How to apply for grants

A successful proposal starts with thorough planning before you begin drafting the application. Before applications are submitted to sponsors outside of UWL, all materials must be reviewed and approved by the applicable department chair(s)/unit director(s), college dean(s)/division director(s), and ORSP according to the required timeline. To get started: 

1. Use the applicable proposal development calculator to generate a customized proposal timeline:
   1. Federal proposal development timeline calculator
   2. Non-federal proposal development timeline calculator 
2. Initiate your application by completing the INTAKE questionnaire.
3. Review the applicable proposal development webpages for checklists, templates, and other resources: 
   1. Budgeting 
   2. Data & Research Resources 
   3. National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
   4. National Science Foundation (NSF) 
   5. Other Federal Agencies 
   6. Non-Federal Agencies 

• Required to initiate proposal: INTAKE Questionnaire
  • INTAKE preview
  • See the Proposal Review, Approval, & Timeline Requirements for due dates.
• Required for all federal proposals:
  • Significant Financial Interest (SFI) Disclosure Form (see policy overview) 
• Required for National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals:
  • Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Student Training Plan (see policy)
• Required for sponsors following Public Health Service (PHS) financial conflict of interest (FCOI) regulations (e.g., NIH):
  • FCOI training and assessment (a score of at least 80%)
    • Self enroll in the Canvas course to access the training.
• Required for proposals involving subawards:
  • Subrecipient Commitment Form (Pre-Award) (see policy)

• Budget template
• Budget justification template
• Fringe benefits and indirect costs - current rates (FY25)
• Cost sharing template

See the budgeting webpage for more resources and guidance. For sponsor-specific tools and guidance, see the Agency Resources tab.

• How to develop a concept paper/letter of inquiry (LOI) (UWL)
• Proposal Writing Short Course (Candid)
• Logic models guidance and templates (UW Extension)

See the writing webpage for more resources.

• UWL Institutional Research, Assessment, & Planning
• Research Data Resources (Murphy Library)
• Individual Research Consultation (Murphy Library)

See the data & research resources webpage for more resources.

• UWL frequently requested information for proposals
• SF424 form Information
• UWL Institutional Research, Assessment, & Planning (IRAP)

NSF supports scientific and engineering research and education through several directorates. Highlighted resources are below:

• NSF Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
• NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
• Federal Proposal Development Timeline Calculator
• NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• Broader Impacts Toolkit & Wizard
• All templates & resources: NSF proposal development webpage

NIH supports biomedical research and education through multiple institutes and centers. Highlighted resources are below:

• NIH Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
• NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
• Federal Proposal Development Timeline Calculator
• NIH Application Guidelines
• All templates & resources: NIH proposal development webpage

• NEA Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
• NEH Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
• Federal Proposal Development Guide & Checklist (general checklist for agencies other than those listed above)
• NEW Federal Review Requirements & Timeline
• Federal Proposal Development Timeline Calculator
• All templates & resources: Federal proposal development webpage

• Non-Federal Agencies Proposal Development Guide & Checklist
• Non-Federal Proposal Development Timeline Calculator
• All templates & resources: Non-federal proposal development webpage

The IRB is responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in research projects. This includes research involving human specimens or data. IRB review and approval does not need to be completed before a grant application is submitted but must be completed before any research begins. Some tools are highlighted below:

• IRB Decision Map: a flowchart providing an overview of how a research project may be categorized
• Researcher's Guide for Submission of Protocols: a comprehensive guide to the submission of IRB protocols and the review process at UWL
• IRB Exempt Decision Tool: This online tool is for UWL faculty, staff, and students to seek an exempt status designation for a research project involving human subjects. Before completion, review ALL of the requirements on the IRB webpage, including information on eligible projects.
• Informed consent examples: examples of informed consent for general projects, complex or higher risk projects, and projects with children with assent

See the full IRB webpage. Contact IRB@uwlax.edu with questions.

The IBC is responsible for the oversight of research involving biological materials that entail a potential risk to humans, animals, or the environment (e.g., recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules; microorganisms and viruses; infectious agents or pathogens; biological toxins; human-derived tissues, fluids, and cells; non-human animal-derived tissues, fluids, and cells that are infectious, potentially infectious, or recombinant; genetically modified live animals; or other biological materials that may be toxic to living organisms). IBC review and approval does not need to be completed before a grant application is submitted but must be completed before any research begins.

See the full IBC webpage. Contact grants@uwlax.edu with questions.

The IACUC is responsible for the oversight of the humane care and treatment of animals used in teaching and research. This responsibility is both an ethical and scientific necessity, and each person involved in using animals shares in this responsibility. The Animal Care and Use Program at UWL is committed to the highest standards of research and recognizes that laboratory animals must receive the best possible care, not only to obtain valid research data, but to ensure the health and safety of animals, researchers, and animal caretakers.

