There are three documents that comprise the full proposal package:
- Full Proposal Document (up to 15 pages) plus appendices
- The multi-page Full Proposal Cover Page and Budget (Form CB-11) (required)
- Subcontract Budget (Form SC-11) (complete if applicable, separately for each subcontract).
It is recommended that you develop the proposal narrative document prior to completing the Full Proposal Cover Page and Budget forms, and you will need to complete all of the elements prior to submitting the package on-line.
Full Proposal Cover Page and Budget–Form CB-11
Refer to the proposal forms menu on the Funding and Proposals page to Download the Proposal Cover Page.
Instructions for Full Proposal Cover Page and Budget
Most fields on the first page of the Full Proposal Cover Page are the same as the Preproposal Form (e.g., title, name, address, etc.). You can refer to the Preproposal Instructions for more information about filling in those fields.
Project Type Select a project type depending on whether this is a new or continuing project.
New: A project not currently funded, and not follow-on to a previously funded project
Continuing: A proposal that is follow-on to a previously funded CRDF project. This project type will be reviewed and contracted as a new proposal with an opportunity for the principal investigator to report on progress of the previously funded project. (See #4 below.)
Discipline: Select a category that best represents the nature of your project.
DNA/Biohazard Regulation: If you are working with regulated agents or materials, check “Yes” to indicate you are in compliance with their guidelines. Otherwise, check “No”.
Total Funds Requested: (total project) This field is populated automatically from page 2 of Form CB-11. Verify the accuracy of the total funding for your project factoring all years included in Project Duration. CRDF does not allow inclusion of indirect cost in project budgets.
Year 1 Funding Request: This field populates automatically from Form CB-11, Page 3. Verify the Total Direct amount from Page 3 of 5 representing funding you are requesting for the first year of the project.
Abstract: Summarize your project into a 300-word abstract. Include sufficient detail that will allow reviewers to have a clear idea of your project design, objectives and anticipated benefits.
Instructions for Project Budget Forms
Budget forms are included with Form CB-11, the Full Proposal Cover Page and Budget (Pages 2-5) and should be completed and saved at the same time as the Full Proposal Cover Page 1 is completed. Refer to the forms menu on the Funding | Proposal page to download the budget forms. Budget forms do not count towards the 15-page limit of the body of the proposal.
Enter personnel and other expenses on the pages that follow the cover page. Complete a budget form for each year of the project as designated on Pages 3 to 5. These amounts automatically populate to Page 2, the composite form for the entire project period. Verify that all amounts are correct, including Subcontractor totals. Subcontract totals must be manually inserted in Project Budget Forms on pages 3-5.
When completing entries for personnel to be employed under this project, consider shifting the salary request to the 2nd quarter of the first year of the project if an employee is a new hire. This will more realistically reflect actual employee cost in the first year of the project.
Requests for travel expense should consider costs of travel related to conduct of the research, as well as reasonable expenses related to presenting project results to peers and stakeholders. Details of proposed travel should be provided in the budget narrative.
Do not leave any fields blank. Enter O′s where no costs are expected to ensure that all other costs are correctly factored.
Address matching and in-kind contributions as these may be competitively evaluated along with the rest of your information. We value establishment of corporate partnerships as your research project evolves.
Budget Justification (narrative): This is a Word file, saved as a PDF and combined with Form CB-11. Provide a brief statement that details the following expense categories:
Personnel: Their role and specific responsibilities in the project
Equipment: Provide details for equipment with cost in excess of $500. Define value of equipment to completion of the project objectives.
Travel: Provide details for in-state and out-of-state travel and purpose of the travel for each trip. Sufficient detail should be provided to assess the value to the project and to CRDF.
Supplies/Materials: Provide general details of types of supplies and materials that will be utilized for the project and are included in the budget request.
The Full Proposal Document
1. Full Proposal Cover Page containing Title, PI, Abstract and CRDF Project Number (Form CB-11 Page 1)
2. Project Budget forms and Budget Justification (Form CB-11 Pages 2-5 and Word file saved as a PDF)
3. Project Narrative (Word file saved as a PDF)–This is the section of the proposal subject to the 15 page length limit.
a. Introduction
b. Relevance of Project to the Program Objectives. Program priorities are listed at Download priorities list
c. Experimental Approach
d. Practical Application
e. Cost/Benefit of Proposed Intervention (if applicable)
4. Summary of previously CRDF-funded work – If the proposed project is a follow-up to a previous CRDF-funded project, please provide the following in a 2-page summary (Word file), which will not count towards the 15-page limit: Include only work accomplished by you in a previously funded CRDF project.
a. Title of previous project
b. Objectives of previous project
c. Significant results of previous project, including publications.
d. How this new proposal relates to the previous project and its findings
5. Literature Cited in the Project Narrative
6. Additional budget forms and narrative: The project budget forms are attached to the cover page, so will precede the project narrative. However, the following additional budget information is requested here.
a. Supplemental: Subcontract Budget (Form SC-11): If you have cooperators (consultants, professional services or institutions) who will receive funds from your project, complete Form SC-11 for each subcontractor. Please include these forms for each year of subcontract and a composite budget form for the entire subcontract period as provided for on Form SC-11. Budget justification (narrative) for the subcontract budget also should be prepared and attached. The total for each year of a subcontract budget form must be entered manually into the subcontract field of the project budget form for each corresponding year. If more than one subcontractor, verify that all are included in the Subcontract Total for each year. Refer to the application forms menu to download the Subcontract Budget forms. Download Subcontract Budget form.
b. Current and Pending Support: This excel spreadsheet follows project budget information and is used by reviewers to provide context (and funding detail) of ongoing research by the PI as well as other pending proposals from the team. The purpose of this form is to provide an overview of funding available to the PIs, and to communicate current and planned research that may be related to that proposed to CRDF. The form should be completed with information for each of the PIs that are contributing to the proposal. Download Current and Pending spreadsheet
c. Personnel Allocation Form: Like the current and pending form, this spreadsheet information is useful to project reviewers and to CRDF to assess level of effort and expertise to meet objectives. Refer to the application form menu to Download Personnel Allocation spreadsheet.
7. Appendices
a. Resumes are required for all key personnel. It is important to know who will be doing the work, and what their capabilities are. Full CVs are not required. State why the researchers on your team can and should do the work. Collaborators that are important to the actual work should be included in key personnel.
b. Institutional Authorization form. This is typically the routing form used by institutions to document review and approval of project proposals prior to their submission. Where available, a copy of the completed institutional authorization form (e.g. UF, IFAS DSR-1) should be included here. If your institution does not use such a form, a generic authorization form is provided for your use.
c. Letters of authorization from each institution a Subcontractor Budget form has been completed for. This statement allows CRDF to know that subcontractors have agreed, if the project is approved, to complete the objectives with the budget details as provided in the proposal.
d. Other Relevant Information
Proposal Layout Details
Proposals should be created in English and submitted as email attachments in Adobe PDF format. Page margins should be one inch on all sides. Use Times New Roman or a similar typeface set to 12-point and single line spacing. Page numbers should be placed on the lower right hand corner with the Principal Investigator name and the page number (e.g., Rogers-2).