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All proposals submitted by Touro University New York for external support of research, public service, and training must be approved by OSP. OSP has some requirements and guidelines to help the internal review process by OSP go as smoothly as possible, as well as general guidance on preparing a proposal. 

We also manage the internal Bridge and Seed Funding Intramural Research Grants.

Forms

Guidance to Principal Investigators

Internal Touro Review and Approval of Proposals for Submission to External Sponsoring Agencies.

*In alignment with the NIH’s new policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in grant applications (NOT-OD-25-132NOT-OD-25-132), our office has revised the internal submission requirements and timelines. These changes will apply to all applications submitted for September 25, 2025, receipt date and beyond. Considering this new guidance, we will ensure NIH compliance across all proposals, even if not required by the external sponsor.

All proposals submitted by Touro University for external support of research, public service, and training must be approved by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) prior to signature by Touro's authorized institutional official and prior to submission to sponsors. OSP has been given this charge by President Kadish in order to ensure conformance with both the policies of Touro University and the requirements of the sponsoring agency.

As part of its own approval process, OSP requires that there also be prior proposal approval by the Dean of the School in which the Principal Investigator holds his/her appointment (and, if required by that Dean, approval from the School's appropriate Department or Program Chair). The purpose of this requirement is to confirm that all commitments made in the proposal are consistent with the respective School's objectives and resources. You will need to submit the required Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form show the dean’s prior approval.

Full-time regular faculty may serve as Principal Investigators on sponsored projects. On occasion, other individuals with appointments at Touro University may also serve as Principal Investigators with the endorsement of the Dean of the School in which the sponsored project will be based and with approval by the appropriate Divisional Vice President.

Principal Investigators are strongly encouraged to begin the proposal preparation and the OSP review and approval process well in advance of the sponsor's submission deadline. Coordination among the various units and individuals involved can be time-consuming, especially given the geographic dispersion of the Touro University community. OSP is committed to providing prompt feedback at every stage of this process as all parties work together to meet internal and sponsor deadlines.

Timetable

Below is a Targeted Timetable which we strongly recommend Principal Investigators (PIs) follow as they proceed with proposal development. This Timetable reflects not only work that a PI must do, but it also allows time for the review and approval steps that involve OSP. 

  1. At least 30 days prior to proposal submission deadline (preferably sooner, whenever possible), the Principal Investigator (PI) should:
    • Inform the Dean (and the Department or Program Chair, if required by the Dean) of the intent to submit a proposal, provide either a link to the proposal announcement or a hard copy of the announcement, and schedule appropriate meetings with School officials as directed by the Dean to discuss proposal plans.
    • Inform the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) of the intent to submit a proposal, provide either a link to the proposal announcement or a hard copy of the announcement, and schedule a meeting with OSP staff to discuss proposal plans.
  2. As soon as possible after signaling the intent to submit a proposal, the PI should:
    • Meet with the Dean (and Department or Program Chair, as required) to discuss the programmatic content of the proposal and how it fits in with the goals of the School and professional development/research objectives of the PI. Also discussed should be the scale of the project, any School space, equipment, or financial commitments that will be required as part of the proposal, and the project budget. With respect to preparing the budget, the PI should work with appropriate School officials, taking into account sponsor guidance and relevant Touro policies (including, for example, indirect costs).
    • Meet with OSP staff to discuss, at a minimum, both sponsor and Touro institutional requirements associated with submission of the proposal and key proposal administrative details.
    • Encourage any Touro University Co-PIs to initiate discussions with their own School officials (if they are not faculty members in the same School as the PI), essentially following the same proposal review and approval process required of the Touro University lead PI.
    • Initiate and secure any sub-recipient organization/institution proposals to be included in the sponsored program submission; this requirement also applies when collaborating with other Schools within the Touro University System.
  3. At least 10 business days prior to the proposal submission deadline, the PI should submit to his/her School and to the OSP a copy of the draft budget and budget justification for purposes of eliciting feedback. Additionally, at that time the PI should provide OSP (for its review) draft copies of the proposal's required administrative pages as identified during the preliminary proposal discussion.
  4. At least 7 business days prior to the proposal submission deadline, the PI should submit a full proposal for review and approval to the Dean (and Department or Program Chair, if required by the Dean).
  5. At least 5 business days prior to the proposal submission deadline, the PI should submit the final School-approved proposal and the signed Proposal Transmittal and Approval Form to OSP. OSP will then obtain signature by the Touro University Authorized Institutional Official (the Controller).
  6. Three (3) business days prior to the proposal deadline, the final proposal must be completely ready for submission. Then:
    • If the sponsor requires institutional submission, OSP will submit the proposal electronically, OR
    • If the sponsor requires PI submission, the PI will submit the proposal electronically, but only after first obtaining OSP approval and Touro University institutional signoff.

