Pre-Proposals and Letters of Intent

A pre-proposal (sometimes called a white paper, letter proposal, preliminary proposal, pre-application, or concept paper) or a letter of intent is a short description of the proposed project. Usually, the purpose of a pre-proposal is to inform and interest the potential sponsor in the project, resulting in a request for a more detailed formal/full proposal. 

Pre-Proposals and Letters of Intent must be routed to OPAS via a Kuali Research proposal development record (choose "Pre-Proposal" or "Letter of Intent" as the proposal type) and will be subject to the university proposal requirements and procedures when they include any of the following:

• A commitment of university resources (including, but not limited to: PI time/effort, staff time, space, facilities use, project completion, students, and/ or post-doc participation/time, etc.)
• A detailed budget
• Cost sharing or an exception to the university F&A Cost rate
• Certifications, representations, or assurances signed by an institutional representative
• A requirement for an authorized signature or submission in a portal by an institutional official
• Acceptance of terms and conditions

It is not necessary to route a pre-proposal for institutional approval if it:

• Includes a total cost estimate without a detailed budget; and
• Is not expected to result directly in an award without a full detailed proposal; and
• The university is not bound in any way by the content of the pre-proposal; and
• Does not require an authorized signature

Please contact the R&E Help Desk if you have any questions about whether or not to route a pre-proposal.