Pre-Proposals, Letters of Intent, and White Paper Submissions
A pre-proposal (also called a white paper or letter of intent) is typically a short description of a project used by a sponsor to determine who will be invited to submit a full proposal. It usually includes a brief summary of the scope of work and information about the research team. Pre-proposals do not commit the PI or the University to any actions unless otherwise specified.
When is Institutional Approval Required?
If certain information or approval is required by the sponsor, the pre-proposal, Letter of Intent (LOI), or white paper must be routed through the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) for institutional approval prior to submission. Use the flowchart provided by DSP to choose the correct routing process.
A pre-proposal must be routed through DSP for institutional approval if it includes:
- A detailed, line-item, or categorical budget
- Explicit personnel effort commitments (whether or not compensation is requested)
- Cost-sharing commitments
- Institutional endorsement (e.g., DSP signature, or submission through sponsor systems like Research.gov, NSPIRES, ProposalCentral, etc.) Note: For institutional endorsements, submission through UFIRST is not required. Instead, submit directly to ufproposals@ufl.edu.
- Involvement of a subrecipient, which requires email approval or a signed letter of intent from the subrecipient’s Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR), even if no budget information for the subrecipient is included
Submission Process and Deadlines
All pre-proposals that require UFIRST routing or institutional signatures must follow the UF/DSP internal deadline policy. This submission process applies only to pre-proposals. Any final proposal (i.e., any submission that could result in an award notice) is subject to all standard UF proposal processing guidelines.
If a pre-proposal needs to be submitted to ufproposals@ufl.edu, it will be reviewed by a DSP Sponsored Programs Officer (SPO). The SPO will either request edits or confirm the submission with the department/PI.
Limited Submission Programs
Sponsors frequently restrict the number of applications an institution can submit in response to a given funding opportunity. Information on institutional limitations can usually be found in the Eligibility, Submission Instructions, or Summary sections of solicitations but may appear elsewhere as well.
UF Research has established guidelines for selecting the proposal(s) that will be submitted in response to a limited submission program, and internal coordination procedures are posted as early as possible on the UF Funding Opportunities page.
UF-affiliated researchers who come across institutionally limited opportunities for which guidelines have not yet been published on the Funding Opportunities page should contact their research administrator as soon as possible to determine internal coordination procedures.
For application procedures, see UF Guidelines for Limited Submission Programs and Applying Through InfoReady Review.
To check the limited submission database for approved/not approved applicants, see Infoready Applicants.
Full/Solicited Proposals
Solicited proposals, such as Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), must be routed through UFIRST before submission to ensure compliance with both sponsor and institutional guidelines. These solicitations are often one-time with specific deadlines and requirements.
Renewal and Continuation Proposals
Competing renewal proposals (or competing continuations) request additional funding for projects nearing the end of their current funding period. These must be routed through UFIRST and approved similarly to new proposals.
Non-competing continuation proposals, which request funding for subsequent years in multi-year grants, typically consist of progress reports, budgets, and other materials. These proposals must also go through the proper routing process.
Resubmission
An unfunded application that has been modified following initial review and resubmitted for new consideration.
Per NIH: *Only a single resubmission (A1) of a competing new, renewal, or revision application (A0) will be accepted.*
Revision (Including Supplements)
Initial request for (or the award of) additional funds during a current project period to support new or additional activities that are not identified in the current award.
For NIH specific guidance on the different types of proposals, visit: Types of Applications
Last updated 10/03/2024