A pre-proposal or letter of intent outlines a non-binding understanding between a sponsor and a PI which they intend to formalize. The majority of sponsor requests for pre-proposals/LOIs may be submitted directly by the PI/DLCI to the sponsor without RAS endorsement. These pre-proposals/LOIs are non-binding to MIT, will not result automatically in an award, and do not require institutional sign-off in RAS.
When the pre-proposals/LOIs require institutional signature or submission by an authorized official (such as in NSF Research.gov, NSPIRES or Grants.gov Workspace), include binding commitments, or may result automatically in an award, they must be entered and routed in KC as a pre-proposal by the DLCI to obtain MIT authorized approval before the submission. If you aren’t sure about whether your pre-proposal/LOI requires RAS review and submission, please contact your Contract Administrator. We encourage PIs/DLCIs to route these Pre-Proposals/LOIs as early as possible.
For proposals responding to limited submission opportunities, contact the MIT Office of Research Development.