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Proposal Development

IMPORTANT: ALL sponsored proposals MUST be routed to and reviewed by the Harvard Chan School SPA office, whether or not the sponsor requires an institutional signature and/or allows the proposal to be submitted directly by the PI.  

Proposal development involves the preparation, review, and submission of a grant application. Important factors to consider BEFORE preparing a proposal can be found below. Once these factors have addressed follow the steps in the sponsor's Funding Opportunity Announcement for preparing the application. The Harvard Chan School Research Administration Proposal Checklist is a reference tool that can be used for when preparing proposals.  

Use the Proposal Submission Deadline Calculator to ensure that you meet required deadlines for submitting to SPA. If these deadlines are not met see the Late Proposal Notification Policy, Late Proposal Notification Form, and SPA Review of Late Proposals (Expedited Review).

To request an eRA Commons account affiliated with the Harvard Chan School, please submit an HSPH NIH eRA Commons Account Request.

See also: Proposal Development

PROPOSAL REVIEW DEADLINES

 

  • 10 BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO SPONSOR DUE DATE BY 10 AM EST
    • Draft application including subcontract material (if applicable) due from PI to department
  • 7 BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO SPONSOR DUE DATE BY 10 AM EST
    • Final application (when Harvard is Prime)  due from  department to SPA SRA.
  • 5 BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO SPONSOR DUE DATE BY 10 AM EST
    • Final RPPRs and Subcontracts sent from department to SPA SRA;
  • Proposals meeting Provost Criteria sent from SPA to the Office of the Provost

PROVOST REVIEW

Some projects may pose management challenges and/or reputational risk to Harvard. If a proposal or project meets any of the Provost Criteria, it requires approval by Harvard’s Office of the Provost before it may be submitted to the sponsor. In these cases, please follow the steps in the Provost Criteria Business Process and notify SPA as soon as possible, before the SPA proposal deadline.

PI ELIGIBILITY

PIs on research grants must have a faculty appointment or other eligible academic/research appointment at the Harvard Chan School.  The PI Eligibility Policy articulates the School’s policy on appointees’ eligibility to serve as PI on grants submitted through the School. The PI Eligibility Overview is a checklist of PI eligibility by appointment and award type. The PI Eligibility Waiver form needs to be completed for individuals who have a faculty or other academic appointment at the School but who are not employed by the Harvard Chan School or approved affiliate.

Outside Activity and Interest Reporting (OAIR)

All investigators on a PHS+ sponsored proposal must have an updated Outside Activity and Interest Reporting (OAIR) disclosure on file at the time of submission. Disclosures must be updated within the last year and investigator is defined as the project director or principal investigator and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded by the PHS (e.g., NIH), or proposed for such funding, which may include, for example, collaborators or consultants. OAIR disclosure statuses can be reviewed in the Approvals section of GMAS. A proposal cannot be submitted to a PHS+ sponsor unless an updated disclosure is on file for all investigators named on the proposal.

For more detailed information and resources, visit the HCSRA OAIR info page. For questions, please contact your SRA. 

REVISED NIH POLICY on Unsolicited Applications ≥ $500,000 in Direct Costs

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy Applicants must seek agreement to accept assignment from NIH Institute/Center staff at least 6-8 weeks prior to the submission of any unsolicited application meeting or exceeding the $500,000 direct cost limit in any one year. Note: this timeline may differ, depending on sponsor, so please check sponsor guidelines for specific submission requirements.

LIMITED SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES

Federal and non-federal funders frequently announce funding opportunities and awards for which the school or university is either restricted to submit a limited number of applications or is required to endorse nominees. Potential candidates may not apply directly to the specific foundations for these programs.  Reviews are managed by  Office of the Vice Provost and/or the school's Office of Research Strategy and Development. 

GIFT VS GRANT

A sponsored award is funded by an external (non-Harvard) source such as the federal government, foundations, and industry.  Sponsored awards must be routed to the Harvard Chan School, SPA office for review and authorization.  Sponsored awards can be classified into three categories: grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.  Some grants can be classified as gifts, and as such would be managed outside of the SPA office.  The University's Gift vs Sponsored Research Policy outlines the criteria for determining whether an award should be classified as a sponsored grant or a gift.  Your SPA SRA can assist you in making this determination.

SUBRECIPIENT MONITORING AND RISK ASSESSMENTS

Subrecipient monitoring is required by Harvard University’s Subrecipient Monitoring Policy and is an essential element of sponsored funding stewardship. All research administrators managing outgoing subawards share this responsibility. The HCSRA info page provides pre- and post-award guidance and resources to assist with the monitoring and assessment processes.