1. A Look at the Pre-Award & Contract Services Office
Jessica Berg
Interim Director, Pre-Award and Contract Services

2. Submitting a Proposal
All proposals for federal and state grants or contracts must come through the Pre- Award & Contract Services office.
All proposals for funding from local foundations or organizations go through the Buffalo State College Foundation.
Proposals that fall under the category of “sponsored program” go through RF.

3. What is a “sponsored program?”
Activities sponsored by sources external to the college for which there is an expectation (implied or specifically stated) on the part of the sponsor for performance, deliverable(s) or outcome(s)
May support instruction, research and/or public service activities

4. Characteristics of Sponsored Programs
Some of the possible characteristics that identify a “sponsored program” are below. Not all characteristics must be met for it to be a “sponsored program.”
Percentage of faculty time on the project
Expectation of performance or deliverables
Defined time period for the work
A line item budget is specified

5. Characteristics of Sponsored Programs continued
A financial report is required by sponsor
Inclusion of indirect costs
Performance, technical and final reports are required
HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT IS A GIFT?
- A gift has few or no conditions

6. Proposal Submission
The legal applicant for proposals is Research Foundation for SUNY on behalf of SUNY Buffalo State
Award is made to and administered by our Research Foundation campus office
It is important that you notify the Pre- Award & Contract Services office as soon as possible when you are planning to submit a proposal

7. Proposal Submission At a minimum you must:
Have your budget approved by the Pre- Award office
Complete and obtain signatures on the official routing sheet
Have the proposal (whether paper or electronic) officially submitted by our office

8. Additional Assistance
We will advise you on possible pitfalls or other important aspects of the proposal after reviewing the Request for Proposals
We will assist you in electronic registrations – please do not register for any competition yourself
We will work with you on preparing a budget and budget justification

9. Additional Assistance
We will be happy to read and edit your proposal narrative or assist in preparing parts of your proposal and gathering facts and figures
We may be able to obtain copies of funded proposals for you
We will complete required forms
If paper submission, we will make all copies and send it via FedEx at our expense

10. Identifying Funding Sources
We subscribe to InfoEd Services
This includes a database of funding opportunities called SPIN (Sponsored Program Information Network)
This database is updated on a daily basis
Go to /services-provided and you will see the link to SPIN

11. Signing Up for SMARTS
What is SMARTS? - SPIN Matching And Research Transmittal Service
It will send you s daily of funding opportunities based on your keywords
If you would like to sign up, please contact us at and we’ll set up a time to meet – it takes only about half an hour and we can help you choose suitable keywords
You can modify your selection, put your status on hold or deactivate at any time

12. Research & Creativity Council Research Incentive Program
Incentive funds are intended to support faculty research, scholarly, and creative activities that lead to the preparation of a competitive proposal submitted to an external agency (e.g., state/federal agency, private foundation with the exception of foundation applications that would go through the College Foundation, or other sponsor). The ultimate goal of an award from the Incentive Program is to receive an external award to continue the research, scholarly, or creative activity and generate returned indirect to support costs associated with administering grants.

13. Planning…and the word early!
Start as early as possible
Notify our office as early as possible
Meet with us early in the process to go over the specific requirements of the submission
If additional materials outside of your immediate control are needed (e.g., letters of support or commitment) ask for and obtain them as early as you can.

14. Other Planning Tasks
Meet with appropriate supervisors – Chair or Dean so that they are aware of the upcoming submission
Obtain any matching or cost share commitments in writing – not at the last minute!
If you will need items such as an MOU with multiple signatures you need to prepare and circulate this as quickly as possible

15. Preparation of the Proposal
Be prepared to do multiple drafts
Use the RFP to guide your writing
Following the directions is crucial
Specific format instructions are important
Common errors: wrong font, too many pages, incorrect order of documents, missing forms or supporting items

16. Preparation continued
Have someone else read the narrative – in most cases, except highly technical situations, it should be understood by a reasonably educated person – spell check is sometimes not your friend!
Don’t be afraid to the program officer at the sponsoring agency/organization for clarifications

17. The Budget
The Pre-Award office will assist you with your budget preparation
Your budget will require the approval of a representative from the Pre-Award office prior to submission

18. Some Current Trends in Funding
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Entrepreneurship and Business Development
Job training – including emphasis on veterans, women, and minorities
Violence on campuses
Collaboration, partnerships, regional efforts

19. Contact Information
Jessica Berg, Interim Director, Pre-Award & Contract Services – ;
Laura Leone, Pre-Award and Contract Services Associate – ;

20. Other Helpful Contacts
Rick Johnson, Manager, Research and Economic Development, ,
Gina Game, Compliance Manager, (human or animal subjects);
Our website: /pre-award-contract-services