See the full IACUC webpage. Contact IACUC@uwlax.edu with questions.

A chemical is defined as any element, chemical compound or mixture of elements and/or compounds. These materials can pose a variety of hazards, including but not limited to: toxic to humans and/or environment, fire and explosion. PIs/PDs should be prepared to identify all chemicals that will be used. The chemical identity can be completed through provision of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Physical hazards are defined as excessive levels of electromagnetic and ionizing radiations, noise, vibration, and extremes of temperature and pressure.

Research and instruction which require the purchase, possessions, or production of radioactive materials are subject to the provisions of the UWL license under the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services as an agreement State. All investigators are responsible for adhering to the requirements for training, sign posting, reporting and good laboratory practice as specified in the license.

UWL must additionally adhere to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations which establish minimum requirements for documentation, storage, and shipment of hazardous waste. 

PIs/PDs involved in research or use of chemicals or physical hazards should contact Environmental Health & Safety to assist in obtaining all required reviews and approvals. These approvals must be obtained before project work can begin but do not necessarily need to be completed before an application is submitted to a sponsor.

See Chemical & Physical Safety and Environmental Health & Safety for more information.

Export controls are federal laws that govern the export of certain items and information out of, into, and within the US in the interests of US national security, economic competitiveness, international treaties, and foreign policy. An export is the transfer/disclosure of items, materials, information, software, technology, or other unclassified but restricted data to any person outside the US, including a US citizen abroad. (OFAC also includes any services in its export definition, and ITAR includes defense services.) “Export” means not only the physical shipment of items from the US to a foreign country but also the release of controlled technology to foreign persons within the US by way of visual inspection, oral transmission, or training (“deemed export”). For the purposes of export control laws, a foreign person/organization is any person/entity who is not a: 

• US citizen 
• US permanent resident alien (“green card” holder)
• Protected political asylee/refugee 
• US government agency or state/local government 
• US business 
• US university 

UWL faculty, staff, and students planning to carry out activities that involve any of the following should fill out the UWL Export Controls Screening Survey well in advance of planned activities:

• International travel
• Work with foreign collaborators (faculty, staff, students, or others) or organizations (domestically or abroad)
• Sharing, exchanging, transporting, or shipping information, supplies, research materials, or equipment with foreign individuals or organizations (domestically or abroad, virtually or in person)

The survey provides an initial screening of activities to help assess potential risks and compliance requirements that may apply.

Export controls screening must be completed well in advance of when the activities will take place, but it is not necessarily required before a proposal is submitted. Consult with ORSP on specific requirements.

The university values the contributions of and collaborations with scholars from around the world. The diverse scholarly community and the openness of the scholarly enterprise has enabled discoveries that create a better nation and world. The university is committed to scholarly collaboration and openness, and also acknowledges the importance of being transparent about foreign relationships and activities. These relationships and activities are being paid increased scrutiny, particularly at the federal level. The general rule is that any and all activities and/or interests involving an international entity or collaborator be disclosed to ensure transparency and compliance with federal law. Requirements vary by project type and agency and apply to multiple application components and aspects of project activities. Examples  of these requirements include, but are not limited to, required disclosures in other support/current & pending support documents, biographical sketches, intellectual property and invention disclosures, external influence and interest reporting, gifts, international travel, import/export of tangible research materials and biological samples, foreign visiting scientists/scholars, and export controls and sanctions.

For additional considerations for international research and collaborations, refer to ORSP's guidance.

Intellectual property (IP) is a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a design, method, or manuscript, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, etc. An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, or process discovered during the course of a project that may be patentable. To be patentable, an invention must be novel, have utility (i.e., be useful for a particular purpose), and not be obvious.

Intellectual property (IP), inventions, and patents are subject to UW System policy, federal regulations (e.g., Bayh-Dole Act), and sponsor terms & conditions. The primary UW System policy requirements are as follows:

• Completion of IP agreements: All UWL faculty, staff (except clerical and nontechnical employees), and student employees working on extramurally funded scholarly projects must sign an electronic IP agreement before they begin any project work and before any award funds are spent.
• Disclosure of inventions: All inventions discovered by UWL faculty, staff, or students while pursuing their university duties, on university premises, or with university supplies or equipment must be promptly reported via the Invention Disclosure Form and submitted to UWL's WiSys Regional Associate. WiSys serves as the technology transfer office for UW comprehensive campuses.

See the full IP, inventions, and patents webpage for UW System and UWL requirements. Contact grants@uwlax.edu with any questions. Please note the webpage does not address additional federal regulatory or sponsor requirements.

