Proposal & Budget Development

CSU Proposal & Budget Preparation

Once a funding opportunity has been identified, the work of proposal preparation begins. The process involves internal CSU systems and processes and external sponsor systems and requirements.

Most proposal and budget development activities occur in units such as departments and colleges. Refer to the ‘Proposal & Budget Development Roles & Responsibilities Matrix’ for primary roles associated with proposal preparation and budget development.

 

KR PD is CSU’s system of record for proposal and budget information. A KR PD record should be started as soon as possible after a funding opportunity has been identified so that the PI, department administrator, and OSP can use the record to track the proposal deadline, share attachments and sponsor information for review, and route the proposal for approvals.

  • The PD record should contain, at a minimum, an accurate budget, a budget justification, and a project summary or brief scope of work, as well any attachments required for department and college review.
  • If a sponsor portal does not have any kind of administrative requirement or role for access and submission, the KR PD record must include all of the information and forms required by the sponsor so that department, college, and OSP personnel have access to the information.

For some Federal sponsors/programs, KR PD may be used to develop a proposal for system-to-system submission, which is a direct transfer of proposal information from the CSU KR PD record through Grants.gov. Refer to the KR Proposal Development Training Guide for instructions on system-to-system (S2S) submissions.

For submissions through a sponsor’s portal, review information under the Sponsor Portals accordion menu.

Use the budget construction engine in KR PD to develop accurately calculated line items with applicable rates, including personnel fringe benefits, F&A rates, and inflation. Refer to the KR PD Proposal Budget Training Guide for instructions on creating a budget in KR PD.

Once the budget and other business elements are ready for institutional review, e-mail the appropriate OSP RA to start the pre-routing business section review. Refer to ‘OSP Submission Guidance’ for an overview of the budget review process in KR PD.

Multiple budget versions for a proposal may be created using the KR PD budget construction engine, such as separate detailed and modular budgets, for calculation comparison of F&A rate types for USDA-NIFA, fully-burdened budgets for industry, or internal budgets to track 1% minimum effort. The budget developed for submission to the sponsor should be marked as ‘Complete’ in KR PD when the budget is ready for OSP review.

A budget justification is a narrative explanation of each component of a proposed budget. It serves to “justify” the costs in terms of the proposed work. Here are some key points about budget justifications:

  1. Purpose: The budget justification provides additional detail for expenses within each budget category and articulates the need for the items or expenses listed. It explains why each cost is necessary to achieve the project’s goals.
  2. Importance: The information provided in the budget justification is often used by sponsor review panels and administrative officials to determine the amount of funding to be awarded. Therefore, it plays a crucial role in the proposal evaluation process.
  3. Format: While the sample format may vary depending on the sponsor, it is best to present the justification for each budget category in the same order as provided in the budget itself.

Remember that a well-prepared budget justification enhances the clarity and transparency of your proposal, demonstrating how the proposed costs align with the project’s objectives.

CSU Budget Justification Template Instructions

CSU Budget Justification Template

For non-S2S submissions, submission methods are determined by sponsor instructions. Some proposals may need to have the data entered into and be submitted through a sponsor system or portal.

If the portal has institutional-level administration, OSP may need to set up an account, or an account may need to be affiliated with CSU. Review the Sponsor portal guidance and contact OSP early in the process to ensure portal access for the PI and unit administrators.