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How to Submit a Grant

Faculty and staff members of the university are required to work with the Office of Grants & Sponsored Projects (OGSP) prior to submitting a grant request on their own because each successful grant represents a contract between the university and the funding organization. Due to this commitment, faculty and staff must obtain administrative approval through the OGSP.

The process to obtain this administrative approval has been streamlined using an electronic Clearance Process. This process uses Adobe Sign to circulate proposal components and gather signatures from the required reviewers across the university. Once the Clearance Process is complete, the proposal is approved for submission.

How the Clearance Process Works:

The faculty/staff member interested in applying for the grant is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) on the project. The PI will contact the OGSP ideally two weeks before the proposal is due.

Faculty/staff are encouraged to reach out as soon as possible with their projects to allow for the OGSP to assist with planning and developing applications as well as help with technical matters.

The PI provides the OGSP with the following proposal components:

  • Name of the sponsoring agency and a copy of link to the RFP of specific funding opportunity
  • Project title
  • Proposed project/program period
  • Program Summary
  • Budget narrative/justification
  • If cost sharing is involved, provide the account number(s) from which the Loyola funds will be drawn
  • The names of any partner organizations or individuals outside of Loyola, if applicable

The OGSP assists the PI with developing the budget and budget narrative for the project as needed and assembles the routing forms to create the Clearance Packet. This includes the following documents:

  • Clearance Memo. This document provides a brief description of the program, the amount requested, indicates if there is any cost share committed by the university, and if indirect expenses are included in the budget.
  • Signature Sheet. This document lists the individuals who must review and approve of the request prior to submission. This list includes: the PI, the Dean, the Director of Grants & Sponsored Projects, the Controller in Financial Affairs, and the Provost.
  • Program Summary. A brief description of the project. This can be in draft form and is only for internal review.
  • Program Budget. A line-item budget created in Excel that lists all expenses and any indirect costs.
  • Budget Narrative. A description of each line item from the budget with appropriate details.
  • Relevant Attachments. Any other documents required by the funder that need a signature from a university official. This usually includes letters of support from the Dean or Provost.

The OGSP will create PDF versions of each document, assemble the Clearance Packet using Organize Pages in Adobe Acrobat DC, and send out for signatures via Adobe Sign.

Once all parties have approved the request, a copy of the signed Clearance Packet is automatically emailed to each signer for their records and we are cleared for submission.