I will weigh in on this topic, since I have a background in freedom of
information laws.

An awarded proposal is a public document. Certain proprietary information can
be removed from it before it is released to the public (such as salary
information from a private institution), but it is still a public document.

Federal agencies must release funded proposals. Sometimes they require one to
submit a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act. This procedure
can be time-consuming, which is why the agency might suggest you try
contacting the PI first.

The federal agency is the custodian of the record, so technically someone
seeking a copy must go to that agency with the Freedom of Information request.
This does not mean a university is prohibited from releasing a copy of the
funded proposal, though.

Karen M. Markin, Ph.D.
Director of Research Development
University of Rhode Island
Research Office
70 Lower College Road, #2
Kingston, RI 02881
V 401 874.5576
F 401 874.7044
xxxxxx@uri.edu

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