Prepare Submission

Once you have your final proposal and accompanying documentation, submit to your grant officer: corporate and private foundation approaches will be shepherded by the Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations, located in University Advancement, and government grants will be shepherded by the Office of Research. The staff will assist you in submitting the proposal electronically or will make the appropriate copies and mail the proposal via an overnight courier.

Once submitted, the proposal will be reviewed according to funder's criteria and merit. The length of the process varies greatly from funder to funder (typical in the case of Foundations). If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact your grant officer.

Processing Your Proposal

Please note that the order of the steps outlined below is typical. In some cases faculty are encouraged to first consult with the responsible grant officer.

Step 1: Schedule a meeting with your grant officer for a final review of the proposal and project budget. It is also a good idea to develop your proposal timeline with the end-date in mind.

Step 2: Submit a draft electronically to your grant officer for review and editing against funder guidelines. This can be done more than once, time permitting.

Step 3: Work through your grant officer to secure all of the necessary approvals and signatures (PI, Co-PI, Department Chair, Dean, Director or Grant Officer). In some cases, additional signatures, or that of the president, may be required. Only the Pacific University President or his/her designee can legally bind the University to grant/ contract agreements. Among those individuals so designated, the Associate Provost for Research and the Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations are the customary Authorized University Officials for grant applications and awards. The principal investigator, department chair, dean and director are not authorized to sign for the University.

Step 4: Submit the original proposal package to your grant officer at least five (5) days before the proposal is to be mailed or submitted electronically. Once the proposal is reviewed, there may be recommended changes. If the proposal is submitted as a hard copy, it will be sent standard overnight by FedEx. Electronic proposal submissions are coordinated by your grant officer. After the proposal is submitted, a signed copy will be sent to the PI electronically or in hard-copy format.

Step 5: Electronic Submission for federal funding is usually handled through the Federal Government's website, which manages all federal funding requests and then channels applications to the various federal agencies. The website also provides a Track My Application service allowing the researcher to follow their application through the process.