Proposal preparation

A PI who has identified a funding opportunity for which they will apply should contact an ORSP Pre-award specialist and provide the proposal guidelines as soon as possible. If the PI is from a school or college with a grants coordinator or a fiscal officer, they are strongly encouraged to notify them as well.

The ORSP provides several documents that can help guide your proposal preparation.

  • Proposal Checklist – Lists the documents required for submission of a proposal to the ORSP for review
  • Proposal Transmittal Form (PTF) – A cover page that summarizes key elements of a proposal. PIs are required to complete this form and obtain signatures up to the University Approval section prior to submission to ORSP.
  • Budget template – Budgets can range from a single category spent in one year to a multiple category plan spent over several years that must account for changes in salary and external subawards. The provided budget template is meant to serve as a starting point for a new investigator planning a new project. To help explain some components of the budget, a sample budget with embedded comments is also available. While the PI is responsible for identifying the financial needs of the project, the ORSP Pre-award specialist can assist in development of complete and accurate budget.
  • Sample budget justification – In addition to the budget itself, a proposal requires a written budget justification to explain the components that went into making the project budget. This sample budget justification highlights some of the components required and aligns with the values in the sample budget.
  • Mercer University Fact Sheet and Profile Information 

Electronic Research Administration

Mercer and many sponsoring agencies utilize Electronic Research Administration (ERA) systems to administer grants and to manage grant-related activities. Features may include fund searches, guided proposal preparation, submission and communication systems, electronic routing, tracking, and reporting.

The following ERA systems require Sponsored Programs to initiate accounts:  Contact grantsandcontracts@mercer.edu about setting up an account with Cayuse.  

  • Mercer utilizes the Cayuse Proposals S2S module to facilitate the preparation and submission of grants to the National Institutes of Health and some other federal awards.
  • National Institutes of Health requires an account for eRA Commons.
  • National Science Foundation requires an account for Research.gov

The following ERA systems allow PIs to directly set up an account and profile that can be affiliated with Mercer University. Sponsored Programs will receive notification to confirm your affiliation.

 

Please contact a Pre-award specialist at (478) 301-2801 or grantsandcontracts@mercer.edu if you need help with any of these resources.