ALL research proposals should be fully costed on pFACT and be approved by an authorised delegated authority before being submitted to the funder. Please click here for guidance on using pFACT.
Before sending the research proposal for approval on pFACT note the following:
1. Use the ‘Notes’ button on Proposal Summary screen to add in a brief summary of the research to be undertaken. A section from the research proposal can be cut and pasted in.
2. It is mandatory to answer all the questions in the ‘Additional Fields’ (found at the bottom of the right-hand menu). The questions are grouped under ‘Project Information’ and ‘Ethics Checklist’
3. The final version of the submission e.g. funder’s proposal forms, case for support, should be forwarded to the RSO to allow validation against the information on pFACT. The HoD or Dean may also require this information.
Once the financial details are finalised and the pFACT proposal is complete and ready to be approved for submission, use the STATUS button to change the status from Draft to Pending HOD Approval.
It is important to indicate the deadline date for submission to the funder on your project summary and to allow sufficient time once you have completed your proposal for it to go through the approval process. The table below is provided as a guide.
| Approval stage | No. of days required |
|---|---|
| Proposal sent to HoD for approval | Allow 3 working days for approval |
| Proposal sent to Dean for approval (with effect from 1 August 2005) | Allow 3 working days for approval |
| Proposal approved and forwarded to RSO for validation and approval. This should include the final version of the case for support and/or funder's proposal forms. | Allow 3 working days for validation by RSO |
| Signature/approval by a Delegated Authority | Allow 3 working days for approval and signature (if required) by a Delegated Authority |
| Total number of days required for approval prior to submission deadline: | 12 working days (max.) |
Note: If sufficient time is not allowed for this process, the submission of a proposal within the deadline may be jeopardised.
If the value of the proposal is likely to exceed £250K please advise the RSO as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for signature by the relevant Delegated Authority.