As far in advance of the deadline as possible, collaborate with the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs to:

  • Review the deadline and submission requirements.
  • Make an internal deadline for submitting the Proposal Authorization Form (ideally 1 week before the proposal deadline).
  • Make sure the Authorized Organizational Representative will be available for signatures.
  • Make a plan for submitting the proposal before the deadline.
    • Know who will submit.
    • Have an internal deadline to ideally submit prior to the deadline.

  • All grant proposals and contracts for sponsored projects are submitted in the name of the University—not individual faculty and staff members.
    • The legal applicant is Montana State University-Northern.
  • If a signature is required on the application form(s) for your grant proposal, preliminary proposal, or contract, only the Authorized Organizational Representative can provide this.
  • If the submission portal is grants.gov, the Institutional Representative in the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs must submit the proposal for you.
  • If the sponsor requires an authorized research administrator to log in and submit your proposal for you, the Institutional Representative in the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs must submit the proposal.
  • If a sponsor does not require submission by an authorized research administrator, you may submit your proposal yourself—but only after it has received all required internal approvals (Proposal Authorization Form). Or you may ask the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs to do this for you.

  • You have received a message from the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs that all approvals and signatures are complete.
  • This message includes confirmation that you:
    • Have obtained a required signature on application form(s) from the Authorized Organizational Representative.
    • Have received all required internal approvals on the Proposal Authorization Form.