Federal Proposal Development
A page within Research & Sponsored Programs
Proposal Planning & Development Resources
Funding
- Grants.gov: searchable database of all federal funding opportunities
- Contact WiSys Research Development staff for support conducting funding searches for your project ideas and learning how to navigate funding search databases like Pivot.
- Pivot funding database
- Set up an individual user account to access it. Custom searches can be saved, and users can set-up automatic email alerts for their queries. UWL access is made available through ORSP.
- GRC GrantSearch: Targeted database of approximately 2,000 funding opportunities that are recurring and have a national/regional scope.
- Contact ORSP for the institutional GRC log-in and password.
- Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) funding
- Department of Education (ED) funding
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding
- Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funding
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funding
- Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funding
- USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) funding
- List of federal sponsors
- See the External Funding Sources webpage for more resources
For NIH and NSF, see the agency-specific proposal development webpages for funding and proposal resources.
Proposal planning & timeline
A successful proposal starts with thorough planning before you begin drafting the application. Keep in mind that substantive proposals (e.g., federal applications, collaborative projects) should be developed over a much longer timeline - typically six months to a year in advance of the deadline. See below for the required proposal planning resources:
- Federal Proposal Development Guide & Checklist: general guidance for common federal sponsor requirements, including links to required UWL forms and templates. Agency-specific checklists are available below and at the NIH and NSF proposal development webpages.
- NEA Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
- NEH Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
- NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
- Federal proposal development timeline calculator
To get started:
- Use the federal proposal development timeline calculator to generate a customized proposal timeline.
- Initiate your application by completing the INTAKE questionnaire.
- Review the applicable proposal development information on this webpage for the Federal Proposal Development Guide & Checklist, budgeting guidance, templates, and other resources.
Below are additional planning tools:
- Federal Subaward Proposal Development Checklist: used when UWL is not the lead institution and would be a subrecipient
- Broader Impacts Toolkit & Wizard
- Grant writing tips for success
- How to contact the potential funding agency
- How to develop a concept paper/letter of inquiry (LOI)
Required UWL forms
- INTAKE Questionnaire
- Required for all federal proposals:
- Required for National Science Foundation (NSF) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposals:
- Required for proposals involving subawards:
Budgeting
Budget Templates & Rates
- Budget Helper Spreadsheet
- Budget Justification Template
- Cost Sharing Template
- Fringe Benefits and Indirect Costs - Current Rates
- Budget Guidance: Fringe Benefits Overview
Faculty & Staff Compensation
Student Compensation & Tuition
- Undergraduate Student Wage Guidance
- Graduate Assistant Compensation
- Tuition and Fee Information
Travel & Meals
- UWL Travel Information
- Lodging & Meal Per Diems
- Current rates until June 30, 2025:SFS Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
- NEW calculator for travel occurring July 1, 2025 or later: Lodging & Meal Per Diem Calculator
- Ground Transportation
- UWL Food Host Meal Rates
Facility Rental
- For rental of on-campus facilities, contact Reservations for facility and cost information. A facility rate sheet is also available.
Narrative & supplementary documents
Sponsor guidance
- Department of Education (ED)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Understanding, Managing, and Applying for EPA Grants
- Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) Funded Proposal Library
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): Grant Guidelines
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant Applications
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA): Grants Overview
- Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200)