External Grant Submission

AHU personnel are required to follow the AHU Grant Proposal Process.

a. The AHU Grants Manager is committed to supporting Principal Investigators and/or Project Directors in identifying prospective funder(s), reviewing proposal narrative, coordinating internal approvals, providing budget verification, and gathering supporting institutional documents and signatures.

b. AHU personnel must contact the Grants Manager before initiating communication with any external grant funding source or committing collaboration in external grants as partners or sub-contractors.

c. The Grants Manager serves as the official liaison between AHU and external funders.

d. The AHU Grants Manager serves as the PRIMARY signatory authority for AHU under the authority of the President, with the authorization to submit Letters of Intent (LOIs), Pre-Proposals, and Full Proposals on behalf of AHU. The President may appoint a secondary signatory if either the President or Grants Manager is unavailable.

e. Faculty or staff may NOT independently submit grant applications or correspondence under the AHU name.

f. All external grant activities representing AHU must be reviewed and coordinated through the Research and Grants Office (RGO) with the AHU Grants Manager.

g. All submissions must adhere to internal deadlines set by the RGO to ensure timely institutional review, legal verification, and budget approval.

PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES: 

a. Step 1: Initial Inquiry: Faculty, staff, or students interested in pursuing a grant must email the AHU Grants Manager with a brief project description. The RGO will verify eligibility, strategic fit, and funder alignment.

b. Step 2: Pre-Submission Consultation: The RGO schedules a consultation to review project scope, goals, and preliminary budget. The Grants Manager confirms the internal requirements for review. A preliminary timeline is established.

c. Step 3: Proposal Development: The Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD) drafts the narrative and collaborates with RGO on budget, budget justification, required institutional documents (W-9, 501(c)(3) letter, organizational chart), letters of support, bios, and data requests.

d. Step 4: Internal Review and Approval: The RGO routes the full proposal package for internal review. Upon completion of Internal Review, the Grants Manager finalizes the institutional signature.

e. Step 5: Submission: The Grants Manager submits the approved application via the funder’s portal or email system. A confirmation copy is retained in the RGO shared drive and sent to the PI.

f. Step 6: Post-Submission & Award Management: The RGO maintains communication with the funder on status, award notifications, and required follow-up. If awarded, the RGO coordinates account setup, budget entry, and reporting requirement

CONSEQUENCES: To ensure coordination and compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements, all external grant submissions must be reviewed and submitted through the AHU Grants Manager. Any proposal submitted independently by an AHU employee, faculty member, staff, student, or agent without prior coordination may be deemed non-compliant and subject to withdrawal. Individuals are strongly encouraged to engage the Grants Manager early in the proposal development process to ensure timely support and successful submission.