Review the tabs below for more information.
Proposal Process and Timeline
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) has detailed the proposal process, including helpful flowcharts, here.
While some funding agencies may allow an investigator to submit requests for sponsored funding directly, faculty, students, and staff of Tufts University are obligated to comply with internal procedures and must allow time for School and OVPR Central Office review of external funding requests prior to submission. The OVPR Pre-Award office is the only entity authorized by Tufts to approve requests for sponsored funding and accept awards on behalf of the University. All applications for sponsored funding are required to be received for institutional review no later than five business days prior to the funding agency deadline. All applications for sponsored funding at Tufts must be reviewed and approved by the OVPR Pre-Award office prior to submission. The School's Research Administration team wants to support you in navigating both the University and funding agency requirements; please partner with us.
The following types of submissions are included in the requirement for institutional review. If you are in doubt, please talk with your research administrator before providing materials to a potential funding agency.
- Letter of intent, expression of interest, concept note, pre-proposal, or similar document including detailed budget figures or quantification of university resources including personnel time.
- Limited submission proposals.
- Full proposals for new projects.
- Requests for supplemental or continuation funding for an existing project.
Additional detail on the University’s proposal submission policy can be found here.
Timing to Optimize Friedman School Support
Friedman School research administrators are available to assist Principal Investigators with the following:
- Interpreting sponsor guidelines and application requirements
- Preparing administrative pages of your proposal including current and pending support files
- Developing the budget
- Assisting with subawardee and other collaborative requirements
- Navigating the Tufts internal process
In order to comply with the University’s Institutional Review policy (5-day rule described above), the Friedman School team seeks at least 15 business days lead time to prepare the financial and administrative components of a request for funding. Large or complex proposals, including those involving international collaborators or for projects that will be conducted internationally, should build in additional time.
RAS Proposal Requirements
All proposals must be submitted in Tufts’ Research Administration System (RAS) five (5) business days in advance of the sponsor deadline. The following must be included in the RAS proposal. Your assigned research administrator will work with you to develop these materials and route the proposal in RAS.
- Complete application being submitted to the sponsor including scientific/programmatic narrative
- Detailed budget and budget narrative
- Subrecipient documents (if applicable)
- Budget and justification
- Scope of Work
- Statement of Intent signed by AOR of subrecipient
Final application materials must be uploaded to RAS for institutional approval and submission two (2) business days before the sponsor deadline. Deviating from this internal deadline requires a Dean- and PI-signed Addendum.
Funding Opportunities
Funding is available from a broad range of sponsors, including government agencies, private organizations, corporations, and foundations. Investigators may want to work with Tufts colleagues in the Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) and/or explore purpose-oriented opportunities, such as those focused on social justice, inclusion, and diversity issues.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) provides a comprehensive list of tools available to search for funding opportunities. Please visit their website here. Additionally, OVPR maintains a list of Limited Submission opportunities that require advanced planning and approval in order to submit. Current limited submission opportunities and information about the process for approval can be found here.
The Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations
The Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) works with Friedman School investigators through all stages of the proposal process to secure private funding for research, educational and community-related projects. CFR staff function as the primary contact with foundations and corporations’ officers and trustees, working collaboratively with the School’s research administration team, and provide:
- Established relationships with potential private funders
- Fundraising strategy development
- Project and proposal development
- Submission coordination
- Grant writing and editorial support
- Stewardship: continuous communication, award acknowledgments, progress reports and site visits
Contacts:
- Ippolita Cantuti-Castelvetri, Senior Director
- Steve Jacobs, Associate Director for the Friedman School
Social Justice, Inclusion, and Diversity (SJID) Opportunities
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are highly valued and prioritized at the Friedman School and at Tufts University. The School is currently working to promote and improve outcomes in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion through a variety of initiatives outlined on the Friedman School's page on SJID efforts.
Specific funding opportunities focused on SJID-related topics are maintained in a Box document. A Tufts login is required for access.
Internal Seed Funding Opportunities
Tufts University, Tufts Medical Center, and Tufts CTSI have a variety of seed funding opportunties available throughout the year.
- Tufts Springboard
- Tufts Initiative on Substance Use and Addiction
- Data Intensive Studies Center (DISC) Seed Grant Program
- Healthy Aging at Tufts Pilot Grant Program
- Pilot Grants for Obesity Research
- Tufts CTSI Pilot Studies Program
- Tufts Launchpad Accelerator
Special Considerations and Required Approvers
Addition of Space, Staff, or Equipment: Krissy Day
Principal Investigators developing external funding requests that involve the addition of new staff positions and associated necessary office space or the purchase of major equipment with special space needs must consult with the Director of Business Operations to ensure appropriate resource and space planning considerations.
Cost Sharing: Dean Kleifgen
The University policy on Cost Sharing can be found here and specifies that voluntary committed cost sharing must not be included as part of a proposal submission. Generally, the Friedman School does not support applications with mandatory cost sharing requirements. Any case for proposed cost share must be discussed at least eight (8) weeks in advance of the submission deadline with and approved by the Friedman School Executive Administrative Dean.
PI Eligibility Waiver: Dean Saltzman & Dean Kleifgen
Principal investigator (PI) privileges confer the ability to submit research proposals for extramural funding and to conduct funded research. PI privileges are typically conferred by the Friedman School for unmodified professorial faculty and research faculty at the time of appointment. For other faculty ranks and titles, PI privileges may be granted at the time of appointment or may be subsequently requested by the process described below. Only in rare and extenuating circumstances will approval for PI privileges be considered for faculty who hold faculty titles modified by adjunct, clinical or visiting. Emerita/emeritus faculty may not serve as PI and must request an additional staff or faculty appointment for this purpose.
Staff employed by the Friedman School are never provided with PI privileges automatically at the time or hire or promotion. Staff must request PI privileges by the process described below.
Faculty and staff may request PI privileges if the conditions of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) policy on the Role and Eligibility of Principal Investigators are met. Specifics for requesting a PI Eligibility Waiver within the Friedman School can be reviewed here.
International Operations: Seedang Simonin
Principal Investigators developing external funding requests that involve in-country research activities of any size in a foreign country should allow for additional time to consult with the Friedman School Director of Research Administration as well as, if applicable, Tufts Global Operations to ensure adequate planning for financial and administrative operations, local employment regulation, and other complex, high risk issues. Please also see Proposal Templates & Tools for an international project risk and capacity assessment.
Involvement of Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA)
Proposals involving HNRCA researchers require an approved Letter of Intent from the USDA. Please plan up to six weeks for this approval process. The HNRCA researcher will partner with the HNRCA Research Administrator (RA) Core Unit on required approval processes and requested proposal documents. The HNRCA RA Core portfolios can be viewed here.
Reduced Indirect Cost Rates and Ancillary costs in lieu of Indirect Costs: Seedang Simonin & Dean Kleifgen
See the School’s policy on ancillary costs here.
Proposal Templates and Tools
Common Proposal File Templates
- Facilities & Other Resources Statement
- PI Eligibility Request Template
- Consultant Letter of Committment
- Budget Justification Template
- Statement on Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
- NSF-Approved Current and Pending Support
- Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training (for F Applications to NIH)
- Consortium Arrangements
Proposal Development Tools
- International Risk & Capacity Assessment
- NIH application checklist for R proposals
- NIH application checklist for K proposals
Tufts Office of Research Development also provides a list of resources related to general, NIH, and NSF grant writing. You can find their materials here.
Please contact Seedang Simonin if you identify any errors or necessary updates when using these templates.