Writing & Submitting Proposals

Proposals: Roles and Responsibilities

Coming soon.

Submitting a Pre-Approval Request

Before beginning work on a grant application, the first step a faculty member should take is to submit a Pre-Approval Request. The Pre-Approval process is a framework  ensure that all relevant administrative leaders are aware and approve of your intent to submit a proposal, and is required for all grants or contracts which the College will manage and administer, if awarded. 

The PAR form ensures proposed projects are aligned with institutional priorities, are appropriate and feasible based on capacity and resources, and have the support required for success once funded. It also gives ORCS sufficient notice so that we may allocate resources for providing the strongest possible support and services for assisting you with preparing and submitting your proposal. Only applications that have received pre- approval through this process should be submitted to a funding agency for consideration.

To ensure that ORCS has sufficient time to provide you with the best possible service, it is recommended that you complete the Pre-Approval Request as early as possible, or at least ten business days before the sponsor’s submission deadline.

For step-by-step instructions on how to create and submit a Pre-Approval Request click here. If you are a Chair or Dean and need instructions on approving a PAR, click here. 

The 5-Day Rule For Proposals

To effectively manage the review and submission process on behalf of our faculty, the Office of Research & Creative Scholarship will now be adhering to the following Proposal Submission Policy:

A complete proposal, accompanied by the necessary department and school-level approvals  –as well as any other attachments or approvals required by the sponsor or the College– must be received by the ORCS office at least five (5) full business days prior to the sponsor’s due date. The proposal components must be in close to final form with the exception of the narrative, which may be submitted in draft form subject to revision.

Proposals received after this date cannot be guaranteed approval and submission. If ORCS does not have sufficient time for a thorough review, the proposal will not be submitted. In cases of extenuating circumstances, a request for exception to this policy must be made to the Executive Director of ORCS. A proposal submitted to ORCS less than 1 business day prior to the sponsor’s due date will not be submitted, and there will be no exceptions granted for same-day submissions.

Writing Proposals: Services Provided by ORCS

The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) is here to provide consultation and technical assistance as you prepare your proposal. We strive to provide individualized assistance—which means the manner in which we assist you throughout the process will depend upon your unique needs and prior grant-writing experience. The most important thing you can do to make this a successful collaboration is to meet with ORCS early in the process so we can determine an appropriate plan for assisting you.

Below are some common ways in which ORCS assists in the process—please discuss these or any other needs you have with us.

  • Completing routine, administrative portions of the application forms– cover sheets, institutional information forms, budgetary forms, etc.
  • Providing boilerplate language regarding the institution’s mission, statistics, and history
  • Reviewing drafts and providing editorial/proofreading assistance, if requested
  • Drafting and obtaining signatures for any required institutional letters (e.g., from ORCS, the Vice Presidents, or President).
  • Reviewing the final proposal and budget to ensure it meets the both sponsor’s guidelines and Emerson College’s policies on externally funded activities.

Institutional Information for Proposals

  • Institutional Information Page: Includes Emerson’s Taxpayer ID, legal address, F&A agreement information, congressional district, statistics, and other basic infomration commonly requested by sponsors. 
  • Description of Emerson College (short):

Emerson College, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is the nation’s premier institution in higher education devoted to communication and the arts in a liberal arts context.

Emerson is internationally recognized in its fields of specialization, which are communication studies; marketing communication; journalism; communication sciences and disorders; visual and media arts; the performing arts; and writing, literature and publishing.

  • Description of Emerson College (long):

Established in 1880 as a regional school of oratory, Emerson College has evolved into the nation’s premier institution of higher learning devoted to communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. Our mission is to explore and push the boundaries of communication, art, and culture and, thereby, to contribute to the advancement of society. This mission is informed by core liberal arts values that seek to promote civic engagement, foster respect for human diversity, and inspire students to create and communicate with clarity, integrity, and conviction.

Emerson College offers more than three dozen degree programs in the area of arts and communication and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Located in Boston’s Theatre District on the edge of the Boston Common, the school also maintains buildings in Los Angeles and the town of Well, The Netherlands. Emerson faculty are broadly recognized for their excellence and expertise in a range of disciplines, and are both widely published and frequently sought out for interdisciplinary collaboration.

  • Emerson College Mission Statement:

Emerson College educates students to assume positions of leadership in communication and the arts and to advance scholarship and creative work that brings innovation, depth, and diversity to these disciplines.

This mission is informed by core liberal arts values that seek to promote civic engagement, encourage ethical practices, foster respect for human diversity, and inspire students to create and communicate with clarity, integrity, and conviction.

  • Statement on Diversity from the Board of Trustees:

As the Trustees of Emerson College, we commit to persistent inquiry, due attention, and substantive investment to advance human dignity and respect within the College and the wider world. Equity, access, and social justice are core values of Emerson and essential to the execution of our mission – the betterment of society through communication and the arts.

Emerson is a vibrant community of creators, communication specialists, and storytellers who possess and share distinct and varied perspectives, backgrounds, life experiences, languages, and goals. We believe optimum student success, staff development, and faculty scholarship and creativity are linked to our collective, intentional, and ongoing engagement with matters of structural inequity and diversity of thought that impact our society.

As Trustees, therefore, we fully support and expect:

● Emerson’s dedication to fostering meaningful, open, and respectful dialogue within and beyond the Emerson community, grounded in shared experience and empathy.

● Emerson’s obligation to infuse the Emerson experience with an understanding of both structural inequity and diversity of thought.

