Please follow the general guidelines below when submitting proposals for external funding:
- Start the process by meeting with the administrative manager in your unit.
- Cornell faculty, staff, and students are not allowed to contract, as individuals, with outside agencies for activity done as part of their Cornell work assignment.
- Preproposals, proposals, contracts, and agreements (i.e. items with budget and deliverables) must be processed through the Sponsored Program Services - SPS (formerly Office of Sponsored Programs – OSP) or the appropriate program within University Development – usually Corporate or Foundation Relations.
- Some foundations specifically indicate that requests be coordinated with the Cornell Office of Foundation Relations. If you are interested in contacting one of these foundations, it is important to work closely with the Associate Director of Foundation Relations.
- Similarly, if you have interest in approaching a corporation or corporate foundation, contact the Director of Corporate Relations.
- Use the facilities and administrative cost rates (also referred to as indirect cost) and benefit rates set by the University. Any variance must be discussed with the Associate Dean for Research in advance. In addition, documentation for any variance must accompany the proposal and Form 10 when submitted.
- Investigators must be in compliance with the university’s conflict of interest policies and have a current Disclosure Statement of External Interests and Time Commitments on file through the Human Ecology Associate Dean for Research.
- Cornell University's policy on research that involves humans as subjects stipulates that all such projects be reviewed and approved by the University Committee on Human Subjects (UCHS) before starting the research. Visit the SPS pages about the policy and for the application form.
- Additional compliance is needed for investigators conducting research involving animals or biosafety. Guidelines related to such environmental health and safety issues as biological, chemical and laboratory, fire, occupational, and radiation safety as well as emergency services are also available.
- Your completed proposal and Form 10 must be approved by the chair/director of your unit, followed by review and approval by the Associate Dean for Research.
For complete University-level guidelines on applying for funding, please visit the SPS pages.
Foundation List
