Proposal Preparation General Guidelines
Faculty are encouraged to visit the Funding Opportunities web page to locate potential funders. 

The Faculty Grants Office is available to help identify additional possible funding sources and share other relevant information. We're most effective in helping if we have a written summary of the proposed idea to guide us. 

We strongly suggest that you discuss your plans with your department head and dean before beginning work on specific applications. If the grant for which you are applying involves any institutional resources (matching funds, the use of facilities, students, classroom time, etc.) this is essential. Consultation early in the process will ensure that you do not spend time on a proposal that is not institutionally feasible. 

Before submitting an application for any external grant the faculty grants routing slip must be filled out and signatures obtained from your department head, dean, and other indicated relevant parties. Routing slips indicating approval from your department head must be submitted to your dean at least two weeks before the submission date. NOTE: two weeks will not be adequate for review of  applications requiring institutional resources that have not been previously reviewed by the appropriate dean and department head. Leaving the routing slip for the last minute in these cases will likely result in missed external deadlines.

Proposal Format  

Proposal formats vary with the sponsor from informal letters to formally bound presentations including appendices and documentation. Some sponsors provide formats of their own while others may indicate only the information required in broad terms. In the absence of specific criteria, the following items should normally be included:

Note that budget items below generally will not apply to applications for sabbatical funding.

• Purpose and scope of the proposed research including references.                    

• Professional qualifications of the project personnel.

• Description of the university environment and available facilities.

• Any equipment to be furnished by sponsor, purchased with grant funds, and provisions for transfer to the university at the conclusion of the grant.

• Detailed budget with expenditure categories for each year if it spans more than 12 months.

• Explanations for budget items such as: 

  A. Salary and wage computation methods for the Project Director, any other faculty or professional, lab or clerical assistants, and student assistants.  (It is most important that salary supplements be explained.)

  B. Overhead documentation. (The current overhead rate for federal grants is 50% of salaries, wages, and fringe benefits.)

  C. Indirect costs payable to the University

  D. Supplies and materials including equipment, postage,

  E. Travel, board and meals

  F. Payroll Taxes and Fringe benefits for the following situations:

  • When replacing a salary (i.e., a grant for the teaching terms of Fall, Winter, or Spring), the fringe-benefit rate is 25%.  Included in this number are Social Security, retirement, health, disability, and tuition benefits, but not mortgage loans.

  • When supplementing a salary (i.e., a grant for the summer months), the fringe-benefit rate is 7.65%.  Only Social Security is included in this number.

  • For student salary, use 7.65% to cover the social security.

  • W&L's employer tax ID number is 54-0505-977.

  G. For federal grants, the DUNS number is 041 283 243.

• Signature page or cover letter by the Faculty Grant Support Office.

Additional Resources for Proposal Writing

On the Art of Writing Proposals (Social Science Research Council)

What is a Proposal? (Loyola Marymount University)

A Proposal Writing Short Course (The Foundation Center)

Proposal Writer's Guide (University of Michigan)