Greetings,

We recently conducted a proposal survey in order to get feedback about the services we provide. Thank you to all who participated! Below is a synopsis of the survey including what we have learned and suggestions for improvements made by survey respondents. We have already implemented some changes and are in process of implementing others (as noted). Some concerns will require creative solutions, and we address those at the end of the summary. We welcome continued feedback as we work to improve the proposal submission process in CEOAS.

What we have learned:

  • On average, respondents submit 5 proposals per year, 90% to NSF with NASA, ONR, and NOAA following in order of decreasing frequency.
  • Almost all of the PIs (91%) used CEOAS Proposal Information web page to find information about the proposal submission process. Most found it useful, although not very organized or user-friendly.
  • PIs generally felt much more confident in their knowledge of submitting proposals through FastLane and getting proposal support through the CEOAS Accounting Office than submitting proposals through Cayuse or finding online resources outside of CEOAS.
  • Respondents clearly favored receiving information about the proposal submission process in person, followed by e-mail and web pages/tutorials tied in a close second place.
  • PIs felt there were many barriers to attending proposal workshops, including the perception of not having enough time, and the varying complexity needed to accommodate all participants.
  • Approximately 25%of respondents were familiar with the online Cayuse support through OSU, and of those, 9% found it useful. Most did not know resources like this existed, or used other sources such as the CEOAS and OSU Sponsored Programs web pages.
  • 55% of respondents have reviewed the CEOAS Proposal Submission Process document on the CEOAS Proposal Information web page. Most found the document useful, but not very clear.
  • All of the respondents were familiar with the CEOAS Proposal Budget Guidelines, with 82% finding them useful, and 45% describing them as understandable.
  • 64% of respondents were familiar with the "How to setup CEOAS routing in Cayuse SP" document, with 55% finding them useful, but only 33% understandable. The people that were not familiar with the document either didn't know it existed, or felt overwhelmed with the amount of documents provided.

Suggestions for improvement:

  1. CEOAS Proposal Information web page:
    • Use a collapsible menu format so that users are not required to download so many individual pdf documents. (Implemented 12/16/14)
    • Provide standard examples of the forms needed for "generic" proposal checklists. (In process)
    • Provide budget templates and examples. (Budget templates completed 1/12/15.)
    • Devise a way to upload the budget directly into Cayuse or FastLane without having the PI manually enter the numbers again. (Feedback provided to OSRAA)
    • Develop step-by-step instructions on using Cayuse SP with screen shots. (Implemented 06/23/15)
    • Develop step-by-step instructions on using Cayuse 424 with screen shots. (In process)
  2. CEOAS Submission Process for Proposals document:
    • List CEOAS proposal contacts with e-mail and phone #; (Implemented 2/16/15)
    • Hire someone to specifically handle proposal submissions.* (See note below)
    • Simplify the document because too much information becomes overwhelming. (Implemented 2/12/15)
  3. CEOAS Proposal Budget Guidelines document:
    • Develop a generic Excel budget template (perhaps that auto-calculates rates) and provide some quick summaries – e.g., the estimated total cost to budget for a graduate student. (Revised guidelines 09/25/15 with new rates. Template includes a grad calculator that auto-fills into budget.)
    • Create a FAQ document: (Implemented 06/23/15)
      • Clarify estimated vs. actual OPE rates
      • Provide guidance for how to calculate OPE rates where the proposal period and the fiscal year do not match up (In process)
      • Describe the available choices for how to support students during the summer (In process)
      • Provide guidance on the RCS calculation
  4. Workshops:
    • Provide a demonstration of an actual proposal submission. (Provided during Proposal/Grant Workshop August 2015 and will be provided in future workshops.))
    • Record and post future workshops online for later viewing. (Workshop slides uploaded to website 08/21/15)
  5. CEOAS routing in Cayuse:
    • Make sure the descriptions of categories and locations in reference documents exactly match the current version of Cayuse. (In process)
    • Hire a specialist that would enter this information for the PI.* (See note below)

*One frequent comment we saw throughout this information gathering process was the need to get help entering data into Cayuse. Although we acknowledge the need for more help with proposal submission, current budget constraints do not allow us to hire a specialist at this time. Our proposal team can offer one-on-one assistance with entering data into Cayuse. Stop by with your laptop to take advantage of this service. In addition, the proposal team can enter budgets into Cayuse SP and Cayuse 424 upon request. Keep in mind if you would like this service we need 48 hours turn around rather than our 24 hour turnaround. OSRAA still requires 3 business days.

Lastly, we are working on a grants life cycle lean improvement process in coordination with the Research Office. We hope the results of this effort will streamline the process. Researchers are included in this team to ensure their perspective is represented.

We will continue to post improved proposal support documents upon completion to our website, and keep you informed by email. Thank you for your involvement and support.

Last updated October 12, 2015

Back to Proposal Information