Resources

• How to Pull Current and Pending in UFIRST
• UFIRST Training
• UFIRST Tutorials

• Cost Sharing Policy
• Fringe Rates
• Graduate Student Minimum Salaries
• Indirect Cost Rates (IDC / Facilities & Administrative)
• UF Federally Negotiated Indirect Rates

• Grant Writing Resources Excel

• Budget Justification Guide
• Frequently Used Facts for Proposal Submission
• Funded Proposal Examples
• Pre-Proposal & Letter of Intent Policy
• SciENcv Preparation
• Scope of Work Sample
• Smathers Libraries Grant Guidelines
• UF Research’s Proposal Preparation and Submission
• Collaborate with UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI)

• Budget Justification Template
• General Templates
• Human Subjects Narrative Guidance & Template
• SciENcv Biosketch Template
• Scope of Work Template
• Statement of Intent to Establish a Consortium Agreement

• Conflict of Interest Boilerplate
• Cost Analysis Boilerplate
• Dissemination Plan Boilerplate
• General Facilities Equipment & Other Resources Boilerplate
• IES Data Management Plan Boilerplate
• NSF Data Management Plan Boilerplate
• Human Subjects Guidance

• Biosketch Samples & Templates
• Grants Process Overview
• Budget Development
• Other Support Document
• Writing Guidance

• Budget Development
• Budget Justification Template
• Collaborators and Other Affiliations Template
• Current and Pending Support Document
• Postdoc Mentoring Plan Template
• Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• Proposal Preparation
• Proposal Preparation Checklist
• PI Effort 2-Month Statement
• Synergistic Activities Template

Biosketch

A document that displays an individual’s experience, qualifications, and expertise when it comes to a specific role for a project. Biosketches are required in many grant application forms and in personnel progress reports. SciENcv is typically used to create biosketches that follow the particular Sponsor’s guidelines. Read this article for more information on biosketches. For a SciENcv template, click here.

Budget Justification

The portion of a proposal that communicates how the funds requested will be used to accomplish the scope of work. The budget justification can be thought of as a narrative version of the budget.

Consultant 

An individual who provides professional advice or services for a fee. For specifics on what this entails, refer to the article here. 

Cost Share

The portion of the total project costs that are not paid by the sponsor. Includes resources within a department, college, or from another third party outside of UF. 

Direct Costs 

Costs which are necessary to the performance of the scope of work and are easily identifiable and allocable to the project. These costs directly benefit the scope of work. These costs must be allowable, allocable, necessary, and consistently treated. Examples include salary, fringe, supplies, travel, etc.

Effort Commitment 

A commitment is reflective of the promise of time/effort made to the sponsor.  This time can be designated over the life of the award, a project period, a budget period, or to specific terms. UF talks about effort in terms of person months. For example, Dr. Smith will work on Project ABC for 3 person months each year of the project.  

Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs / Indirect Costs

A representation of the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with a particular project or activity but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the conduct of activities it performs. Also called indirect costs, IDC, or overhead. Examples include general purpose office supplies, administrative costs, building custodial services, utilities, libraries, etc. 

Fringe

Refers to “Fringe Benefits,” which are benefits, other than salary, associated with employment at UF (insurance, retirement, etc.). When salary for a UF employee is charged to a sponsored project, fringe is also included in order to cover the cost of these benefits.

Key Personnel 

Individuals whose specific expertise and involvement is necessary for completing the scope of work. Change in the involvement of these personnel typically requires changes to the scope of work.

Pre-Proposal / White Paper / Letter of Intent

A short project description submitted to the sponsor in order to determine who will be invited to submit a full proposal. Pre-proposals include a scope of work and information about the research team. For more specifics, see UF Research’s article here.

Principal Investigator (PI)

The lead researcher responsible for overseeing and managing a research project, including its design, conduct, funding, and reporting. For PI eligibility, see UF Research’s article here.

Project Summary 

A document or section of a document that provides a concise overview of the project. It is written for a non-specialist audience, and should state the key activities, expected final outcomes, and the main goal of your proposal. 

Proposal Narrative / Project Narrative

A document that covers the purpose, timeline, significance, description, and outcomes of the proposal. The budget may or may not be included in the proposal narrative.

RFP/RFA (Request for Proposal / Request for Application)

The invitation from funding sources to those interested in submitting applications. It will include the specific rules and documentation needed to successfully submit to the sponsor. Also called a solicitation.

Scope of Work

The portion of a proposal that communicates the action plan that a PI will undertake if their submission is selected for funding. It communicates what or how research is to be accomplished.

Subcontract 

A secondary contract issued by the primary contractor or recipient (e.g, UF) to another party, known as the subcontractor, to perform a specific portion of the work or services required by the primary contract. A subcontract might be used to delegate certain tasks, such as specialized research, data analysis, or technical work, to another institution or organization. The subcontractor is responsible for completing their assigned tasks under the terms and conditions set by the primary contract. 

UFIRST

The proposal, agreement, and award management system of the University of Florida. UFIRST is mandatory for the entry and routing of proposals and agreements managed by Sponsored Programs. UFIRST allows transparent tracking throughout the lifecycle of the award from proposal development to proposal submission to award negotiation, setup, and management. For UFIRST training, see here.