Federal Applications Submission Timeline

  • All Federal applications must be finalized and submitted to OSP at least 14 days prior to the sponsor’s deadline.
  • Please contact OSP as soon as possible if extenuating circumstances prevent compliance with this timeline.
  • This 14-day window is essential to allow OSP sufficient time for a thorough review, including a rigorous verification process to ensure that AI tools have not been used in the application.  However, the most critical areas for scrutiny are those that describe the core scientific merit and innovation of the proposal – Research Strategy, Specific Aims and fabricated citations or data.

Preparing a Proposal

Start early! There is no better advice OSP can offer than to encourage you to start preparing your proposal as far in advance of the deadline as possible. After you get a copy of the sponsor's guidelines and deadline information, share that information with your Dean, your department/program/center Chair, and with OSP. Then, immediately begin internal discussions about the proposal.

With competition for funding becoming increasingly fierce, committing concentrated time and energy into the proposal process will significantly enhance your likelihood of success. A deliberative process should include sharing drafts of the technical proposal with colleagues and obtaining their informal feedback. Peer review is one of the soundest investments you can make while attempting to craft the best proposal possible. You'll also need to work with School and OSP staff on the proposal's budget and administrative commitments.

To facilitate the proposal review process, OSP has developed a Targeted Timetable (above). That Timetable reflects the institutional review and approval steps needed before a proposal can be submitted to a sponsor. We urge you to take the Timetable into account as you structure your overall plan for proposal development. While OSP always tries to accommodate a Principal Investigator's needs and schedules, the steps OSP is responsible for undertaking require adequate time if the proposal is to be submitted to the sponsoring agency by the mandated deadline. So, adherence to the Timetable, to the extent possible, is really important.

As you prepare your proposal, it's crucial that you carefully review the sponsor's guidelines and application requirements. Don't take anything for granted. Requirements can vary tremendously in number and type, depending on the sponsoring agency. Some sponsors, including many federal agencies, even have stipulations about page limits, font size, and the format of the narrative components. Sponsors will reject proposals that are non-conforming; and, grant reviewers will often discount proposals that don't follow guidelines.

When in doubt about a sponsor's guidelines or any aspect of proposal preparation, please contact OSP for an interpretation. OSP will work with you to obtain any clarifications needed.

While most sponsors require specific forms and proposal formats, not all do. Below is a sample of proposal components you may encounter as sponsor requirements; or, even if not specified by a sponsor, you might still want to consider these suggestions for development of your proposal.

Proposal Content

  1. Title Page
    If a format is not provided by a sponsor, create a title page that includes the following:
    • Name of entity and program for which the proposal is being submitted
    • Institutional IDs (Touro, School, Department); Principal Investigator (PI) name, address, telephone, email, and fax number
    • Touro Employer Identification Number
    • Title of your proposed project
    • Total amount of funding being requested
    • Anticipated start and end date of project
  2. Abstract
    Typically, an Abstract is one to two pages.
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Narrative
    • Introduction
    • Project Goals and Objectives
    • Methods and Procedures
    • Dissemination of Findings
    • Equipment and Facilities Supporting Project
    • Biographical Data on Staff
  5. References
  6. Appendices
  7. Budget & Budget Narrative Justification
    • Direct Costs (suggestions below are not meant to be an exclusive list)

(a) Salaries/Wages (with % effort of time specified per individual)

  • Faculty
  • Professional Research Staff
  • Graduate Research Staff
  • Students
  • Other Project Staff

(b) Fringe Benefits
(c) Consultants
(d) Travel
(e) Equipment
(f) Supplies
(g) Other Direct Costs (e.g., human subjects participant costs; equipment maintenance, printing and publication, etc.)
(h) Partners, Sub-recipients and Consortium Agreements

Any partner/sub-recipient's proposal (i.e., the sub-proposal) must contain, at a minimum, the following: statement or scope of work; itemized budget; period of performance; and signature of a representative authorized to contractually commit the partner/sub-recipient

  • Indirect Costs (Overhead or F&A)

Use either Touro's federally approved rate or the rate specified by the sponsor in the application package, whichever is appropriate

  • Cost Sharing/Matching

Specify whether Mandatory [i.e., required by the sponsor] OR Voluntarily contributed [please consult with OSP before electing to commit any voluntary cost sharing]

  • Forms and Certifications/Additional Information (as required by sponsor)

Special Proposal Reviews

In addition to the standard institutional reviews and approvals of a proposal, there are other special reviews that are mandatory when the proposals involve certain types of activities. Examples include:

  • Human Subjects
  • Laboratory Animals
  • Radiation Safety
  • Biohazard Safety
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Proprietary Information/Intellectual Property

Most sponsors allow proposals to be submitted for funding consideration before these special reviews have actually occurred; however, sponsors do require that the appropriate institutional approvals be in place before a project can begin (for example, prior to actual commencement of a project there must be the appropriate Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects approval of a project involving human subjects research). Please work closely with OSP on setting such reviews in motion.