How to Apply for External Funding
How to Apply for External Funding
The resources below provide guidance for faculty and staff who are seeking external funding. If you are applying for a grant from a government, industry, or other sponsored funder, the Office of Research will process your submission. For corporate and foundation grants, please contact Corporate and Foundation Relations.
Overview
An application for external funding is one step in a grants life cycle that begins with idea generation and culminates in sharing your scholarship with the broader community:
Proposal Development Resources
• Academic Administrative Protocols → Faculty Time, Effort, and Salary Calculations for External Grants
• FAQ for Faculty Time, Effort, and Salary for Grants
• Saint Mary’s College of California Sponsored Projects Budgeting and Procedures Manual
• Standard SMC Rates for Grant Proposals
• Please contact the Office of Research at Office_of_Research@stmarys-ca.edu if you are planning a proposal.
Proposal Development and Timelines
Once you have developed your project idea and have identified a funder, it is time to connect with the Office of Research to plan your proposal. Proposal development typically takes at least 2-4 months, as shown below.
Required Steps in Proposal Development
Please follow these steps as you prepare your proposal:
- Submit your Intent to Apply form at least 8 weeks before the grant deadline.
- The form will be used to notify key administrators and staff that you intend to prepare a proposal. The form will be routed to your dean or administrative supervisor, department chair, and SMC’s Business Office.
- Contact and set a meeting with Office of Research staff (office_of_research@stmarys-ca.edu) to discuss proposal development, including timelines, data needs, budgeting, and institutional approvals
- Plan for a submission date at least 3 business days ahead of the published deadline.
Application Routing and Approvals
Fill in your external grant routing form at least 5 days before the SMC deadline:
The Office of Research will route your form along with your project summary and budget.
- The External Proposal Form is used to review and approve all sponsored funding requests.
- Applications must be approved by the PI/project director’s dean or supervisor, the Office of Research, Business Office, Provost’s Office, and the Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Submit your external grant routing form 7 business days ahead of the published deadline. This allows time for all approvers to sign off and for Office of Research staff to process your submission.
- Saint Mary’s submission deadline is 3 business days prior to the funding agency’s absolute deadline.
Routing Flow
Proposal Development Roles and Responsibilities
The PI/project director is responsible to:
- Identify prospective funding opportunities
- Submit the Intent to Apply form 8 weeks before proposal submission
- Design the project and write the proposal content except for college boilerplate
- Follow Office of Research guidance related to budget development and proposal approvals
- Gather supporting documents required for the application
- Involve the relevant dean / supervisor and department chair
- Fill in External Proposal Routing form 5 days before the published deadline
- Deliver all proposal components to the Office of Research for submission 3 days before the published deadline
The Office of Research provides pre-award services. The office is responsible to:
- Guide faculty and staff in proposal development
- Provide advice on funders' guidelines and how to make the proposal competitive
- Collaborate with the PI/PD to prepare the project budget
- Provide Saint Mary's boilerplate and prepare the proposal’s business pages and compliance documentation
- Coordinate institutional approvals
- Submit the proposal on behalf of the PI/project director and SMC
- Collaborate to negotiate the terms of the award and coordinate hand-off to the school / administrative unit and Business Office for post-award services