Electronic entry and routing
All proposals for extramural support must be entered and routed electronically via WISPER (Wisconsin Proposal Electronic Routing).
WISPER is a web-based system maintained by Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), and is used throughout UW-Madison for creating, routing, approving and monitoring proposal applications and agreements.
For information on using WISPER, see:
- WISPER Proposal Entry Guide
- WISPER Resources
Review/approval
Approvals required for all proposals
Before submission to the sponsor, all proposals must be reviewed and approved by:
- SMPH division budget approval
- Your department chair or his/her delegate
- SMPH Research Division
- UW-Madison Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP)
Additional approvals required for some proposals
Before submission to RSP, some proposals require additional approvals:
- If the PI is an academic staff member (not tenure-track faculty), PI status must be attached. See instructions for requesting limited, blanket or permanent PI status on the Principal Investigator Status page.
- If a proposal involves resources from multiple departments, schools or colleges (including cost sharing) the proposal must be approved by the appropriate officials of each unit, via an approval request in WISPER.
Final approval/submission to Sponsor
RSP is the institutional signatory; SMPH will work with the PI and RSP to coordinate institutional approvals and timely submission to the sponsor.
Deadlines/lead times
A summary of the SMPH proposal lead time requirements is below:
For most proposals, relevant documents and information should be submitted to the SMPH Research Division via WISPER at least two business days before the sponsor’s deadline.
The proposal’s WISPER record must include:
- PI Signature
- Department approval
- SMPH budget approval
- Sponsor submission instructions
- Call for proposals (RFP), as an attachment
- Proposal documents, as attachments, including:
- Detailed budget
- Budget narrative
- Scope of work (brief abstract – a draft is acceptable)
- Subagreement documents (if applicable)
- Matching commitments (if applicable)
Additional lead time considerations
It is extremely helpful to provide funding opportunity information to your SMPH Research Division preaward contact as soon as you decide that you will submit a proposal.
Complex proposals (those that include subagreements, mandatory cost share, or large/complicated budgets) require additional lead time. In these cases, coordinate with your SMPH Research Division preward contact and plan to allow an extra week.