The period of time between submission of a proposal and receipt of an award varies greatly. With federal agencies in particular, it can easily be nine to twelve months before news comes to us about a final decision on a proposal: funded or unfunded.

This time, however, may be filled with responding to requests from the sponsor for additional information or with contract negotiations. Like the institutional signature on the proposal, it is important that any items submitted to a sponsor have an ORS countersignature. The countersignature indicates Duke's concurrence with the information being provided. Contract negotiations are done by ORS staff in consultation with the principal investigator, the Office of Science and Technology and Duke Legal Counsel.