Many sponsors request that additional materials about Duke University be submitted with a proposal. Some of these are now available on-line, others are available from Research Support. Below is a list of the usual documents requested. If you do not find what you need here, please contact ORS for help.

• The University Mission Statement
• The University Charter
• Duke University Certificate of Existence and Date of Incorporation
• Duke University By-laws
• List of the Members of the Board of Trustees
• Board of Trustees' Signature Authorization
• University Affirmative Action Plan (current)
• Property Control System Approval
• CASB Certification information
• OMB A-133 Audit (current)
• Duke University Audited Financial Statement
• Duke University Form 990 (current and past)
• NC Tax Exempt Certificate of Authority
• DHHS Negotiated Rate Agreement
• Duke University IRS Tax Status Confirmation 501(c)(3)
• Accreditation Confirmation

Mailing Your Proposal

There are a two very important guidelines to check when mailing your proposal: due dates and number of copies.

1. Due Dates and Delivery

• "Target Date" means the proposal should be received by the sponsor with one to two weeks of the stated target date.
• "Post Date" means the deadline is the day the proposal package is to be sent. The postmark date on the package must be the deadline date or earlier.
• "Receipt Date" means the deadline is the day proposal package must be received by the sponsor.
• For security reasons some sponsors do not allow hand delivery, call and check if you are planning to hand deliver a proposal.

2. Number of Copies

• Do send the exact number of copies requested in addition to the original - no more and no less. Always be sure to send the original.
• Do include a cover letter unless directed otherwise. If you are submiting to a foundation or corporation, ORS will provide an endorsement coverletter. The principal investigator may add a second, more specific cover letter if desired.
• Do not copy pages that are to be submitted in the original only, such as the PI information page in an NIH or NSF proposal.
• Do not send the Duke Proposal Approval Form (DPAF). It is an internal university form only.

Electronic Submissions

In most cases, final submission of an electronic proposal can only be done by ORS. The submission is equivalent to the University's institutional signature on the proposal. In order to be sure we do not miss a deadline time we ask that the principal investigator

• have the fully signed Duke Proposal Approval Form to Research Support prior to requesting submission of the proposal (fax is fine, 684-2418);
• have the proposal complete and ready for submission a day ahead of time if possible or at least several hours ahead of time in order to avoid the last minute system slowdowns and crashes that can occur;
• remember that our business hours are 8:30 to 5:00 and we do not stay in the office until midnight for proposals with a midnight deadline time;
• stay by a telephone until we confirm successful submission - just in case a problem arises.

Copies to Research Support

Please send two complete copies of the proposal - the final version - to the Office of Research Support via campus mail at Box 90077. Final copies should also go to the principal investigator's departmental office and to all co-principal investigators named on the proposal.

Completing SPS

If you have prepared your proposal and routed it through SPS for approvals, remember to change the status of the proposal to "submitted" in SPS immediately after you have sent it off. This will complete the SPS record. The proposal will remain in the submitted state until we get word from the sponsor about funding.

Updated: Jan. 8, 2008.