Proposal Development

Let us help you submit strong, competitive proposals.

The PDO’s strives to provide researchers and research teams with the support needed to submit well-written, organized, competitive proposals to secure funding for their activities. We offer our proposal development services to individual researchers, small teams, and large teams, including NCSA staff and affiliated faculty. We encourage researchers to contact us as early as possible in the process so we can meet their needs in the most efficient and effective way.

Our core services include: 

  • Preparing planning documents & timelines
  • Developing detailed budgets & coordinating cost-share
  • Managing supplemental documents, including biosketches, disclosures, and required plans
  • Reviewing proposals for compliance
  • Working with collaborators and sub-awardees to obtain supporting documents
  • Submitting your proposal to campus and funders

Request Support for Your Proposal

Complete the online request for support using the Proposal Commencement Tool* as soon as you can with as much information as you have. More details can be added as you have them.

*Please note: Our Proposal Commencement Tool is only available to NCSA staff and affiliated researchers. If you are unable to access the tool, contact the PDO directly to ask about submitting a request for support. 

Other Services

PDO staff are also available to provide supplemental support beyond our core services. This support requires additional time, which can impact internal deadlines. Contact the PDO as early in the process as possible to make sure we have enough time to provide all the support we can.

  • Pre-Submission Review: Ensuring your proposal is well-written, organized, and meets the criteria of the solicitation
  • Document Creation: Assisting with the development of supplemental documents, including templates and boilerplate language
  • Writing Support: Drafting of non-technical sections and text-editing of full proposals

Budget Development

PDO staff are here to help you develop detailed budgets and re-budgets for projects of any duration and will collaborate with you as the details about a particular project change over time. As you start thinking about what elements your proposal budget will include, consider the following categories of expenditures.

  • Personnel
  • Equipment  
  • Travel
  • Participant Support (non-UIUC participants only)
  • Materials/Supplies
  • Publications
  • Consulting Services (non-UIUC only)
  • Sub-Contracts

 

You do not need to know all  the details of an expected budget before you make a request for help. Let the PDO help ask the useful questions to fill out the specifics. We are happy to provide multiple drafts and help you work through options. 

Supplemental Documents & Compliance

The PDO provides information, guidance, and administrative support to help researchers meet federal, state, and university rules and policies governing research effectively and efficiently. We also maintain contact with University staff who can provide further expertise and answer specific questions.

Data Management Plans

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Broadening Participation in Computing

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Safe & Inclusive Work Environments

Learn more about NSF's new required certification on some proposal submissions.

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Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

Learn more about government requirements for proposals involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

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Conflicts of Interest

Learn more about reporting and avoiding conflicts of interest by using ORCID, SciENcv, and other tools.

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The PDO is commited to providing reseachers with the most up to date information about avoiding potential conflicts of interest and required reporting and disclosures, both for the University and for federal funders.
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Other Compliance Resources

Learn more about other potential compliance requirements and available resources.

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Need help with a proposal?

Contact the Proposal Development Office for help in planning for future proposals or developing and submitting a current one.