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About Research Advancement Services

Established in 2008, Research Advancement Services is a centralized unit within Knowledge Enterprise Research Operations. RAS is a shared service unit, providing support to multiple administrative and academic units across the University.

RAS team members partner with faculty from assigned units to develop proposals. RAS also focuses attention on the development of KE led strategic initiative proposals which impact the campus as a whole.

RAS strives to provide gold level service. To be as efficient as possible in this respect, the team receives emails through a common inbox. RAS requests that all correspondence be copied to [email protected].

Contact: [email protected]
Physical location: Centerpoint, 660 S Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281

To request RAS proposal assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

RAS services

Funding opportunities

Familiarize faculty with the use of funding opportunity databases (PIVOT, Foundation Directory Online)

Proposal development

  • Clarification of sponsor guidelines
  • Assistance in the development of budgets as well as current and pending support statements
  • Create proposal in ASU’s Enterprise Research Administration (ERA) system
  • Complete sponsor forms
  • Minor adjustments to documents (e.g., pagination, font, etc.)
  • Convert files to PDF
  • Upload files to sponsor application packages/portals
  • Route for internal unit approvals
  • Review of applications to ensure completeness prior to submission
  • Forwarding of submission-ready proposals to ASU Grant and Contract Officer (GCO) for review and endorsement
  • Manage sponsor requested post-submission administrative/budgetary changes 

Proposal development timeline

Financial lead units served

Knowledge Enterprise units

  • Core Facilities
  • Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships 
  • Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations
  • Education for Humanity
  • Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute
  • Flexible Electronics and Display Center
  • Global Security Initiative
  • Knowledge Enterprise
  • Research Computing
  • Research Development
  • Research Technology Office 
  • University Innovation Alliance
Global Futures Laboratory
  • College of Global Futures
  • Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation
  • School of Sustainability
  • School of Ocean Futures
  • School for the Future of Innovation in Society
  • Decision Theater
  • Center for Biodiversity Outcomes
  • Future H2O
  • LightWorks
  • Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives
  • Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems
  • Complex Adaptive Systems 

Reminder: GFL researchers, please visit the GFORS website.

Administrative units

  • ASU International Development Initiative
  • ASU Police Department
  • AZ PBS
  • Office of Business and Finance
  • EdPlus
  • Educational Outreach and Student Services
  • Enterprise Technology
  • Global Launch
  • Graduate College
  • Learning Enterprise
  • Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Office of the President (Executive Administration-EA)
  • University Business Services
  • University Initiatives
  • University Libraries

Academic units

  • American Indian Studies
  • Barrett Honors College
  • School of Civic and Economic Thought
  • Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics
  • Simon A Levin Mathematical, Computational, and Modeling Sciences Center
  • Thunderbird School of Global Management
  • University College
  • WP Carey School of Business

Proposal cycle at a glance

Funding search

Principal investigator uses resources to find funding opportunities.

Research advancement can assist in training of ASU funding search tools or assist with a funding search based on information from the PI.

Grant and contract officer N/A.

Notification of intent

Principal investigator communicates to RA intent to submit a proposal. The earlier the better, especially if funding opportunity has a long announcement with multiple terms and conditions.

Research advancement sets up an internal proposal in ASU’s electronic grant management system, ERA.

Grant and contract officer assigned to individual proposal.

Early proposal development

Principal investigator works on technical components. Works with RA to ensure any required portal registration is complete with correct information/access.

Research advancement review of funding proposal, prepares checklist for PI, works with GCO on any questions or concerns, communicates back to PI any details provided by GCO.

Grant and contract officer fields any RA questions, provides assistance on MOUs, Terms and Conditions, etc.

Midproposal development

Principal investigator works with RA to establish budget, continues to work on technical components

Research advancement begins filling out sponsor forms, entering budget into ERA and Sponsor formats, develops a budget justification template for the PI.

Grant and contract officer continues to answer questions or address concerns as needed.

Late proposal development

Principal investigator begins finalizing technical components, completes budget justification.

Research advancement review of all proposal components for compliance, begin finalizing submission package.

Grant and contract officer N/A.

Five business days prior to sponsor due date

Principal investigator near final summary, budget and budget justification to RA.

Research advancement route internally for unit approvals, communicates with PI to help secure any last minute approvals.

Grant and contract officer N/A.

Three days prior to sponsor due date

Principal investigator finalized documents to RA for submission to sponsor.

Research advancement compliance review, and completion of sponsor package, sends to GCO for final review. Sends final package to PI

Grant and contract officer institutional compliance review (primarily checking the budget, terms and conditions, or any representations or commitments being made)

Presubmission (three-day window)

Principal investigator any last changes should be made in this three-day window

Research advancement may request PI make changes or approve changes requested by GCO

Grant and contract officer may request RA or PI make changes

Submission day (or sooner if ready)

Principal investigator final review of submission package

Research advancement request okay to submit from PI

Grant and contract officer submits to Sponsor

Faculty resources

How to get research funding is a feature of the ASU Research Academy. It contains information on “Finding Funding”, “Proposal Preparation”, and “Craft your Proposal”. The tools can be invaluable in preparing a solid, fundable proposal.