Beginning the Proposal Process

The first step in the proposal process is to determine whether you need to work with the Contracts and Grants Office (CGO) or the Office of Foundation Relations (OFR).You can read more about the distinctions below, but the essence is that OFR assists you with private donors and foundations and the CGO can help you with research grants and contracts. Of course, the easiest way to begin your proposal proposal process is to contact us directly. We're here to help you.

The OFR is the University of Dayton’s central office for fundraising from private donors and is responsible for coordinating partnerships with all foundations on behalf of the University. This ensures that new funding requests to foundations are strategic and initiated appropriately. The OFR works closely with CGO and provides similar services, which focus on the private sector. These include:

• monitoring funding interests of private foundations and relaying Requests for Proposals to academic units;
• serving as a single point of contact for coordinating activities with prospective donors in order to avoid duplicate or competing requests;
• coordinating proposal development and preparation, particularly for institutional initiatives with foundations and corporations;
• supplying any required institutional information, such as audited financial reports or documentation of tax exempt status; and
• supporting post-award administrative requirements.

The Contracts and Grants Office (CGO) is directly responsible for the negotiation, execution, and administration of all University of Dayton agreements with sponsors of research grants and contracts. Its specific responsibilities include:

• serving as liaison with sponsor(s),
• proposal preparation and submission,
• budget preparation,
• award negotiations and administration,
• subcontract management,
• intellectual property and technology rights oversight, and
• ensuring proper compliance with government regulations.

Apply for a grant

After all unit-specific requirements have been met; all funding requests to private foundations must be reviewed and approved by the University Development Office. If the desired funding is solely for research activities, UDRI must be involved. In such instances, CGO and OFR will work together closely.

Steward a grant

Funding awards made from private foundations are stewarded through the Development Office.

Host foundation visitors

As an ongoing cultivation of private foundations, campus visits are occasionally scheduled. These visits can focus on a specific project/issue or be more broad-based efforts to build awareness of innovative programmatic and research initiatives at the University of Dayton.