Sponsored Programs Grant Process

Any promise or use of Texas A&M University-Commerce resources, faculty time, equipment, or facilities concerning a grant must be submitted and controlled by Sponsored Programs.

Sponsored Programs reviews the application and its attachments, routes the proposal internally for approval to the required signers, and submits the proposal to the appropriate sponsor for external funding. We ensure that all externally funded projects that are conducted by TAMUC employees will comply with all Texas A&M University System, state, federal, and sponsor policies.

Allow ample time to complete the entire process.  It is hard to submit a proposal in a week even for experienced Principal Investigators.

Responsibilities of Personnel 

1.  Make a Preliminary Budget

You will need to know approximately how much money you will need for your project. Compile a list of the items you believe will be needed for your project.  Once you find a likely opportunity, send the budget information to your Sponsored Programs Proposal Administrator. Your PA will ensure that all calculations are correct and that fringe benefits and other required items are included.

2.  Make an Outline or Summary of Your Idea

You should have a clear idea of what you would like to accomplish with your project.

3.  Find Funding Opportunities:

Use Grants.gov, NSF.gov, NIH.gov, or even Google to find funding that matches your research's criteria. You may contact osp@tamuc.edu if you have trouble with this process.

4.  Write a Proposal

Carefully read the sponsor's guidelines.  These are usually found in the "Request for Proposal (RFP)" or the "Program / Funding Announcement." These guidelines should give you specific information regarding the required sections, format, length, margins, and font requirements.

5.  Complete the Sponsor's Application Forms

There may be several forms that are required to be completed as part of the proposal package. Review them carefully and do not leave any boxes blank.  Type "N/A" if the box does not pertain to your research. Our University Info page has much of the information needed to complete any application such as the university's EIN or UEI numbers. Contact osp@tamuc.edu if you need assistance in completing the forms.

6.  Cost Share

The Principal Investigator (PI) must include any required cost-share information in the proposal.  This is required if TAMUC has committed a cost share for the proposal.  The PI must explain the form the cost share will take, i.e. faculty time, supplies, etc.  A Conflict of Interest form may be required for submission. It is TAMUC's policy to NOT include Cost Share unless it is required (in writing) by the sponsor.

7.  Protocols

If required, you must apply a research protocol to the correct committee. Be sure to check your sponsor's guidelines to see if this can be done after you submit, or if it must be complete before you submit your proposal to the sponsor. Each committee (IACUC, IBC, and IRB) has set dates for submitting and reviewing the protocols that have been received.

Contact Research Compliance with any questions.

8.  Submit the Proposal to Sponsored Programs

Email all electronic documents a minimum of 3 business days before the proposal deadline.  The earlier the better, as Sponsored Programs will need to review all documents for content and sponsor requirements as well as routing for internal approvals.

If your sponsor requires a hard-copy submission, make the required number of copies based on the sponsor's guidelines (do not staple them together), provide a copy of the agency guidelines and the link to the grant's information page and hand deliver with a minimum of 7 days before the proposal deadline.

9.  Procession of the Submission

Sponsored Programs will review the budget, formatting, certifications, protocols, and cost-share information.

If errors are found, we will contact the PI and ask for corrections to be made and resubmitted.  This will continue until the Sponsored Programs feels all criteria have been met.

Sponsored Programs will create the routing for the proposal in Maestro. It must route through the PI who will review it and make sure everything is correctly input in Maestro. Then it moves on to the PI's department head and college dean. If there are collaborator(s), it must also route through their department head(s) and college dean(s). Once it has finished that process, it will move on to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (VPRED) for the final signature.  

This process can take some time. That is why we would like the proposal submitted as soon as you can for all of the steps to be completed before the deadline.

Once the VPRED has approved the proposal, Sponsored Programs will submit the proposal to the funding agency in the required format. If a hard copy is required, the original and the copies will be sent to meet the deadline.

The PI will receive a confirmation confirming that the proposal has been submitted.

10.  Status Alerts

Sponsored Programs will notify the PI of any questions from the sponsor. The PI must notify them if they directly receive any administrative or budget questions from the sponsor.

11.  Award Announcement

The sponsor will either contact the PI directly or send the award documentation to the office. If the award document is sent to the PI, the PI should immediately forward it to Sponsored Programs so that it can be executed and the accounts created for the funding.

By this time, the PI should have submitted any required protocol applications to Research Compliance and have completed all required training (both PI and all people listed on the protocol). 

No research can begin and no funds will be allowed to be spent until all required training and protocols are complete. This includes faculty and students working on the research.

Upon completion, Financial Services will contact the PI and an account number will be emailed to the PI for use by the department(s).