One of the primary functions of the Office of Research Administration (ORA) is the university-wide facilitation of proposal submission to external sponsors. Our office is committed to helping all WCU principal investigators prepare and submit successful proposals.
The Pre-Award Team has assisted WCU faculty and staff with the development and submission of proposals to federal agencies, educational and research institutions, non-profit organizations and foundations, state government, corporations, and other sources. Each of these applications started with a great idea that was crafted into a well-written proposal and then submitted to the sponsor for review.
The professional staff at the Office of Research Administration have skills and experience meeting funder requirements, and can help faculty, staff, and graduate students find relevant funding opportunities, develop fundable research and program plans, submit proposals to prospective sponsors, and manage grant awards.
As soon as you identify a funding opportunity to pursue, talk to us as early as possible before the submission deadline, so we can help you develop your concept, navigate compliance requirements, prepare your budget and justification, secure subcontractor commitments, and complete all the other steps along the way. We will assist with the InfoEd electronic routing system to procure necessary WCU approvals and then make the final submission to the sponsor on behalf of the institution. When your proposal is awarded, ORA will work with legal counsel to negotiate the terms of the agreement and transition the management of your award to the post-award team.
The ORA is always available to answer questions and assist you in your pursuit of external funding. We would be happy to bring information and training to your classroom or department meeting. To set up an appointment to get to know the ORA and ways in which we can support you, please contact us (828-227-7212).
During the course of preparing a grant application, sponsors will require specific institutional information. The most common information required has been summarized in the Proposal Resources section.
The Office of Research Administration provides comprehensive support to WCU faculty and staff seeking internal and external funding for research projects. The Funding Opportunities section contains resources to help researchers find available funding for their ideas.
The Office of Research Administration can help with all aspects of proposal development. The steps listed in the Proposal Development section will ensure that your proposal has the best chance for success.
Per University Policy 55, review and approval by appropriate University officials are necessary before making formal application for sponsored funds. WCU utilizes InfoEd, a grant management software, as the tool to ensure proper coordination and approval are obtained and recorded. Through InfoEd, faculty and staff can manage their proposals, awards, and compliance requirements.