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Grant Application Submittal Process

Proposal Routing (Approval)

All proposals seeking sponsored funding on behalf of Clayton State University must be reviewed by the Grants and Research Office and routed for institutional approval through ServiceNow before submission to the sponsor. The proposal, budget, and all required supporting documents must be complete when submitted for review.

Required Institutional Approvals

Required approvals include the Investigator/Project Director/Principal Investigator, Department Chair/Dean, Senior Budget Analyst, Provost, Vice President for Business and Operations, and University President. Proposals seeking funding from a corporation or foundation require Advancement Services review and approval.

Standard Submission Timeline

Standard deadline: Complete proposal materials must be received by the Grants and Research Office at least 10 business days (approximately two weeks) before the sponsor/grantor deadline.

Timing
Responsible Party
Action
10+ business days before deadline
PI/Project Lead
Submit complete proposal package to the Grants and Research Office for review.
During review period
Grants and Research Office
Review sponsor requirements, budget, institutional commitments, compliance needs, and routing readiness; return revisions as needed.
Before sponsor deadline
PI + Institutional Approvers
Complete ServiceNow routing and obtain all required institutional approvals before external submission.
Expedited Review Process - Simple / Low-Complexity Proposals Only

Expedited review is an exception to the standard 10-business-day process and may be used only when the Grants and Research Office determines that a proposal is low complexity. A complete expedited proposal must be received at least 5 business days (approximately 7 calendar days) before the sponsor deadline.

A proposal may qualify for expedited review when it is straightforward and generally includes:

  • No employee supplemental compensation, summer salary, course release/reassigned time, or other salary changes.
  • No required matching funds, cost sharing, or institutional cash/in-kind commitment.
  • No subawards, subcontracts, or pass-through funding to another organization.
  • No major equipment purchase, construction, renovation, space commitment, or significant facilities impact.
  • No new positions, hiring commitments, or substantial ongoing staffing obligations.
  • No human-subjects, animal-subjects, export-control, biosafety, or other specialized compliance review that must be resolved before submission.
  • No unusual sponsor terms, intellectual-property provisions, data-security requirements, or complex contractual conditions.
  • A simple budget and scope of work with no significant institutional commitments beyond the project period.

The Grants and Research Office has final authority to determine whether a proposal qualifies for expedited review. Expedited status does not waive ServiceNow routing, required signatures, budget review, compliance review, or any other institutional approval.

Late or incomplete submissions may not be eligible for institutional review or submission. Sponsor deadlines do not override the University's internal review and approval requirements.
Sub-Award Proposals

When Clayton State University will participate as a subrecipient under an award issued to another institution or organization, the CSU faculty or staff member must prepare the required internal proposal materials, including the planned activities and budget, and route the proposal through the same institutional review and approval process. Subawards are considered complex proposals and are not eligible for the expedited review process.

Unofficial Proposals

All sponsored funding proposals submitted on behalf of the University must follow the established review and approval process. Proposals submitted outside the institutional process may not be authorized or accepted by the University.