Internal Deadlines for Proposal Submission
The Office of Research Administration (ORA) submits proposals during standard business hours between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and follows UMass Lowell (UML) campus-wide holidays and closings.
Internal deadlines may be quickly determined by using the table below.
During this 10-day proposal review process, principal investigators (PIs) and non-ORA staff assisting with the proposal should be reasonably available until the time of submission to discuss and address required or suggested updates or other proposal-related needs identified by the ORA team. If circumstances prevent the PI from adhering to the above schedule, the PI must obtain permission from the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (or designee) for an alternate deadline schedule before ORA will accept the proposal for review and submission, or continue the review process.
| Sponsor Deadline* | Deadline for Draft Budget, Draft Letter of Commitment and Final Subcontract documents by 7 a.m. | Deadline for Final Budget and Draft Full Application by 7 a.m. | Deadline for Final Full Application to ORA for Review (approved by PI for submission to sponsor) by 7 a.m. | Deadline for Final Full Application inclusive of ORA feedback by 7 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10 working days prior | Previous Monday | Previous Wednesday | Monday |
| Tuesday | 10 working days prior | Previous Tuesday | Previous Thursday | Tuesday |
| Wednesday | 10 working days prior | Previous Wednesday | Previous Friday | Wednesday |
| Thursday | 10 working days prior | Previous Thursday | Previous Monday | Thursday |
| Friday | 10 working days prior | Previous Friday | Previous Tuesday | Friday |
*In some cases, sponsor deadlines may need to be adjusted to accommodate a federal holiday. Please reach out to the ORA contact assisting with your proposal with questions.
Ten (10) business days prior to the submission deadline by 7 a.m.:
- Draft budget on ORA approved template
- Subcontract documents signed by Authorized Official (if applicable)
- Draft of institutional letter of commitment using approved language (if applicable)
Five (5) business days prior to the submission deadline by 7 a.m.:
- Final budget due
- Draft proposal documents uploaded to sponsor portal
Three (3) business days prior to the submission deadline by 7 a.m.:
- Final proposal documents (approved by PI for submission to sponsor) uploaded to sponsor portal. *Only changes requested by ORA can be made past this point*
Submission Day - Deadline by 7 a.m.:
- Final proposal ready for submission routed to ORA
Please note:
During heavy submission periods (such as the NSF Career proposals), ORA may issue revised internal deadlines to ensure that all proposals are provided a complete, quality review and submitted on time. If a revised schedule is needed, ORA will notify the PI well in advance.
When UMass Lowell is a subcontractor on a proposal submitted by another institution, the deadlines are calculated using the date that the subcontract documents are due to the submitting institution, not the deadline of the sponsoring agency.
Requests for a waiver/reduction of indirect costs require advance approval from the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.
Institutional cost share requires advanced approval from the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and department cost share requires advance approval from the Department Chair.