CALS Pre-Award: New Timely Proposal Submission Policy in Effect

As of earlier this month, SPARCS implemented the Timely Proposal Submission Policy. The full policy and purpose for the policy is available on this website.  

Please note, CALS Pre-Award Office has delegated authority to submit proposals for the College but we do not have the authority to review terms/conditions, submit to sponsor portals where SPARCS is the primary user (these do not include standard portals, e.g., assist, grants.gov or research.gov), negotiate proposal stage agreements or review reps and certs. These are a few examples of the items which require input/signature by SPARCS. Below is the full list and required days for items to be submitted to SPARCS: 

Proposal Requests Requiring Two (2) Business Days Advance Notice

• Letters of Intent or other transmittal letters
• Cover pages
• Submissions to a sponsor portal in which SPARCS has an existing registration

Proposal Requests Requiring Five (5) Business Days Advance Notice

• Solicitations, Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) that contain contract terms and/or other relevant terms requiring SPARCS review
• Representations and Certifications documents
• Proposal Stage Agreements requiring review/negotiation and signature (Allocation of Rights, Intellectual Property Management Plans, Teaming Agreements, etc.)
• Submissions requiring new registration in a sponsor portal

Therefore, it is important PINS are initiated timely by PIs to allow for CALS Pre-Award to review the RFA/required forms and route any required forms to SPARCS by their above-specified deadlines. 

If the above deadlines are not met, as specified on the website, these are now considered “RUSH” requests and have specific instructions for submission and include an email to SPARCS with a cc to Associate Dean for Research, along with a description of why the request was submitted late and any relevant documentation. 

Lastly, as part of this policy, the following was noted:

Upon receipt of the RUSH request, SPARCS will flag the project to prioritize resources to make every reasonable effort to meet the deadline.  However, please be advised that following the guidelines above does not mean that SPARCS will handle the request immediately, nor does it guarantee that SPARCS will be able to accommodate the request prior to the deadline in all circumstances.