Introduction
We have created a selection of checklists, templates, and guides to assist LAS faculty in the preparation of standard documents required by major federal agencies. These documents will be updated annually to comply with any changes in agency guidelines, but please reach out to us to review all the document requirements for your solicitation before beginning a proposal and remember: All external proposal submissions must go through your designated pre-award manager to ensure compliance with internal procedures.
Work With Us
Forms and Templates
The agency tabs below contain links to documents kept in a Box folder accessible only for users with a UIC NetId. To create your own documents using the templates and forms, log in with your UIC Box account and download a copy of the respective document to your own files. Please contact Anna Brailovsky with any questions about the documents or if you need templates for other agencies, such as NASA, NOAA, or NIJ.
Forms and Templates
Federal Agencies
The links below take you to Google Docs set to “view only.” To use a checklists to track your own document completion progress, please make a copy in your own Google drive folder. You must be logged into Google with your UIC account for access. If you need to create a UIC Google Workspace account, please visit the account creation instruction page. If you experience difficulties with access, please email abrailov@uic.edu.
Please note these are generic checklists for common proposal types and specific solicitations may include additions or deviations. We are happy to review your solicitation with you and create a personalized application checklist for your project.
Main Documents
- NIH R01 Formatting Guidelines
- Project Summary/Abstract Instructions
- Project Narrative Instructions
- Specific Aims Guidelines
- Specific Aims Template
- Research Strategy Template
- Biosketch Instructions and Template [NEW REQUIREMENT AS OF 1/2026]
- Facilities and Other Resources Instructions
- Facilities and Other Resources Example (From Grant Central)
- Equipment Instructions
- Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS) [NEW REQUIREMENT AS OF 5/2026]
- Multiple PD/PI Plan
- Letter of Support from Collaborator
- Consortium/Contractual Agreement
- Template of Authentication of Key Chemical/Biological Resources
Human Subject Forms Templates
- Screenshot of Study Record Form (Downloadable from ASSIST portal)
- I 2.3.a Inclusion Across Life Span Template
- I 2.4 Inclusion of Women and Minorities Template
- I 2.5 Recruitment Plan Template
- I 2.7 Study Timeline Instructions
- I 2.9 Inclusion Enrolment Report
- I 3.1 Protection of Human Subjects Template
- I 3.5 Overall Structure of the Study Team
Main Documents
- Formatting Guidelines for a Standard Proposal
- Annotated Outline for Summary and Project Narrative
- Project Summary Template
- Budget Justification Template
- Facilities, Equipment, and Other resources
- Broader Impacts Boilerplate
- Letter of Collaboration Template
- Mentoring Plan Template (new 2024 requirement)
- NSF CAREER Project Description Template
- NSF CAREER Departmental Letter
- REU Supplement Request (optional – contact abrailov@uic.edu for more information)
- Safe and Inclusive Work Environment Plan (for OSP use only – required for off-campus work)
Personnel Documents
SciENcv is required to produce NSF-compliant bio sketches and Current and Pending Support forms. IMPORTANT: The Bio Sketch requirements have changed for proposals submitted after May 20, 2024. Please make sure to select the 2024 template in SciENcv and generate a new bio sketch. DO NOT USE OLDER BIOS.
- BioSketch Form instructions
- Current and Pending Form instructions
- Collaborators and Other Affiliations Instructions and Form
- Synergistic Activities Template (new 2024 requirement)
Data Management Plan
- As of April 2026, this is a fillable form in research.gov. See screenshots here.
Templates
- Formatting guidelines & application instructions
- Title Page (1st page of Project Narrative)
- Project Summary/Abstract
- Letter of Collaboration
- Collaborator Template
- Biosketch: DOE requires NSF format in SciENcv. Note: For DOE, you can provide 10 total publications; they don’t need to be split in 5 “related” and 5 “other”
- Current and Pending Support: DOE requires NSF format in SciENcv.
Appendices
- Facilities and Other Resources
- Equipment
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Synergistic Activities (Optional)
- Transparency of Foreign Connections (NEW requirement)
- S-SIP Template (not all solicitations ask for this – please check)