Proposal Preparation Checklist

Sponsor Checklists

As soon as possible, identify any proposal components that will require additional time and coordination (such as subawards, consultants, international activities, compliance special reviews, and obtaining one-time PI status). Prepare the rest of the proposal in accordance with MIT and sponsor guidance.

Initiating the Proposal

  • Have a discussion with the PI to get as much information as possible at this stage:
    • What are you applying for (solicitation number, deadline, start/end date)?
    • Who are you working with (subcontracts, outside vendors)?
    • When will you have the statement of work?
    • What’s the extent of the budget? What’s out of the ordinary (beyond typical staff/effort expenses)?
    • Will the project involve subawards, consultants, international activities, or special compliance reviews? (See below for additional requirements for these areas.)
    • Will the project have under-recovery or mandatory cost sharing?
  • Read the solicitation (Request For Application or Request For Proposal) and sponsor guidelines carefully.
    • Work with the PI to identify any proposal specific requirements, including forms, formatting, and page limits.
    • Be sure you are using current guidelines and forms.
  • Notify RAS contract administrator (CA) of the new proposal as soon as possible. Provide as much information as you can.

Components Requiring Additional Time

  • International engagements generally take considerable time and require review and risk assessment by multiple MIT central teams and departments.

  • Ensure that the consultant meets the criteria of a consultant/vendor and follow budgeting guidance for consultants. The consultant should provide a letter of collaboration that includes:

    • The consultant’s role on the proposal
    • The consultant’s experience with the type of research
    • Established and competitive consultant rate

    Check proposal guidelines to make sure any additional specifications are met.

  • Many sponsors will require additional information if there are compliance review items such as human or animal subjects. Indicate these items in the Compliance tab in KC. Common compliance review items are: 

    • International activity
    • Export control
    • Human subjects
    • Animal usage
    • Recombinant DNA
    • Biohazard materials
    • Radioactive isotopes

  • One-time PI status is reviewed and approved according to local policies and procedures for each school, college, or OVPR. After receiving approval for this submission, upload the documentation of PI status in KC as an attachment.

Common Proposal Components

  • Cover or Title Page: Contains specific information about the proposal and the Institute and requires specific authorizations/signatures. See MIT Facts and Profile Information  
  • Abstract or Project Summary: Outlines the proposed research, including the objectives, methodology, and significance of the research. 
  • Scope or Statement of Work (SOW): Provide enough detail, including a project timeline and deliverables, so that a reviewer can determine if the agreed-upon work was performed:
    • How will the work be done?
    • Where will the work be done?
    • Who will perform the work?  
  • Budget: Must include a complete cost estimate to conduct the project. Most sponsors require a detailed breakdown of the budget into defined categories and a detailed budget justification, explaining what costs will be paid for and how the expense was calculated. See Budget Development for more details.
  • Other MIT approvals: If the proposal includes faculty, staff, or students from another DLCI, route the proposal through that department.
  • Curriculum vitae or biographical sketch: Include and modify the CVs or biosketches per sponsor guidelines. 
  • References or letters of support (if needed). Letters should:
    • Meet sponsor requirements 
    • Arrive by the sponsor deadline 
    • Be sent directly to the PI or uploaded to a sponsor portal, as directed in solicitation
  • Description of facilities and equipment, if required
    • Use standard format, per sponsor guidelines 
    • Review and update as needed
  • Current and pending support: Lists the PI’s (and sometimes key personnel’s) current awards and pending proposals.
    • Use format and include all information required by the sponsor.
    • Make sure that the current and pending support for sponsored research matches what is in Kuali Coeus. For support outside of sponsored research, contact your RAS CA for review.
  • KC requirements for routing: 
  • Sponsor-specific representations/certifications: Prepared by your RAS CA.