Start working with GCA as soon as possible —at least 4 weeks before the deadline— to allow time for basic review and budget development - additional time will be necessary if you also require GCA's editing services
A near-final draft of the proposal narrative and final budget and budget justification must be complete at least 10 business days before the deadline to start routing for internal approvals
Final reviewed and approved proposal documents should be complete at least 2 days before the deadline so GCA can assemble the application and avoid technical delays
Proposals for any kind of grant, contract, or cooperative agreement must be reviewed by Grants & Contracts Administration before submission to the sponsor, no matter the award source or amount. This includes awards to individuals where funds will be funneled through the university. When in doubt, please email grants@ung.edu.
During proposal review, a grant specialist will work with you to confirm your proposal follows all sponsor guidelines, as well as adheres to applicable university, state, federal, and sponsor regulations.
Before GCA can submit your proposal, the proposal narrative and budget must be routed through UNG’s internal approval process. This ensures your project is responsive to the University’s mission, has the necessary support, and that there are no disputes post-award, protecting both the Principal Investigator (PI) and academic units involved. Your grant specialist will fill out a Grant Proposal Internal Approval Form and circulate it for review and approval by the following people:
If faculty or staff from more than one unit are participating in the project, their respective department heads/supervisors and deans/directors must sign the form as well.
Sponsors generally require proposals to be submitted by authorized representatives of an institution, not the PI. Your grant specialist will work with you to determine the correct submission method and, unless instructed otherwise by the sponsor, will assemble the application and submit it on your behalf.
GCA also maintains institutional registrations/accounts that are required for sponsors' online application systems. This includes federal systems such as grants.gov, as well as agency-specific sites (e.g., NSF's research.gov) and non-profit systems. We also assist PIs with any individual account registrations required for submission. Please contact your grant specialist for assistance with these accounts.
The proposal review process can take as long as six months to a year, but there are plenty of things to keep a PI busy while waiting for an award notice: