Office of Grants & Sponsored Research
Submitting a Proposal
The Office of Grants and Sponsored Research works to assist Rollins faculty and staff in the process of applying for funding and in the administration of grants and awards. The following guidelines are provided to help individuals navigate the College's internal process for submitting an external grant application or proposal for funding.
Important note: Faculty interested in applying for an external grant should contact the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research early in the planning stage of their proposal. All formal applications for external funding must be reviewed by the Director of Grants and Sponsored Research prior to their submission.
Step 1
Plan ahead. The applicant should consult with his/her department chair both to alert the chair of the intention to apply for external funding and to determine whether any aspects of the proposed research could impede other functions in the department.
Step 2
The applicant may then work with the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research to locate potential sources of support. The Director of Grants and Sponsored Research may assist the applicant in making contact with potential sponsors, securing appropriate guidelines and application forms, developing strategies for the project budget and narrative, understanding any compliance regulations, and providing other technical assistance as needed.
Step 3
Once a funding source (or sources) have been clearly identified (and, if the source is a private or corporate foundation, approved by the Office of Foundation Relations to pursue), the applicant must complete a Grant Proposal Endorsement Form. Forms must be returned to the Director of Grants and Contracts to be routed for additional administrative review and approvals.
Step 4
The applicant may then proceed with preparing the full proposal in accordance with the funding agency's guidelines. The Director of Grants and Sponsored Research may provide technical assistance (including templates, timelines, budget development, editing, and formatting assistance, etc.) to ensure the proposal meets the funder's stated goals and is clearly aligned with the mission of the college. Final grant budgets must also be reviewed by the college's financial officers prior to submission. Additional resources are available to help faculty develop their project budgets.
Step 5
Final drafts of proposals must be provided to the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research at least 10 days prior to the sponsor's deadline for final internal review and to ensure successful on-time submission. Some smaller (non-federal) proposals may be submitted by the applicant directly only after final internal review and approval have been secured.