Submitting a Proposal

Submitting proposals, executing awards, conducting research, and administrating sponsored projects involves many different people and units throughout the University of Miami campuses.

While there may be some minor variations in processes from Department to Department and College to College, this matrix outlines the general process and identifies the appropriate party that has primary responsibility for different activities throughout the life cycle of a sponsored award.

Before a proposal can be submitted to the sponsor, several requirements must be met:

• The proposal must be fully routed and approved in IBISResearch
• All required documents must be uploaded and final
• Any required ancillary reviews or waivers must be completed
• The proposal must meet ORA internal deadlines

Submitting early allows time to address compliance or formatting issues before the sponsor deadline.

💡 If you are unsure whether a special review applies to your proposal, consult the Grants Ancillary Review Matrix or contact ORA.

IBISResearch is used to route proposals for internal review and approval prior to submission.

During routing:

• Departmental and school/unit approvers review the proposal
• Required reviewers and approvers are automatically notified
• ORA conducts an institutional review for compliance and completeness

 Once all approvals are obtained, the proposal is cleared for submission.

💡 Tip: Monitor the proposal’s status in IBISResearch to ensure approvals are completed on time.

💡 Jackson involvement should be indicated on the funding proposal.

Some sponsors require proposals to be submitted through their own electronic systems. At the University of Miami, most Grants.gov applications are submitted through IBISResearch. However, certain proposal types and sponsors require the use of sponsor-specific systems. Common sponsor systems include:

• NASA NSPIRES (e.g., Program Projects, Center Grants, and other complex NIH submissions)
• NIH ASSIST
• Research.gov for select opportunities that do not route through Grants.gov

Depending on the sponsor and submission method:

• ORA may submit the proposal on behalf of the PI, or
• ORA may support the PI during submission

ORA will confirm the appropriate submission method for your proposal.

Before submission, ORA performs a final review to ensure that:

• Sponsor guidelines are followed
• Institutional policies are met
• Required approvals and documentation are complete

After review, ORA submits the proposal to the sponsor or confirms submission when sponsor systems require PI action.

💡 Last‑minute changes can delay submission, final versions should be ready in accordance with the APplication Deadline Policy.

After the proposal is submitted:

• Submission confirmation is documented
• If submitted via the PI/Department, PI and Department must provide ORA with a complete submission packet
• The proposal record remains available in IBISResearch
• ORA may follow up if the sponsor requests clarification or corrections

If funded, the proposal transitions to award setup and post‑award management workflows

Submitting a proposal can involve multiple systems and deadlines. ORA is available to assist faculty and staff throughout the submission process.

Contact ORA if:

• You are unsure how your proposal will be submitted
• A sponsor system issue arises
• You have a tight or complex submission deadline
• You need clarification on routing or approvals