To ensure compliance with federal regulations, before submission, all applications for federal funding, including subawards and federal flow-through funding, require all UWL investigators to complete a significant financial interest (SFI) disclosure form. The policy also applies to non-federal sponsors with FCOI requirements and research contracts with non-federal entities. The policy applies to all types of extramural funding mechanisms, including but not limited to grants, cooperative agreements, and sponsored research contracts. See FCOI Basics: Overview of Policy & Requirements for a summary of the requirements and items that need to be disclosed. The policy also applies to non-federal sponsors with FCOI requirements (e.g., Alliance for Lupus Research, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Lupus Foundation of America, Susan G. Komen for the Cure).

If applying to a Public Health Service (PHS) agency (e.g., NIH) or a non-federal sponsor that follows the PHS FCOI regulation, there is an additional FCOI training and assessment requirement for all investigators. As defined by PHS, investigators may extend beyond a project's PIs and co-PIs to include students, subrecipients, consultants, and/or other collaborators. Refer to the UWL Identifying Investigators resource for help determining who may constitute an investigator on a particular project. There are also FCOI requirements for external collaborators named in PHS agency applications. Refer to the UWL FCOI policy website for further information. 

UWL has established guidance for research that will include the payment of incentives to research participants. Incentive payments are low value payments or items given to individuals to encourage them to participate in research. In order to be an incentive, the value of a payment or item must be minimal and should be provided to all participants in the research project, regardless of whether they complete the activity. Incentive payments include small dollar items, cash, checks, or gift cards depending on the specifics of the individual research project. Drawings, raffles, and other “chance to win” offers may also be used as an incentive, but a Principal Investigator (PI) should consult with ORSP to determine allowability.

See ORSP's FAQs and the Business Services policy for guidance. Contact grants@uwlax.edu with questions. 

The following federal agencies have set forth RECR requirements for all institutions receiving agency funding:  

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) (only some funding mechanisms, such as R25 and R36) 
• National Science Foundation (NSF) 
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Each agency defines training expectations for undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel participating in projects funded by the above agencies, whether they are paid or unpaid.

For applications subject to RECR requirements, all PIs must complete an RECR Training Plan Form before submission. The form outlines the PI's plan for fulfilling personnel training obligations. The UWL RECR Policy for Federal Agencies details the specific training requirements for each agency and provides information on how to access online RECR training modules. 

It is the policy of UWL that the results of research shall be fully communicated; accordingly, UWL does not engage in classified research and will not agree to grant or contract provisions that restrict the right of a UWL employee to publish, release, or otherwise share findings derived from the sponsored activities. UWL does recognize that some research may require access to proprietary data. As a consequence, it will permit the sponsor of the research an opportunity to review materials prior to publication and to request changes in order to protect proprietary data. The final decision on whether to publish, however, remains with the researcher; the right of review by the sponsor does not contain a corresponding right of approval. In addition, this review period is not to exceed 90 days.

Although UWL will agree to receive proprietary information and will exercise best efforts to maintain the confidentiality of this information, it insists such proprietary information be restricted to that which is absolutely necessary for the research. It must be clearly marked as "proprietary" at the time it is received by UWL. Proposed exceptions to this policy, including the negotiation of contracts or agreements covering classified research in the national interest, must be approved by the cognizant dean or director and the chancellor or their designee.

Recognizing that honesty in the conduct of academic research is fundamental to its integrity, credibility, and maintenance of public trust, UWL Scientific Misconduct in Research outlines the policy and procedures for reviewing and investigating allegations of scientific misconduct in research. For purposes of this policy, "scientific misconduct" means fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data. Additionally, National Science Foundation (NSF) regulations define misconduct as retaliation of any kind against a person who reported or provided information about suspected or alleged misconduct and who has not acted in bad faith. NSF-funded science education activity is included within this misconduct in science policy.

Applications involving subawards to external collaborators are subject to additional requirements before an application is submitted and, for federal awards, before project work begins.

Before an application is submitted, subrecipient institutions must confirm their role in the proposed project and their requested budget. Before submission, an authorized organizational representative from the subrecipient (e.g., ORSP administrator) must provide the following documents to the lead institution:

• Scope of work
• Subaward budget and budget justification
• Subrecipient commitment form or written confirmation of the intent to collaborate (e.g., memorandum of understanding)

Templates for the above documents are available from ORSP. There may be additional compliance requirements contingent upon lead institution and sponsor requirements (e.g., FCOI training, SFI disclosures, other certifications).

Before project work begins for a federal award, subawards must undergo the processes outlined on the Subaward Risk Assessment & Monitoring website.

If a component of a proposal involves the participation of minors, the PI/PD is responsible for contacting UWL Youth Protection & Compliance to complete additional requirements. Some requirements will apply if a proposal is funded, and there may be associated costs that should be included in the proposal budget.