Submission Deadlines (5/2 Day Deadline Policy)

The Research and Sponsored Programs Office is responsible for the review and approval of all proposals for research and other sponsored activities that are to be funded by external agencies. We understand proposal preparation takes considerable time and effort and in order to provide optimal and equitable service to all Rutgers University faculty, there is an acknowledged need of internal deadlines for proposal submissions. For this reason, our team has adopted the 5/2 Day Deadline policy which must be followed by all Rutgers faculty for all proposals to be submitted to an external sponsor. This policy also applies to any other activity that is submitted to us for review (i.e., progress reports, letters of intent, subawards, etc.).

Research and Sponsored Programs cannot guarantee a complete and thorough review of a proposal when the 5/2 deadline is not met. Furthermore, priority for review and submission will be given to those PIs who have complied with the 5/2 deadline policy.

The 5/2 Day Deadline Policy requires that:

• All administrative items are required in their final version, with placeholders for the final science, by 12pm noon five (5) business days before the sponsor deadline.
• The proposal in its final form for submission to the sponsor, including the final science, is due by 12pm noon two (2) business days before the sponsor deadline.
• Once our team reviews the proposal, the Grant Specialist may request changes to the administrative and/or scientific components of the proposal in line with all applicable university and sponsor policies. All changes requested by our office must be completed and returned to us no later than 9am Eastern Time on the day of the sponsor deadline.

Research and Sponsored Programs is not responsible for additional changes that the investigator may make to the proposal during this time or any adverse impact such changes may have on the proposal submission. Requests to withdraw and resubmit changes once a proposal has been submitted to the sponsor are at the discretion of our office.

For all proposals being submitted via the sponsor's electronic system, such as NSF FastLane, Proposal Central, etc.:

• If the system permits, Research and Sponsored Programs must be granted access to the submission a minimum of five (5) days in advance of the sponsor's deadline.
• If the sponsor’s system does not allow our team access, a copy of the final proposal must be provided in accordance with the established 5/2 day deadline policy.
• All documents, including the final science, must be uploaded in final format with granted access to our team by 12pm noon two (2) business days before the sponsor deadline.

Documentation Required for the 5/2 Day Deadline Policy

Five (5) Business Day Deadline

1. Completed RAPSS Funding Proposal with PI Signature/PI Approval to Submit and the working project title
2. Sponsor's guidelines.
3. Final proposal excluding Final Science
4. Final budget with budget justification
5. Subaward documents (if applicable):
   - Budget
   - Budget Justification
   - Scope of Work
   - Letter of Intent or Subrecipient Commitment Form (please see Subaward Preparation for applicability of the appropriate form)

Two (2) Business Day Deadline

1. Completed RAPSS Funding Proposal with all required signatures/department approval and final project title

2. Completed electronic Conflict of Interest disclosure (eCOI): For all Investigators, a disclosure must be on file and active (submitted within the last 12 months) at the time of proposal submission. A new disclosure is not required.

3. Final Science, which may include:
   - Project Summary/Abstract
   - Project Narrative
   - Bibliography & References Cited
   - Facilities & Other Resources
   - Specific Aims
   - Research Strategy
   - Resource Sharing Plan(s)
   - Other, as required by the Sponsor

Proposal Development Timeline

The timeline below is a representative example of the proposal submission timeline for PIs and Department Administrators. This timeline has been developed to allow sufficient lead time to produce a quality proposal, receive required internal approvals, and ensure thorough central office review prior to submission. Faculty should also keep in mind pertinent School policies, which will require additional lead time beyond the requirements of Research and Sponsored Programs.