{"id":6832,"date":"2025-11-04T20:36:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T20:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/research\/?page_id=6832"},"modified":"2026-01-06T08:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:51:22","slug":"pre-award-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/research\/pre-award-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pre-Award Team is dedicated to supporting faculty and researchers throughout the grant application process, offering expert guidance on budget preparation, coordinating with collaborators, and ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements. Our goal is to streamline submissions of funding applications, ensuring researchers can focus on advancing their scholarly and scientific pursuits.\u00a0 This all starts with submitting the NOISE<\/a> form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Submit a NOISE Form<\/h3><\/div>
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Have an idea for a proposal?<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ARE YOU READY TO PURSUE AN EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY that you have already identified? <\/em>(Grant, Research Contract, LOI)?<\/strong> Start by filling out and submitting the NOISE form! Notice of Intent to Seek External Funding<\/a><\/strong> NOISE forms should be submitted as soon as possible, or at least 15 business days before a submission deadline<\/em><\/strong> to provide ample time for preparation, full review, and submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A member of Pre-Award will be in touch with you within 3 business days from receipt of the NOISE form to provide proposal-specific guidance and support. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Receiving Support<\/h4><\/div>
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Contact the team for assistance<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our team is available to assist you Monday through Friday, 8:00 am \u2013 5:00 pm. Don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch with Tarleton Pre-Award at preawardRIED@tarleton.edu<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers are invited to send proposal notifications to the Pre-Award team by completing the NOISE form. A member of Pre-Award will be assigned to the proposal within one business day and will follow up with the researcher within 3 business days of receipt of the NOISE form to provide proposal-specific guidance and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre Award Team<\/summary>\n
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Maria Ross <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant Administrator III
Research Building Office 153
mross@tarleton.edu<\/a>
254-459-5439<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amanda Gibson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant Administrator II
Research Building Office 154
agibson@tarleton.edu<\/a>
 254-968-9927<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maestro<\/h3><\/div>
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Access Maestro Here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take support to the next level.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessed through Single Sign On, Maestro is the Texas A&M University System\u2019s grant management tool. It also offers faculty a funding search option. Select \u201cSearch\u201d from the top menu options and \u201cOpportunity Search\u201d from the left-hand navigation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Proposal Submission<\/h4><\/div>
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Proposal Submission Guidelines (15-10-5-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose: Relevant procedures for investigators submitting external funding proposals.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Division of Research, Innovation and Economic Development (RIED) strives to provide the Tarleton research community with excellent sponsored project administration services. Pre-Award administration is complex and requires sufficient time to prepare prior to submission to the sponsor or lead institution. Adequate preparation time ensures that sponsor requirements and System Member rules and guidelines are followed, and that proposals are submitted on or before the sponsor\u2019s deadline. RIED Pre-Award can add the most value when researchers make sure there is sufficient time for us to prepare our portions of the proposal and to conduct a thorough quality review. To ensure we are able to provide investigators with the highest-level support, researchers must use the following guidelines for proposal submissions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Initiate Contact with RIED<\/summary>\n

a. Begin by completing and\u00a0submitting the\u00a0Notice of Intent to Seek External Funding (NOISE),<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>a web form which is available on the RIED Pre-Award website<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NOISE must be submitted a minimum of 15 business days <\/strong>prior to<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the sponsor\u2019s deadline date, for Tarleton only or Tarleton Lead proposals, or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the Lead Institution\u2019s internal deadline, for Tarleton sub-award proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Pre-Award Launch<\/summary>\n

Within 3 business days of receiving your NOISE form, a Pre-Award member will contact you to schedule your launch meeting and provide a timeline for the required documents. During this launch meeting, the budget spreadsheet preparation will take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Prepare and Submit to Pre-Award the Initial Administrative Portions of the Proposal<\/summary>\n

RIED requests the following documents, minimum of 10 business days <\/strong>in advance of the sponsor deadline in order to route your request through Maestro for approval:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a. Draft Abstract\/Summary or Statement of Work<\/p>\n\n\n\n

b. Budget (Spreadsheet developed in conjunction on with Pre-Award<\/p>\n\n\n\n

c. Budget Justification<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Maestro Approval Routing Occurs<\/summary>\n

Pre-Award will begin the routing for approval: PIs approve first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Prepare and Submit to Pre-Award<\/summary>\n

Remaining Administrative Documents (as requested by sponsor) \u20135 business days <\/strong>prior to the sponsor deadline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

d. Draft Project Narrative\/Description<\/p>\n\n\n\n

e. Subcontract Documents (subrecipient form, letter of commitment, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

f. Biosketches\/CV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

g. Current & Pending Support<\/p>\n\n\n\n

h. Synergistic Activities<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i. Data Management Plan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

j. Facilities & Equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

k. Relevant Approved Waivers (if applicable)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

l. Other Required Sponsor-Specific Forms<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. All Portions of the Proposal<\/summary>\n

All completed proposal documents should be submitted to RIED Pre-Award, in the final Word format, no later than 2 business days <\/strong>prior to the sponsor or lead institution deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Draft Final Application and Submission<\/summary>\n

