Glossary of Terms

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PREAPPLICATION / PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL	A summary statement of the intent of the applicant to request funds. When requested by the sponsor, the preapplication may be used to determine how well the project fits the agency's priorities, determine selection for the next stage of the application, to assist in the selection of possible reviewers, and to possibly offer a chance for feedback to the PI (see preproposal).
PRE-AWARD AUDITS	Basis for determining cost of final award. Required for contracts over $100,000. Audits may be desk or on-site. May involve research administrators, proposal preparation staff, investigators, human resources, purchasing, and fiscal personnel. Preparation normally entails accumulating cost documentation for all proposed direct costs.
PREPROPOSAL	An informal, preliminary document (usually 3-5 pages) that describes and gives the rational for a project. Submitted to a funding sponsor before submission of the formal proposal. Check sponsor guidelines for requirements. Preproposals/preliminaries which contain budget/University commitments must be routed. [TOP]
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI)/PROJECT DIRECTOR (PD)	An individual who will direct the project or program being supported by the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. He/she is responsible and accountable to the University for the proper conduct of the project or program. The University is, in turn, legally responsible and accountable to the sponsor for the performance and financial aspects of the award-supported activity.
PRIOR APPROVAL	In a number of policy areas, written prior approval from the awarding office is required before certain activities may be undertaken, funds expended, or the cost of actions may exceed a certain dollar level. These requirements are specified in the agency policy statement or documents included or referenced. [TOP]
PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY	Applies to all federal contracts. Certification required when contract exceeds $100,000/year. Requires that no competing contractor or any officer, employee or consultant of such contractor shall make any offer or promise of future employment, offer any money, gratuity, or other thing of value to any procurement officer of such agency, or solicit any proprietary data or source selection information concerning such procurement.
PROGRAM INCOME	Income generated or earned as a result of the award. [TOP]
PROJECT DIRECTOR (PD)/PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI)	see principal investigator.
PROJECT PERIOD	The total time for which support of a discretionary project has been programmatically approved. A project period may consist of one or more budget periods. The total project period comprises the original project period and any extensions.
PROPOSAL	Formal document to a sponsor which describes the proposed project and requests support.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION	Should the PI wish to keep information confidential, a statement is needed indicating proprietary information in the proposal: [TOP] On Cover Page: (suggested statement) "A portion of the material contained in this proposal is considered proprietary and should not be released without consent from the offeror other than to those involved in evaluation of the proposal. The materials subject to this restriction are contained on pages ...." On Each Restricted Page: (suggested statement) "Use or disclosure of proposal data is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal." Also, consult program and proposal guidelines for suggested language. [TOP]
PURCHASE ORDER	A particular kind of agreement issued to enter into a legally-binding commitment with an outside vendor for the acquisition of goods or services. Normally, the University Purchasing Department is responsible for purchase orders and for their negotiation or revision where necessary.
RECIPIENT	Organization receiving assistance. [TOP]
RENEWAL APPLICATION	A new application (proposal) for support of a project beyond the initially funded project period. The renewal application bears some relationship to the initial project. A renewal proposal can be either a non-competing or competing request for additional support for a project period that is about to expire. From the sponsor's viewpoint, the competing renewal has the same proposal status as the new proposal and will be sent out for panel or peer review in competition with other competing continuations, competing supplemental, and new applications for funds.
REVISION APPLICATION	A request for a modification in the project's nature, scope of work, and/or budget. Revision applications and pink sheet are routed for University signatures. Some agencies require signed revised budgets. [TOP]

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