The Research Office provides support in drafting the project proposal.

Specifically:

• support with budgeting (eligible costs, check the availability of funds to secure any co-funding that may be required)
• guidance on building partnerships and support in managing relations with project partners
• review of the project proposal.

It is important that the forecasting of costs is as accurate as possible, as most funding programmes place restrictions on the possibility of amending the estimated budget during project implementation.

The application procedures may vary depending on the funding programme. It generally takes place online on a dedicated portal.
The Research Office provides support throughout the proposal submission stages: credentials, uploading the administrative and scientific sections of the project onto the portal, and finalising the application.

• Some calls for proposals require the submission of letters of intent and declarations that must be signed by the Rector.
• In other cases, the preliminary signing of a partnership agreement and/or a mandate to the lead partner—authorising them to act in the name and on behalf of the partners towards the funding body—is required. These documents are legally binding contracts that commit the university in the event of selection for funding; therefore, their signature requires authorisation from the governing bodies. The drafting of the resolution and its submission to the Academic Senate and the Board of Administration are managed by the Research Office.
• Prior approval is also required if cash co-funding is requested, in order to verify financial availability, which is normally guaranteed by personal funds of the principal investigator.

Some calls place restrictions on the number of proposals that can be submitted by a single institution, either as a lead partner or as a project partner. Therefore, it is required to submit an expression of interest as early as possible, so that any concurrent proposals can be coordinated and possibly merged into a single project. Should this not be possible, the selection of applications will be submitted to the competent research bodies for evaluation.