BIG GRANTS, BIG DEAL:
Tools and Ideas for Large Grant Submissions
Daniel Rademacher
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Deborah Cundiff
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied
Science, Office of Research Administration
Alden Chang
Office of Research Development
What is a Big Research Grant?

National Institutes of Health (NIH): P & U Mechanisms (e.g.,
P50 or U54)

National Science Foundation (NSF): Centers (e.g., Science and
Technology Centers)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Centers or Hubs (e.g.,
Energy Frontier Research Centers)
Step 1: Solicitation is released or PI approaches you
regarding a large project
Review the solicitation for requirements.

Review agency policy for unsolicited applications.
• NIH applications over $500K require Data Sharing Plans
• NIH grants over $500K direct costs in any year require prior
approval.
• NIH applications (except those assigned to NIGMS, NICHD,
NEI, NIDCR, or NINR) requesting $500,000 or more in
direct costs for any year must include a cover letter
identifying the NIH staff member within one of the NIH ICs
who has agreed to accept assignment of the application.
Big Grants Sometimes Have Unique
Requirements
•Required
•Holding
travel (to agency meetings)
annual symposia
•Mandatory/suggested
cost sharing (talk with the Office of
Research Development [ORD])
•Quarterly
conference calls
•Budget
set asides (e.g., Pilot Project Program, Career
Development)
•Letters
of institutional support (VPR, Dean, OSR)
•Pre-proposal
required/mandatory letter of intent
Step 2: Meet with your Investigators
•Discuss the co-investigators and affiliations
•Discuss basic budgetary requirements, including
investigator effort
•Discuss engaging other departmental/ school/
institutional research administration resources, e.g.,
ORD
•Is the PI/PD discussing the submission with Program
Officer/Official?
•Review regulatory items (animals, humans, stem cells)
•For multiple projects and cores under a single award
discuss budgetary and F & A allotment per project/core
•Determine administrative costs (OMB A21 allows for
administrative costs when appropriate)
•Establish a time line and responsibilities
Example of Sponsor Driven Timeline
Step 3: Get Organized
•Create a contact list
•Investigators Name and Email
•Administrative Contact and Email
•Create folders for each proposal component you’ll need to
complete
•Create a budget spreadsheet to support multiple projects
•Continue to communicate with PI/PD either in person or by
phone and e-mail
Example of Organizing Tool
Ideas for Electronic Organization
Step 4: Contact Individuals Involved
• Prepare required documents (e.g., biographical
sketch, current and pending support, resources,
letters of intent, and letters of support). Budget and
justification if subcontract
• Pre-fill the above documents and send to the
investigator and their administrative contact
• Emails should be concise and should include deadlines
• Contact OSR with your deadlines/expectations
Example of an Email to Investigator
Example of an Email to a SubK Investigator
Step 5: Prepare Overall Paperwork
• Populate your budget
• Collect overall information
• Follow-up on your email requests
• Prepare institutional paperwork (e.g., OSR-1, OSR-100)
 Indicate redistribution of accounts and F&A, if
applicable
 Follow up on any missing signatures
• Work with Tech Transfer (INVO) on Data Sharing Plan
• Do you require Institutional Support (monetary or other)?
Step 6: Check your Preparedness
• If paper-does your department have enough paper, toner,
binder clips or rubber bands to submit?
• Will you be required to submit additional copies on CDs?
 Do you have enough CDs?
 Will you require cover and disc art?
• How will you paginate?
• Do you have the right FedEx Supplies?
• Have plenty of caffeine on hand
 Step
7: Submit
 Step
8: Supplemental Information
 Step
9: Revisions/NIH Just in Time (JIT)
 Step
10: Award
 Step
11: Progress Report (Get out your
Contact Sheet)
Thank You!
Questions/Comments?
Daniel Rademacher
RHLCCC
d-rademacher2@northwestern.edu
Deborah Cundiff
McC Research Administration
deb@northwestern.edu
Alden Chang
ORD
alden-chang@northwestern.edu