i think many of you are missing the point....it is not a question of
"inconvenience" or "lines in the sand" when three or four proposals
crawl (lurch?) out of the woodwork at 3 pm the day before they are due
at the agency.   rather, it is an issue of how to get the damn things
reviewed properly so we can be sure that the proposals conform to agency
and institutional requirements, that the budgets add up and do not
incorporate unallowable expenses, that there are no more than 15 cpi,
etc., etc.  sure, we can go ahead and send them in without adequate
review, and subsequently withdraw those that fail to "pass"
post-submission review, but that means that the p.i. will not be
eligible for that round and may have to wait a full year before
resubmitting.  perhaps this is what the thoughtless investigator
deserves?  i prefer to try and educate faculty to the realities of the
situation and beg, wheedle, coax, bribe, etc. them to: 1)let me know
that they plan to submit, even if they change their minds without
telling me; 2)give me whatever pieces they can as they are preparing the
proposal; and 3) let ME prepare the budget.  if we can get them to do
that much, it will prevent the ghastly eleventh-hour surprises!
susan
--
Susan B. Burke
Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist
Office of Sponsored Programs
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE, HMB-S456
Washington, DC 20002