Step 1: Identify Your Funding Opportunity
Before you begin developing a proposal, take time to define your idea, find the right funding opportunity, and understand what a successful submission requires. This page walks you through each part of that process, from initial planning to engaging collaborators and reviewing sponsor requirements. Simply click on the gold arrows to expand each section.
Generate the idea
Start here if you’re still shaping your research question or aren’t sure who to talk to before searching for funding.
- Define the research question, scope, and intended outcomes before searching for funding.
- Consult your departmental resources or the Research Team () in the Provost’s Office if you have questions.
Search for opportunities
Not sure where to look for funding? Expand this section for databases and resources covering internal, federal, and foundation opportunities.
WFU supports faculty through a comprehensive array of resources designed to identify internal opportunities, federal grants, and foundation support. From initial seed funding to significant extramural awards, our team provides the specialized databases and guidance necessary for competitive proposal development.
Learn more and get support for grant writing
New to proposal writing, or using AI tools to help draft one? Expand this section for mentoring support, writing resources, and key rules to follow.
- Success in securing external funding requires more than just a great idea; it requires a strategic approach to proposal development. CULTIVATE is our signature grants mentoring program, designed to pair faculty with experienced peers and resources to sharpen their grant-seeking skills.
- Additional grant writing resources from agencies can be found here.
- Using AI to prepare your proposal? AI tools can help, but a few funder rules carry real consequences. The essentials:
- Keep the science yours. NIH will not consider an application substantially developed by AI to be original. Editing and clarity help are lower-risk; generating your Aims, design, or narrative is not.
- Disclose for NSF. Indicate in your project description whether and how you used generative AI.
- Verify everything. You are accountable for every AI-touched fact and citation — fabricated references are common.
- Protect confidential data. Never enter sensitive, unpublished, or human-subjects data into non-approved tools.
- Read the full guidance
Identify and engage collaborators and stakeholders
Planning to work with outside partners, industry, or subrecipients? Expand this section for the guidelines and agreements that apply.
- Prior to initiating partnerships, review institutional guidelines and regulatory frameworks that may govern your collaboration. These protocols are essential for safeguarding investigators and maintaining adherence to sponsor mandates.
- Wake Forest University (WFU) encourages and supports collaborations between its faculty and private industry. Explore information about Doing Business with WFU.
- Agreements for research that will be conducted on campus or use university resources should be negotiated between the company and WFU. WFU departments or individual faculty members cannot be parties to agreements.
- Explore more about sub-recipients of funding on your award.
Align goals to the sponsor and review submission requirements early
Ready to move forward with a specific opportunity? Expand this section for key deadlines, budget considerations, and steps to take with your GCM before you submit.
- Ensure the selected program aligns with your disciplinary focus, project scope, and investigator status (eligibility to apply).
- Confirm the requested budget and project period align with your proposed goals. Discrepancies in scale—whether excessively large or insufficient—weaken your proposal by making it too ambitious or limited in project scope.
- Discuss potential workload impacts with your department chair early, including and especially course buy-outs if relevant.
- Deadlines and timelines
- Determine if the time until the internal application processing deadline is sufficient to develop a rigorous and competitive submission.
- Account for mandatory internal review protocols. Proposals must be submitted into Cayuse at least 5 days prior to the submission deadline, meaning the budget and budget justification must be final by this time. If the budget changes after routing, routing must be restarted and approvals obtained again which could potentially lead to missing the submission deadline. The remaining application components must be complete at least 2 days prior to the submission deadline.
- Select opportunities that remain feasible alongside existing professional and personal commitments, ensuring all contributors, including Grants & Contract Managers (GCMs) and other ORSP staff, have adequate time to fulfill their roles.
- Investigators must coordinate closely with their assigned GCMs to finalize institutional requirements and uphold this professional timeline.
- Check with your Grants & Contracts Manager in ORSP. Fill out and submit the New Funding Proposal Checklist to your GCM that includes a link to the Request for Application Announcement (RFA) or Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from your sponsor ahead of time; notify your GCM of the proposal deadline.
- Note limited-submission limits, cost-share expectations, internal deadlines, and other requirements like letters of support or nomination.
- If you are applying for a Center or training grant, consult with the Vice Provost for Research () early in the process for additional support.
Tell us early: Let your GCM know as soon as you intend to submit a proposal — especially if you are responding to a specific funding announcement (RFA or RFP) or will be using a new electronic submission system. Early notice gives us the lead time to provide the strongest possible support.