● Emerson’s commitment to being at the forefront of productive civic engagement and addressing injustice when and where it occurs within our institution.

(June 15, 2023)

Sample Proposals and Writing Guides

Open Grants. An open repository of proposals submitted to federal, nonfederal, and international organizations, with the aim of improving access for the public and other grant seekers, and bringing transparency to the research process.

Creating a Proposal Budget

A proposal budget should tell the same story as your narrative, but in fiscal form. The costs, line items, and total amount reqeusted should align with the project you are proposing. The budget spells out the project’s required costs usually with a detailed line-item table and an accompanying budget narrative.

A proposal budget must be realistic, reasonable, and based on fair market estimates, government-approved rates, and good faith estimates of necessary person time and labor. Grant budgets must also follow Emerson accounting rules, as well as federal regulations on grant budgeting and cost allowability. 

ORCS regularly works with faculty to develop budgets for their proposals, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you are in need of a budget– whether it’s a rough estimate or something more detailed. We will help you build a budget that fits the needs of your proposed activities, utilizes current rates for fringe benefits, student wages, etc., and aligns with both the sponsor’s and the College’s accounting and finance policies. 

Below are some resources for proposal budgeting, including templates, links to Emerson policies, and summaries of popular budget topics. 

  • Indirect (F&A) Costs

Indirect Costs –alternately referred to as “Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A)” or “overhead”– represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with a particular grant, contract, project function or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the College and the conduct of activities it performs.  Indirect costs are expenditures related to administration, human resources, maintenance, utilities, and other general administrative and business support offices.

Because individual F&A costs cannot be assigned to projects, the College calculates a rate to determine the fair share of F&A costs each project should be charged and negoti­ates this rate with the government. 

How Indirect Costs Are Calculated

Indirect costs are calculated by multiplying the agreed-upon Indirect Cost (IDC) Rate by the total sum of eligible direct costs. 

For example, if your project’s direct costs (e.g. student wages, supplies, printing costs, etc.) total $10,000, and the sponsor allows indirect costs using an IDC rate of 10%, your overhead would be calculated as: $100,000 x 0.10 = $10,000.  The total cost of the project thus would be $110,000 ($100,000 + $10,000).

When calculating indirect costs in a proposal budget, it is important to consider both the indirect cost rate and the indirect cost base.

  • Federal Funding: On federal grants and contracts, indirect costs are calculated using a Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) base. This means that certain direct costs cannot be included in the base used to calculate overhead. The most common costs that are excluded from the MTDC are:
  • Equipment and Equipment Fabrications Costing More than $5,000
  • Capitalization Costs 
  • Subaward Expenditures in Excess of $25,000 
  • Non-Federal Funding: On most non-federal awards that include overhead, indirect costs are calculated on a Total Direct Cost (TDC) basis, meaning that no direct costs are excluded from the base. 

For more information on indirect costs and fringe benefits, including the College’s current rates, click here. 

  • Summer/Supplemental Salary for Full-Time Faculty on Grants

In accordance with College policy, full-time faculty who secure grant funding may… 

  • Budgeting for Course Releases

TBD

  • Subcontracts vs. Consultants and Vendors

TBD

  • Budgeting Costs for Travel

TBD

  • Budgeting Wages and Benefits for Student Assistants

TBD

Requesting a Structured Study Leave (for Fellowships and Off-Site Awards)

In accordance with Section 13.3.4 of the Faculty Handbook, a faculty member with “two or more years of full-time service to the College may apply for a full-time or part-time Structured Study Leave, which is ordinarily for not more than one academic year.” A Structured Study Leave is commonly requested to take advantage of a fellowship, residency, professional appointment, or other formal study. Outlined below are the steps for requesting a Structured Study Leave.

  1. If you are planning to apply for a fellowship or other opportunity that will require you to take a leave, it is strongly recommended that you consult with your Department Chair and Dean before applying. Many fellowship applications require a letter of support or signature from them, and it is critical to coordinate the timing of any fellowship with your scheduled leave(s), sabbatical(s), and/or tenure track.
  2. By November 15th of the academic year prior to the academic year of the intended leave, the faculty member supplies to the Department Chair and the Dean the following:
      •  The specific term or terms for which the leave is requested;
      • A description of the activities proposed during the leave, including the plan’s feasibility. Include a statement of the expected outcome(s) associated with the plan and the means to evaluate the results;
      • A current CV or resume;
      • If the fellowship/opportunity has already been awarded or confirmed, provide the documentation for this with your request.

A letter template for requesting a Structured Study Leave can be downloaded here. 

The faculty member may request in writing to the Provost that the time granted for the Structured Study Leave be considered full-time service. The recency of a previous Structured Study Leave is a consideration in the decision to grant another one. The Provost makes the determination about whether to grant a Structured Study Leave. Benefits will be affected during the leave and are outlined within the Academic Affairs section of the College website.

Return to Service: Upon return from a Structured Study Leave, the faculty member receives the salary appropriate to the rank held at the beginning of the Structured Study Leave, plus any across-the-board increases and other base salary adjustments and increments granted to that faculty rank during the time of the Structured Study Leave.

Report: A Structured Study Leave requires a written report within the first month after the start of the subsequent semester following a leave; the faculty member provides a detailed summary report of the activities completed during the leave and submits it to their Chair, their Dean, and the Provost.  

More Information About Leaves: A matrix about the different types of faculty leaves, and their respective restrictions and requirements, can be viewed here.