Internal Proposal Submission Deadlines
Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) Release Date: November 2, 2022 and rereleased on November 28, 2023
Internal Proposal Deadlines
Per OSP Operating Standard 300.03 – Deadlines for Proposal Submission to University Offices, OSP and Sponsored Programs Office (SPO) have outlined internal deadlines for receiving proposals to review prior to the sponsor submission deadline. Prior review and approvals from the department are also required to assure internal support for the proposed activities. These prior internal approvals are obtained during the routing of the RAMSeS Internal Processing Form (IPF) and should include necessary proposal components and be submitted according to the deadlines listed below.
5 Business Daysprior to sponsor deadline
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2 Business Daysprior to sponsor deadline
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The internal proposal deadline procedure must be followed for all proposals, including when the sponsor due date is flexible, or the department prefers to submit the application prior to the sponsor deadline. In these situations, a partial review will not be provided and any internal deadlines will be adjusted to allow for 5 business days to complete a full proposal review.
Submission deadlines exist to preserve the integrity of the research process for the University, departments, and investigators alike. It is our collective responsibility to ensure proposals are submitted and reviewed following established standards and procedures.
Risks of Late Submission with a Partial Review
Proposal applications completed according to process guidelines will receive a full submission review. Late or incomplete submissions will receive only a partial review of proposal components and materials and additionally, may not receive institutional signature before the sponsor deadline. OSP may also not be able to accept or approve awards on behalf of the University if the proposal was not first reviewed for compliance prior to submission to the sponsor.
Partial reviews are not an option that departments may choose; rather, they are a result of a delayed submission. A partial review will only be completed when there is an established sponsor deadline, AND when the initial submission to OSP or SPO occurs with less than 5 business days remaining until that date. For submissions on a flexible sponsor deadline, OSP and SPO will always adjust the internal deadline in the IPF to allow for 5 business days to complete a full proposal review.
It is highly discouraged for OSP and SPO to process partial reviews as it exposes the University to several risks and can lead to negative consequences at both the proposal phase and at the time of the award.
Consequences of Late Submissions with a Partial Review
Rejection of Proposal Submission
- If the University has not met the sponsor and agency guidelines, proposals may be administratively rejected without being peer-reviewed.
Non-Acceptance
- The University may not be able to accept the award or in some cases may only be able to accept a reduced or modified award.
Delays in Award Set-up
- Late submissions often result in delays in award setup as additional time is needed to review all proposal components and materials not completed as part of a full review.
Acceptance of Non-Standard Terms
- If the University is unable to negotiate terms and conditions that were accepted as part of the proposal submissions, the Principal Investigator and Department may have to agree to non-standard terms if an award is to be executed.
Related Resources
- For historical reference only: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) – Internal Deadlines for Proposal Submissions to University Offices
- UNC System Policy Manual 500.4 [R] – Regulation on Administering Sponsored Programs
- OSP Operating Standard 100.01 – Introduction
- OSP Operating Standard 200.01 – Office of Sponsored Programs Responsibilities
- OSP Operating Standard 200.02 – Signature Authority
- OSP Operating Standard 300.01 – Shared Responsibilities of Proposal Review & Institutional Approval
- OSP Operating Standard 300.03 – Deadlines for Proposal Submission to University Offices
For proposal related questions, please contact your department’s OSP Sponsored Programs Specialist or SPO Grants Analyst assigned to the RAMSeS IPF. For all award activities please contact your department’s OSP Sponsored Programs Specialist. For all other general inquiries or questions on this announcement, please email SponsoredPrograms@unc.edu.