SPO is the authorized organizational office at Claflin University that is responsible for the submission of grant applications and contractual agreements to external sponsors. You must notify the Sponsored Programs Office if you intend to apply for a grant or enter into a contractual agreement with an external sponsor. The SPO office provides assistance with budget development and provides technical assistance with the preparation of proposals to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements.
Letter of Intent to Apply
The Letter of Intent to Apply serves as notification to SPO of the intent to submit an application to an external sponsor for funding. Once a funding opportunity has been identified, you must submit a Letter of Intent to Apply to SPO. The Letter of Intent to Apply is the mechanism that triggers the Pre-Proposal Consultation and initiates the Internal Review Process.
To Submit a Letter of Intent to Apply, please click on the button below and complete the questionnaire
Limited Submission Proposals
Some sponsors limit the number of nominations or proposals that may be submitted by an institution. When this situation occurs, SPO will determine which applications are submitted to the sponsor. SPO will carefully base the decision on a combination of factors including the order submissions are received, the quality of submissions and executive level review as needed.
It is essential that a Letter of Intent to Apply is submitted for Limited Submission applications so the appropriate process can be put in place to determine which applications will receive approval for submission.
If human subjects are involved in your project, then contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to have your project reviewed.
Pre-Proposal Consultations
After the Letter of Intent to Apply has been submitted to SPO, the assigned Sponsored Programs Administrator will reach out to schedule a pre-proposal consultation. The pre-proposal consultation is held to review the funding opportunity notice, develop a timeline for successful submission of the application, review the budget requirements and create a checklist of items needed for the proposal.
To determine your assigned Sponsored Programs Administrator, please see the SPO Contacts listing.
Internal Review Process
Before any grant or contractual agreement is submitted to a funding agency, it must be internally reviewed and approved by the institution. SPO manages the internal review and approval process. The internal review process allows relevant administrative departments to check each proposal in accordance with university and sponsor policies. The assigned Sponsored Programs Administrator will review the proposal against the sponsor guidelines, provide recommendations/comments and work with the faculty to complete the proposal and submit it to the sponsor.
A DRAFT of the application must be provided to SPO a minimum of seven (7) business days prior to sponsor deadline.
A proposal in DRAFT form means the following:
The draft budget and a draft version of each part of the application.
- If the application contains a sub-award, the sub-award entity must provide a budget, budget justification and signed letter of commitment from an authorized official at the sub-award institution.
- If the application contains a consultant arrangement, the terms of the arrangement must be confirmed in writing.
If the application is to be submitted via an electronic system, then the DRAFTdocuments should be uploaded into the system for review.
If the application is being submitted via a non-electronic method, then the DRAFTshould be submitted to the assigned Sponsored Programs Administrator in the format it will be sent to the sponsor.
*Budgets that include cost-share/in-kind/match must be approved by the Chair, and the Dean of the PI an also the Division of Fiscal Affairs.
*Budgets with “Release Time” must be pre-approved by the Office of the Provost with approval from the Chair and Dean of the PI. Please use the Faculty Release Time Form to obtain approval.
The FINAL version of the application must be ready for submission to the sponsor (5) business days prior to the deadline.
The means the FINAL budget and completed proposal documents.
If the application is to be submitted via an electronic system, then the FINAL documents should be uploaded into the system for review.
If the application is being submitted via email, then the FINAL documents should be submitted to assigned Sponsored Programs Administrator in the format it will be sent to the sponsor.
The following is a recommended timeline for ensuring that all applications are internally reviewed, approved and submitted by the deadline.
Other Institutional Resources
SPO manages and oversees sponsored research activities in coordination with the following institutional entities:
Division of Institutional Advancement
Fiscal Affairs