Division of Research
Prepare and Submit a Proposal
Proposal Submission Policy
All researchers who engage in sponsored projects will comply with federal law, University policies, and sponsoring agency requirements. The timing of proposal submission will follow the University’s five/three day guidance.
Proposal submissions must adhere to all applicable regulations regarding the declaration of Current/Pending or Other Support. This includes disclosing all resources made available to key personnel in support of their research endeavors, regardless of whether they have a monetary value. This is a critical step to ensure there is no scientific, budgetary, or commitment overlap that could compromise the security and integrity of federally funded research.
It is the researcher’s responsibility to review the specific requirements for each sponsoring agency in advance, as important nuances and details vary by sponsor.
Proposal Submission Resources
Sponsored Projects closely reviews each research proposal, working with faculty and department administrators to refine the submission and ensure it complies with sponsor guidelines and policies.
A copy of this form must be completed and signed by each Brown University investigator and attached to
the funding proposal prior to proposal submission.
the funding proposal prior to proposal submission.
Individuals who are not automatically eligible for PI status by virtue of their appointment type must submit this form to the appropriate institutional officials and be approved for PI status before submitting contract and grant proposals and applications to external funding sources.
The purpose of this policy is to establish the eligibility requirements for an individual to serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) on an externally sponsored project at Brown University and to ensure that sponsored projects are conducted by those who have the requisite training, skill, commitment, and resources, as well as the appropriate relationship to the University.
View Brown University codes, registrations, rates and other data commonly requested for research funding proposals and awards.
The Division of Research provides updated guidance whenever agencies make changes to proposal requirements to help ensure research proposals are competitive and compliant with federal rules.
Huron Research Suite (HRS) is a software platform comprising of grants, agreements, and IRB modules. Huron offers a unified research dashboard for researchers and research administrators to manage their inbox for financial, legal and regulatory documentation, communication, delivery and compliance. Huron replaced Brown’s old electronic research administration system, Coeus, on Dec. 9, 2024.
NIH eRA Commons and NSF Research.gov are external research administration systems designed to manage grant proposal submissions and awards for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Cost sharing refers to a portion of total sponsored project or program costs that is not funded by the sponsor. Brown’s cost sharing guidance is based on frequently asked questions. Refer to the University policy for further details.
This set of guidelines is for proposals that are more complex than a single investigator R01 or basic NSF proposal.
A copy of this form is required for proposals and progress reports submitted to the National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship Program. This form should be completed and signed by each NRSA Fellow and Sponsor and attached to the Funding Proposal.
View and download this budgeting tool spreadsheet to assist in planning your pre-award budget. NOTE: The spreadsheet is not editable in google, but will be once downloaded and opened in Excel.
Note: Huron replaced Brown's old Research Administration system, Coeus, on Dec. 9, 2024.
Who Submits a Proposal
All externally funded research proposals at Brown University are processed and submitted by staff in either Sponsored Projects or the BioMed Research Administration (BMRA). These teams serve as the University’s authorized organizational representatives.
- Sponsored Projects processes all contract proposals at Brown as well as grant proposals for faculty outside of the Division of Biology and Medicine (BioMed).
- BioMed Research Administration (BMRA) is responsible for processing all BioMed grant proposals.
While both entities can submit proposals, only Sponsored Projects staff members have the authority to sign award documents.
The Sponsored Projects team supports Brown University faculty, students and staff in the acquisition, performance and administration of research projects and programs funded by external sources.
BMRA contributes to the academic mission of the Division of Biology and Medicine by providing support for obtaining sponsored research funds and managing sponsored research activity.
Help Developing Your Proposal
There are several staff teams across Brown that can assist researchers in preparing a competitive proposal.
The Research Strategy and Development team can help you strategize all proposal components, develop a delivery timeline, navigate resources at Brown and connect you with relevant people and offices on and off campus.
The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations in Brown’s Division of Advancement assists researchers with developing proposals for foundation grants.
Brown Technology Innovations is a source of help for researchers developing corporate-sponsored research proposals.
The Research Strategy and Development (RSD) team collaborates with the research enterprise and Brown faculty to identify research funding opportunities, perform strategic planning, develop research proposals and provide research leadership.
The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) works with Brown faculty and administrators to foster support for the University’s mission of research and service.
The mission of Brown Technology Innovations is to put Brown University’s technology first to drive commercial outcomes that benefit the University and society.
Ensuring Compliance
As you prepare a proposal, you may need to consider requirements pertaining to specific compliance areas, such as the use of human and animal subjects, international collaborations and use of controlled technology, conflicts of interest, responsible conduct of research training and more. The Research Integrity team provides support across these compliance areas, helping make sure proposals and projects follow all U.S. laws and regulations as well as University and sponsor requirements.
Research Integrity is a group of teams — including Animal Research Compliance, Export Controls, the Human Research Protection Program, Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement, Conflict of Interest and Regulatory Compliance — that partner with the research community to facilitate ethical research guided by governing policies and regulations.