In order for a research proposal to be submitted to a funding agency, it must first be routed through Georgia Tech’s internal review process via the eRouting system. This process, used for the submission of all proposals that are contracted to GTRC/GTARC, is used in the pre-award and post-award stages. Detailed information on the proposal routing process can be found here: Route a Proposal | Office of Sponsored Programs.

In addition to the information provided on the website above, there are a few other things to keep in mind:

• Checking certain boxes triggers necessary terms to ensure award compliance.  Provide as much detailed information as possible where justifications are needed.
• Accuracy will speed up the proposal submission and award set-up process, as well as helping to ensure compliance. 

While grant administrators in the units typically fill out the information needed, as a PI, there are certain things you should be checking for when you approve the submission. The grants administrator may not know everything about the proposal and/or your lab, so here are the following items to pay closer attention to:

• Key Personnel Data –
  • Department: If you have multiple appointments, make sure your “home department” is correct
  • Title: make sure your title that is listed is correct
• Sponsor Data
  • Sponsor Contacts: Make sure the name for the technical contact is correct
• Proposal Data
  • Limited Submission Question: Be sure to accurately answer whether the proposal is a limited submission.
  • Cost Share: If the solicitation requires cost share, this should be marked so we can accurately track this information.
  • Institutional Support does not need to be marked in eRouting but must be entered into GT TRACS.
• Special Review Checklist - when checking these boxes, this triggers notifications to other units that will ensure the compliance of your award.
  • Research Integrity: Make sure everything is marked correctly (an IRB is not a Single IRB)
  • Export Control: Will there be any international collaboration or shipping? If so, some of these boxes should be checked.  Then, the export control team will take a look and ask necessary compliance questions if needed.
  • IT & Infrastructure: If you have equipment budgeted, make sure to look at this section. If you need space for the equipment, be sure that is marked.
  • Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) - If you have a lab, look at this section and mark any items that might apply. 

Keep in mind that some sponsors (IE DARPA/ Dept of Energy) require review and acceptance of agreement terms and conditions at the proposal stage, as well as agreement to unusual certifications and representations. To avoid missing deadlines, please have your grant administrator complete the e-routing process and provide the Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Contracting Officer (CO) as early as possible.

Many thanks to Faith Taylor, Lee Broxton, David Walker, and Stacey Bass for their contributions to this article. If you have any questions, please contact Josh Rosenberg at josh.rosenberg@business.gatech.edu.