Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Proposal Initiation Form (PIF)?

The PIF is used to begin the proposal submission process with the Pre-Award Office.

How long will it take me to fill out the PIF?

It isn't a very long form. You will need to have ready the following:

• Principal Investigator's name, email, and department.
• Names of any Co-Investigators.
• If Cal Poly is the lead/prime or if Cal Poly is a subawardee.
• The name of the sponsor and the sponsor's deadline.
• A working title for the proposal and provide a link to the sponsor's request for proposal (RFP/solicitation).
• An expected start date and duration for the project.
• There is a also an area to enter any additional information you think will be valuable for the Research Administration Officer to know.

Why do I have to submit a PIF to the Pre-Award Office – can’t I just submit a proposal myself?

CSU policy states that only the Pre-Award Office has the authority to represent the University to a sponsor (Faculty, Staff and Lecturers do not have this authority). The Pre-Award Office also has the responsibility to maintain an archive of all the proposals submitted on the University’s behalf and must provide detailed reports to the University on all proposals and awards.

Why can’t I reach out directly to my Research Administration Officer (RAO) or Grants Analyst to start a proposal?

The PIF is part of a centralized procedure to maintain an efficient and transparent workflow. Contacting a RAO or Grants Analyst directly will result in the RAO or Grants Analyst directing you to submit a PIF.

What is the lead-time for submitting a PIF?

The lead time is at least 20-working days (more time is better!), because there are specific milestones (see example here) that need to be met prior to submitting a proposal to a sponsor.  This process takes at least 20 working days to complete.

What are the proposal submission milestones?

The milestones are described in this example.

My proposal has a deadline that is in a few months. Should I wait until the 20 working days deadline to submit a PIF?

Please submit a PIF as soon as you have any details about your project – it is always better to notify us earlier rather than later.

Can my co-PI/assistant submit the PIF on my behalf?

Yes. There is a question on the PIF to indicate whether the individual completing the PIF is the PI.

I have a white paper/concept proposal/pre-proposal/LOI (Letter of Intent) to submit for an upcoming project. Do I have to submit a PIF?

Yes. Please submit a PIF a minimum of 20 working days in advance for any type of sponsored project.  It is possible that the white paper/concept proposal/pre-proposal/LOI has special requirements or, in some cases, requires full campus review.

I have a proposal coming up to the National Science Foundation (NSF). How do I start this process?

Please first submit a PIF. Your RAO will then help you with any additional steps related to confirming/creating an account at NSF, affiliating your account with Cal Poly and the initial proposal setup via research.gov.

I have a proposal coming up to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). How do I start this process?

Please first submit a PIF. Your RAO will then help you with any additional steps related to creating an eRA Commons profile or verifying your profile has the necessary information.

I have a proposal for an industry partner or a non-profit. How do I start this process?

Please first submit a PIF. It will be routed to the appropriate office to help you with your proposal.