Office of Sponsored Programs Pre-Award Services
The Pre-Award Services team in the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) looks forward to working with you to prepare and submit your proposal for external funding. Whether you are new to proposal writing or a seasoned Principal Investigator (PI), we encourage you to contact us at preaward@boisestate.edu for information and support at any point in the award-seeking and proposal development process.
PIs should contact Pre-Award Services as soon as possible but no later than five (5) full business days prior to a proposal submission deadline. In accordance with Section 4.1 of Boise State University Policy Number 5030, complete, final documents are due to Pre-Award Services at least five (5) full business days prior to the submission deadline. Narrative documents may be submitted to the Pre-Award Research Administrator (RA) three (3) full business days prior to the deadline. More information is available in the Proposal Document Submission Deadline Guide. Further, per Boise State University Policy Number 6080, PIs must submit Facilities and Administration (F&A) waivers and accompanying documentation, including but not limited to the internal budget, to Pre-Award Services no later than ten (10) full business days prior to the submission deadline.
Among other services, we provide:
- Proposal development support (budget development, forms, compliance review);
- Assistance with interpreting and applying funding agency guidelines;
- Electronic proposal submission; and
- Internal institutional review and endorsement of your proposal.
Quick Links
Institutional Information Fact Sheet
I want to learn about funding opportunities. See the Funding Blast.
I want to know about Limited Proposal Submissions. See the Limited Submission Opportunities.
Is it a gift or a sponsored project? See the Gift or Sponsored Project guide.
I want to submit a proposal to the Idaho National Laboratory. See the updated procedure.
Proposal Preparation Information
Proposal Submission Guide
All proposal submissions must begin in InfoEd PD using the Proposal Intake Form (PIF). This replaces the previous manual intake process via email and routing through Frevvo. Instructions for accessing InfoEd and completing the PIF are available in the InfoEd Job Aids folder.
The PIF gathers key information about the funding opportunity and sponsor deadlines, helping the Pre-Award team plan appropriately and assign staff to support each proposal. Completing the PIF signals your intent to submit a proposal, but it does not obligate you to move forward. If plans change and you decide to delay or cancel your submission, simply notify the Pre-Award team at preaward@boisestate.edu.
In accordance with Section 4.1 of Boise State University Policy Number 5030, a proposal is considered late when the final proposal is submitted to the RA less than five (5) full business days prior to the submission deadline. Narrative documents may be submitted to the RA three (3) full business days prior to the deadline. Please review the Proposal Document Submission Deadline Guide for more information.
NSF and NIH Proposals – Special Considerations
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program
Boise State is classified as a “Ph.D.-granting institution” as defined by NSF’s Major Research Instrumentation Program. Consistent with the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-69), cost sharing of precisely 30% of the total project cost is required for Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education. Please contact preaward@boisestate.edu if you intend to submit a proposal to the MRI program. The program limits the number of proposals submitted each year.
The Center for Research and Creative Activity (CRCA) facilitates an internal proposal vetting process in the fall of each year for the MRI program. To receive a notification of this and other limited submission programs, as well as other funding opportunity announcements, please subscribe to CRCA Connect.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
NIH Salary Cap
Certain Boise State employees’ institutional base salaries exceed the legislatively mandated salary cap on contracts, grants and cooperative agreements funded by NIH. Therefore, when submitting proposals to NIH, Boise State must adhere to the following requirements from NIH’s Guidance on salary limitations for grants and cooperative agreements FY2019 (the NIH Notice):
The Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019, restricts the amount of direct salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management has recently released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 6, 2019, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $192,300.
For the purposes of the salary limitation, the terms “direct salary,” “salary,” and “institutional base salary” have the same meaning and are exclusive of fringe benefits and facilities and administrative (F&A) expenses, also referred to as indirect costs. An individual’s institutional base salary is the annual compensation that the applicant organization pays for an individual’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, teaching, patient care or other activities. Base salary excludes any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of the duties to the applicant organization.
NIH grant/contract awards for applications/proposals that request direct salaries of individuals in excess of the applicable RATE per year will be adjusted in accordance with the legislative salary limitation and will include a notification such as the following: None of the funds in this award shall be used to pay the salary of an individual at a rate in excess of the applicable salary cap. Please see the salary cap summary and the time frames associated with salary caps.
An individual’s base salary is NOT per se constrained by the legislative provision for a limitation of salary. The rate limitation simply limits the amount that may be awarded and charged to NIH grants and contracts. An institution may pay an individual’s salary amount in excess of the salary cap with non-federal funds.
The salary limitation does NOT apply to payments made to consultants under an NIH grant although, as with all costs, those payments must meet the test of reasonableness and be consistent with institutional policy.
The salary limitation provision DOES apply to subawards/subcontracts for substantive work under an NIH grant or contract.
Competing grant applications and contract proposals that include a categorical breakdown in the budget figures/business proposal should continue to reflect the actual institutional base salary of all individuals for whom reimbursement is requested. In lieu of actual base salary, however, applicants/offerors may elect to provide an explanation indicating that actual institutional base salary exceeds the current salary limitation. When this information is provided, NIH staff will make necessary adjustments to requested salaries prior to award.
If you have additional questions, please review the entire NIH Notice and contact OSP Pre-Award Services at preaward@boisestate.edu.