Worksheet: Proposal Completion Plan Timeline

Use this worksheet to identify completion times for proposal development activities. Key milestones are in blue.

NOTE: This milestone timeline is based on the typical requirements of an NSF proposal. Edit as appropriate to address the requirements of your proposal solicitation.

action / component / when
Check In Meetings
Vacations
Solicitation: Read or reviewentire solicitation; establish concept and program
Formulate project idea
Formulate questions for program officer, including discussion about budget amounts / White Paper
Identify Collaborators Identify and connect with collaborators.
Identify Team Members (Co-PIs & Senior Personnel)
Identify Reviewers: Work with internal support to schedule internal and/or external technical and editorial reviews, including TIG.
Request Office of Sponsored Programssupport
Budget and Budget Justification: Send first draft to OSP
Secondary and Supplemental Documents: Create, Request, and Gather
Prepare or update Biosketch(new format) / Biographical Sketch
Prepare / Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources
Prepare / Data Management Plan
Fill out template. New document this year. / Collaborators and Other Affiliations
Request, send template and follow up / Letters of Collaboration
Optional if you have a post-doc on the project / Post-doc Researcher Mentoring Plan
Optional to identify well qualified reviewers and avoid conflicts of interest. / Suggested Reviewers; Reviewers not to Include
Project Description: Prepare first draft; insert references for all elements. Use the solicitation to create a template outline.
Establish the document structure and write the Research Plan. Establish research questions, evaluation strategies, and criteria for completion. To get ideas percolating, consider starting with an outline and filling in notes for the whole. / Project Description
Write the Background and Preliminary Results. Include fresh literature search.
Write the Management Plan. Address any significant risks to budget or timeline.
Write the Introduction. Include a compelling rationale, the goal and objectives, and an explanation of how the proposal will have impact.
Create Broader Impacts section
Compile Results of prior support section as required.
Manage references / References Cited
Review: Schedule external reviewsfor science and clarity/presentation.
Project Description: Incorporatereview feedback; and finalize project description and references.
Project Summary: Create or finalize based on Project Description
Submit Proposal: