Office for Proposal Development

Office for Proposal Development

The purpose of the Office for Proposal Development (OPD) is to cultivate and sustain a research culture at The University of Alabama that informs and improves our research practices; focuses on the production of high quality research proposals that meet the needs of the campus, community, state and beyond; and strengthen collaborations amongst UA faculty that will help build multi-disciplinary research expertise, and improve the reputation of UA nationally.

The Office for Proposal Development is committed to enhancing our research endeavors and seeks to enrich the University’s mission to further productivity and innovation in research. The OPD provides a variety of resources to all levels of research faculty seeking support with grant proposals.

Our office works closely with the Office for Research Development (ORD). The ORD assists faculty with locating funding opportunities, limited submissions, internal funding programs, workshops and networking sessions.

Helpful Tips to Get You Started on Your Proposal

If you have an idea or interest:

• Talk to your Associate Dean for Research about your idea.
• Look at different agency websites and see whose mission best aligns with your research interests.
• Get together a white paper to share with a program officer.
• Schedule a time to discuss your white paper with a program officer.
• If you would like a face to face meeting with a program officer, contact the Office for Proposal Development to get on the D.C. flight. (See D.C. Flight tab for details)

If you see an RFA or RFP you would like to submit to:

• Contact your grant specialist in the Office for Sponsored Programs and let them know you plan to submit. Your grant specialist will help with the following.
  • Application process
  • Budget development
  • Provide up-to-date policy and guideline information.
• If you need supplemental services for your proposal (editing, graphics, letters of support, proposal review, etc.) contact the Office for Proposal Development.