Texas Tech University

Proposal Development

Sponsored Project Lifecycle



While investigators are expected to write their own proposals and prepare their own submissions, the Office of Research & Innovation (OR&I) does provide assistance and resources to make the process more efficient and effective. The Office of Research Services (ORS) is the primary contact for pre-award needs and is the office that will submit a final proposal to a funding agency. The OR&I offers a number of faculty development opportunities to assist you in preparing successful proposals.

  • Roles & Responsibilities - A breakdown of the responsibilities of ORS, the PI, the department, college, Office of Research & Innovation and Accounting Services. 
  • Preliminary Proposals/White Papers - A pre-proposal (sometimes called a white paper, letter proposal, letter of intent, preliminary proposal, pre-application, or concept paper) is a short description of the proposed project.
  • Proposal Checklist - These items should be considered in the preparation and review of proposals.
  • Proposal Format - While every agency has specific proposal guidelines that must be followed, we have provided general proposal format as a guide if there is no specific format instructions.
  • Data Management Plans - This library guide provides information faculty and staff can access for the development of their data management plans in coordination with the library or by using resources for independent creation.
  • Budget Development - The preparation of a budget is an important part of the proposal preparation process and should be considered as you are developing the project itself.
  • Frequently Required Proposal Data - A quick reference for proposal preparation.

Office of Research Services