If at all possible,
TRY NOT TO GET YOUR SIGNATURES AT THE LAST MINUTE !

Each officer whose signature is required on your proposal should have a minimum of two weeks to read and sign your proposal.

A good way to avoid bottlenecks when getting Ferris State University officer sign-offs for your grant proposal is to follow these procedures:

1. Make a photocopy of your proposal for each officer whose signature you need.

2. Make a paper list for yourself of all the signatures you will need.

3. A week before the date by which you need an officer's signature:

• Bring the proposal copy to her/his office.
• Attach a cover letter explaining in a brief paragraph (often called an "executive summary") what your proposal is about, and the date by which you need the officer's signature.
• Include your name, office address, email address, and phone number and encourage the officer to contact you if there are any questions.

4. Your grant is ready for Ferris approval to submit. Please contact Gretchen
    Spedowske, x5983 in the OSSP to make signature arrangements.

It is not always possible to follow these ideal procedures. Multiply-authored proposals, or proposals with tight turnaround deadlines will often be difficult to manage within these guidelines. In those situations, contact the officers involved as early as you can in the proposal process. Alert her/him to your intention to submit a grant proposal and briefly describe it. Alert her/him to the proposal deadline and suggest a date by which you will need a signature. Keep the officer informed of your progress so that signature day does not come as a surprise. Also, as you get to the end of your proposal, make sure that the officer will be around to sign for you when you need it.