 2024 - Detailed instructions for preparing and submitting a proposal in research.gov
• Research.gov
• NSF Award Terms & Conditions

Budget Preparation

Preparation of a budget is a crucial part of the proposal preparation process. Reviewers use the budget to evaluate the reasonableness of the amount requested to perform the work described in the entire proposal, so considerable thought should go into its preparation. Most sponsors provide detailed instructions and a specific format for budget preparation. The requested amount should not be so small as to preclude successful completion of the stated goals nor so large that the sponsor will not seriously consider funding the proposal.​ 

OSP will review the budget for compliance with the University and sponsor guidelines, and to ensure the appropriate indirect costs and fringe rates are requested.​ 
Budgets include direct costs and indirect (facilities and administrative (F&A) costs or overhead). Direct costs include such specific line items as salaries and fringe benefits, materials & supplies, travel, etc. Indirect costs are real costs that are associated with carrying out sponsored projects but are difficult to quantify with respect to any given project. For example, electricity, heat, maintenance, building depreciation, administrative expenses and library use are all F&A costs.  

F&A costs are paid as a fraction of direct costs, with the fraction negotiated by the University and the cognizant federal entity.​ 

Developing your Budget for an NIH Proposal

Important Budget Information for an NSF Proposal

R&R Budget template

Budget Justification 

The Budget Justification narrates the relationship of the proposed expense to the work been performed. Each category should be explained, in the order outlined in the budget document itself. Each sponsor may have a different page format, but what is important is that each proposed direct cost must be of direct benefit to the project. Reviewers should be able to understand the relationship between the cost item and how it relates to the conduct of the sponsored project. 

Budget Justification template and guide for NSF proposals

Alternate Budget Justification template and guide for both NIH & NSF proposals - Please scroll down for the NIH templates 

Unallowable Costs on Proposals/Sponsored Projects

Data Management and Sharing Plans

Many funding agencies, including NIH and NSF, require that proposals include a data management and sharing plan (DMSP). Given the nuances in creating a plan to fit agency requirements, some researchers prefer to use a program such as the California Digital Library's DMPTool to create their plan.​

NIH's DMSP template can be found here. 

NSF has different data management plan requirements depending on the directorate/division of which the funding award originates from and/or the funding announcement. Please review the specific requirements for NSF proposal submissions here and the funding announcement when drafting a data management plan.

SciENcv

Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is a new electronic system that helps researchers assemble the professional information needed for participation in federally funded research. Beginning on October 23rd, 2023, NSF will no longer be accepting fillable forms for Biographical Sketch or Current & Pending Support. The new method of accepting these forms for future proposals will be through SciENcv on their website. SciENcv gathers and compiles information on expertise, employment, education and professional accomplishments. Researchers can use SciENcv. to create and maintaining biosketches that are submitted with grant applications and annual reports. SciENcv allows researchers to describe and highlight their scientific contribution in their own words. SciENcv can help create profiles for not only NSF but also NIH. To help faculty members with this new process we are including two short videos to help them get started. 

Biosketch ScENcv Guide

Current & Pending SciENcv Guide 

SciENcv Help Manual