How to Start an Application

1. Contact us!

For applications to be submitted through School of Nursing, contact our office by emailing research@sn.rutgers.edu and provide the following information*:

  • Name of sponsor and specific funding opportunity
  • Sponsor due date
  • Title (or working title)
  • Proposed project period (we can help)
  • Which, if any, other institutions will be involved
  • Which, if any, other institutions will create budgets/receive grant funds
  • Whether the proposal will include a cost share (commitment from Rutgers to fund part of the project)
  • Whether you will request a waiver of indirect costs (strongly discouraged; institutional permission can take weeks)
  • Whether human subjects, select agents, vertebrate animals, or other specialized research is involved

*The FXB provides independent services. If you’re a member of FXB, contact Jamie Steiger.

For applications to be submitted through another institution or Rutgers unit, provide as much of the following information as possible:

  • Name of other unit/institution
  • Name of lead Principal Investigator/Project Director
  • Administrative contact for the submitting unit/institution
  • Name of sponsor and specific funding opportunity
  • Sponsor due date
  • Project title (or working title)
  • Proposed project period (we can help)
  • Whether the proposal will include a cost share (commitment from Rutgers to fund part of the project)
  • Whether you will request a waiver of indirect costs (strongly discouraged; institutional permission can take weeks)
  • Whether human subjects, select agents, vertebrate animals, or other specialized research is involved

Take this step as soon as possible! More lead time permits us to provide more impactful support.

2. Remember the 10-6 rule

  • Ten (10) working days before the sponsor deadline.
    A detailed budget justification is due to the Office of Research Services. We will develop it into an excel budget for your review. Your justification should include the following:
    • Efforts for salaried personnel and the number of hours for each student worker. (You do not need to include benefits or indirect costs, as we will do that for you.)
    • Include complete justifications for each partner.  Benefits and indirect costs should be included.
  • Six (6) working days before sponsor deadline. All application documents are due to the Office of Research Services in final, ready-to-submit form.

3. For federal and other complex applications, we will provide you with a summary of the application requirements and internal due dates.

A summary of the requirements for most NIH and AHRQ research project applications can be found here.

4. A grants specialist will initiate an internal Rutgers Administration and Proposal Submission System (RAPSS) application.

RAPSS is a gateway for the submission, review, approval, and tracking of sponsored project proposals at Rutgers. Institutional review of applications is necessary because grants are issued to submitted the University. Rutgers University bears financial and legal risk with each application. In the case of federal applications, institutional review is required as part of the internal controls required by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principals, an Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance).

Want to know more about RAPSS?

See the Office of Research and Economic Development information page.

Want to read the Uniform Guidance?

Find it here.

5. Provide us with a detailed budget justification.

We will use this information to create an Excel budget. In addition, we will complete the justification by adding information about fringe and indirect cost rates. To determine the level of detail to provide in the justification, look here.

6. Request line editing in a timely manner.

The Executive Director (TBA) will be available to line edit your proposal upon request. Send all documents to be edited at least three days before the internal due date.

7. A grants specialist will input administrative information into the application, compile it, and manage the submission process.

8. Once the application is complete, we will ask you to formally review it in RAPSS and then submit it for departmental review and submission to the sponsor.

9. You will receive a copy of your submitted application and a confirmation that it was successfully transmitted.