Below are tools and resources for your preparing your grant proposals. Additional information and guidance is provided in the Office of Research Handbook (PDF).
Any questions may be directed to your Pre-Award Specialist.
Biosketch Development
A biosketch is a streamlined version of your curriculum vitae that is required by most federal and non-federal grant sponsors. NIH and NSF both require the use of SciENcv to prepare biosketches, as well as other federal agencies. Foundation and industry sponsors may also have specific requirements for developing biosketches.
Use SciENcv to help you develop your biosketch and automatically format it according to agency requirements.
Budget Development
University policy requires the Office of Sponsored Programs to review and approve project budgets, along with other proposal details prior to submission to the sponsor. The UWM Budget Development Tool allows you develop a cumulative budget with subawards and the latest rates necessary for a sponsored project.
- Budget Development Tool (XLSX)
(Updated 05/09/2025)
Contact your Pre-Award Specialist for assistance.
Cost-Sharing and Matching Funds
Cost-sharing is the portion of the total project costs that is covered by UWM and/or third parties. Examples of cost-shared contributions include personnel, time, effort, travel costs, and facilities. If a project requires cost-sharing or matching funds, discuss the commitment with your chair, dean, and/or division head. Cost-sharing commitments must be documented appropriately in the proposal to avoid delays in proposal submission and/or award acceptance.
If the project includes a subrecipient that will provide cost-sharing, the subrecipient must provide an institutional commitment letter that describes the proposed cost-sharing.
More information is provided in the Office of Research Handbook (PDF).
Data Management and Sharing Plans
Many federal sponsors require Principal Investigators (PIs) to include with their proposal a plan that describes how the data generated from the funded project will be accessed, stored, managed, and shared. PIs can use the free DMPTool to develop sponsor-specific plans, and the UWM Libraries provides host of resources and strategies for managing research data.
Material Transfer Agreements
When research involves the use of a biological material or other substances received from an outside entity, a Material Transfer Agreement may be required. UWM has a template (DOCX) for outgoing Material Transfers. Incoming Material Transfer Agreements should be routed to the Office of Sponsored Programs for institutional review.
Principal Investigator Status
Only faculty and those academic staff with probationary or indefinite status may serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator (Co-PI) on a sponsored project. Others may serve as a PI or Co-PI only with permission from both the dean/division head and the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs. Prospective PIs must complete a Request for Limited PI Status Form (DOCX) and a provide a current curriculum vitae/resume.
Office of Research Handbook
The Office of Research Handbook (PDF) is designed to provide helpful guidance and detailed information about research-related processes, services, and support available at the university. This handbook is intended to complement, not replace, official documents by offering practical insights for navigating the research landscape at UWM.
Frequently Requested Information
Provides a list of the most frequently requested information for developing and submitting proposals to various external agencies. Items include UWM’s legal name for grant applications, DUNS and EIN numbers, Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, Human Subjects Federal-Wide Assurance Number, Institutional Review Board Registration Number, and much more.
Roles and Responsibilities in Developing and Managing Extramural Projects
To help UWM researchers and their units understand the specific roles and responsibilities across the lifecycle of a sponsored project, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has developed a matrix that identifies the specific proposal development, review, and submission tasks to be conducted and the primary persons and/or units responsible for each task.