The Proposal Approval form (for full grant applications and preliminary applications with budget breakdown) serves to help manage risk (in terms of resource use, research ethics, health and biosafety, and finances) to the University at the time when researchers apply for external grant funding.

  • The form is accessed via UCT’s electronic Research Administration (eRA) system, completed electronically and distributed between reviewers and approvers via the eRA system.
  • Before completing the form, check internal deadlines and discuss the research with your Finance Department (e.g. Departmental Finance Officer), who can help develop an appropriate budget and will complete the financial part of the form.
  • A copy of the proposal, budget(s) and, if applicable, letters of approval (e.g. ethics) should be uploaded to the online form.
  • Following completion by the Principal Investigator (PI) and the Finance Department, the people who will need to approve the form are the Finance Approver (e.g. Research Management Accountant or Faculty Finance Manager), and the Final Faculty Approver (e.g. Deputy Dean of Research).
  • If the grant application requires a signature from, or submission by, a UCT designated authority, then input may also be needed from the UCT Research Contracts & Innovation Office (RC&I; specifically, a Contracts Manager).

Key:  PI receives a notification

 

Visit UCT’s Research Portal and login to eRA, then select the option to complete a New Project Application / Approval Request

Select Other Funding Schemes  Application Stage Approvals  Proposal Approval or Preliminary Proposal Approval

Enter project information into the ‘Key Information’ and ‘Resourcing, Ethics & Biosafety’ parts of the form, attaching the proposal and budget as indicated.

 Click “save and close” to be prompted to progress your form to the next workflow step, the Budget Reviewer (e.g. this may be your Departmental Finance Officer) via the online system (PIs are encouraged to work offline on the budget with the Budget Reviewer in advance).

  Budget Reviewer enters financial details into the Financial Information and Person Effort tabs and sends the form back to the PI.

Check that the financial information is accurate, tick the “Final declaration by Principal Investigator” box under “Resourcing, Ethics and Biosafety”, click “save and close”, and progress the form to the next workflow step, the Finance Approver (e.g. Research Management Accountant or Faculty Finance Manager), via the online system.

Finance Approver reviews and confirms they are satisfied with the financial details, then either returns with a query or sends the approved form on to the Final Faculty Approver (e.g. Deputy Dean for Research).

Final Faculty Approver reviews and confirms if they are satisfied with the information provided, then either returns with a query or sends the approved form on to either the Research Contracts & Innovation Office (RC&I) or the PI (depending on whether or not RC&I approval or submission is needed).

RC&I provides approval if needed.

  The Approval form is complete and the funding application may be submitted by the PI/RC&I in accordance with funder guidelines.