Start a Proposal
The Pre-Award Office has a policy which requires that a Proposal Initiation Form (PIF) be completed a minimum of 20-working days in advance of the sponsor's stated submission deadline, or the pass-through entity's deadline, if Cal Poly is a sub-recipient. This policy also includes white papers/concept proposals/pre-proposals/LOIs.
It is best to submit the PIF as soon as you think you want to apply to a sponsor's solicitation - the more in advance of the sponsor deadline the better!
Download this calculator to see if your PIF submission will meet the minimum deadline.
Once the Pre-Award Office has received the PIF, it will be reviewed for timing and completeness. You will be notified if your PIF does or does not meet the submission policy timing.
If the PIF is meets the deadline and is accepted, it will be assigned to a Research Administration Officer (RAO) or Grants Analyst who will reach out to you within 5 working days of acceptance. The RAO or Grants Analyst will provided you details on milestones deadlines for the proposal development process.
If the PIF does not meet the deadline and is not accepted, you will not be able to submit the proposal on your own. Only the Pre-Award Office has the authority to represent the University in a proposal submission to a sponsor.