Pre-Award will upload all documents and provide a complete copy of the application for the PI to review for revision if needed. The PI will provide Pre-Award with approval to submit within 24 hours of receipt of the draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. RIED Pledge to the Research Community<\/summary>\n

a. Proposals received by RIED Pre-Award according to the 15-10-5-2 <\/strong>timeline outlined above will receive a complete and thorough quality review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

b. For proposals completed and submitted to RIED Pre-Award within this 15-10-5-2 <\/strong>timeframe, our office will work with the PI to make all necessary changes to ensure the proposal is administratively compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

c. RIED pledges to submit on-time proposals, with limited exceptions, prior to the sponsor deadline. Proposals with required materials submitted within the 15-10-5-2 <\/strong>timeframe will receive priority over proposals received with shorter lead time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

d. RIED staff will make every effort to submit all proposals.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

e. Agency Deadlines: <\/strong>Unless the deadline is specifically defined as earlier than 5 p.m. by the sponsor, the submission deadline for Tarleton is 5 p.m. local time on the sponosr\u2019s deadline date (even if the sponsor allows submissions beyond 5 p.m.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

f. In the event a proposal or portions of a proposal are received outside of the requested timeframe, the investigator assumes all risk for proposals found to be non-compliant or submitted late to the sponsor or lead institution.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a proposal is submitted to the sponsor without <\/em>RIED review, the proposal may be withdrawn if it is determined to be non-compliant with the System Member rules, standard administrative procedures or guidelines.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/details>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FAQ’s and Definitions <\/h4><\/div>
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RFA Critical Information<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research Contract Process<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Roles and Responsibilities Matrix<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Limited Submission Review and Selection Process<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Budget Resources Fringe Benefit Rates<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FY25-FY28 IDC Agreement <\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Graduate Student Employment Rate<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Student Employment<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Additional Resources<\/h4><\/div>
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What’s the difference between grants, gifts, and contracts?<\/summary>\n

Grants <\/strong>are funds received that are not expected to be repaid, but for which reporting and deliverables are required.  To receive a grant, organizations must compete for funds by submitting an application and undergoing a review and evaluation process for an award.  Grants are typically awarded by federal, state, or local agencies, as well as private foundations or corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gifts<\/strong> are voluntary transfers of money or other assets to an organization from a donor, which can be an individual, a corporation, or a grant making organization, such as a foundation. No tangible benefit of any kind will be exchanged for the gift. Some gifts are unrestricted and other gifts may be restricted for a certain purpose, such as scholarships or capital projects.  At Tarleton, gifts are typically received through the Tarleton State Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contracts<\/strong> are agreements made between two or more parties that create an obligation to perform or not perform a specific duty.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What is a NOISE form and when must it be submitted?<\/summary>\n

A NOISE form is a N<\/strong>otice o<\/strong>f I<\/strong>ntent to S<\/strong>ubmit for E<\/strong>xternal Funding.  All external funding requests, contracts, collaborating agreements, and participating as a subaward, must start with the submission of a NOISE form at least 15 business days prior to the submission date.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What is the definition of a complete and \u201cFINAL\u201d PROPOSAL?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

The complete and final proposal has all of the necessary College- and University-level approvals.  The application is considered complete by the Principal Investigator (PI) and all proposal components have been provided to PreAward for upload in Maestro and sponsor submission portal.  A final review of the entire packet has been completed and approved by the PI and no further edits are occurring on the science\/narrative, budget or other forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All proposals must be FINAL\/submission ready by at least 2 business days prior to submission deadline.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What if my proposal is due to the sponsor on a Friday, but we are a subrecipient and the primary institution needs the proposal subaward package earlier?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

You must consider the earlier date as the sponsor deadline so we can submit the appropriate information to the primary institution.  In cases where Tarleton is the subrecipient, due dates are determined by the primary\/lead institution and PreAward will assist with providing required documents to the lead as required.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What if the sponsor\u2019s due date falls on a weekend?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Kindly reach out to your PreAward administrator for assistance.  They will provide guidance on whether the proposal is required by the Friday preceding the submission date or the subsequent business day after the weekend deadline.  Each sponsor has its own requirements and policies.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What do I need to provide for Sub-Award lead information?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

SubAwards require contact information from the other partnering institutions sponsored research offices. Pre-Award will contact them for required institutional information.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What is required in a Sub-Award budget and how is this handled?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

SubAward budgets are required to account for funds when contracting with an external institution for a portion of the work as part of the research project. Subaward budgets will be created from within the associated project budget. Multiple subawards are allowed within a research project. For budgets using the modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) cost basis standard, the budgets must included in first $25,000 of subaward budgets in the cost base for calculating indirect costs for the primary (lead) budget.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What is the sponsor has a limitation on Indirect Costs (IDC)?<\/strong><\/summary>\n

Tarleton honors a sponsor\u2019s published or statutory limitations on the recovery of indirect costs. The published guidance regarding the limitation should be included in the Maestro proposal as documentation for the rate being used.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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How do I calculate my annualized effort for a project?<\/summary>\n

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Frequently Used Person Months<\/strong><\/td>Annualized % Effort<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1<\/td>8.33%<\/td><\/tr>
1.5<\/td>12.50%<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>16.67%<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>25%<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>50%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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