Contact the CARES Team
As soon as you are considering applying for a funding opportunity contact us via CARES PreAward Support Initiation Form.
Please reach out at least 15 working days before your sponsor deadline — and earlier if your proposal includes subawards, cost share, complex budgets, or collaborative institutions.
Even if you don’t have all the details yet, that’s okay. Provide your best estimate and we’ll work through the rest together.
Early contact allows us to:
- Build and review your budget
- Confirm sponsor requirements
- Help with registrations
- Ensure you meet ISU internal deadlines
- Reduce last-minute stress
Engage early. Plan ahead. Let CARES help you submit a strong and successful proposal.
Important: Internal Deadlines Matter
All proposals must route through Streamlyne and meet OSPA’s internal deadlines.
OSPA Submission Timelines:
- Eight Working Days Before Sponsor Deadline:
All budget related documents completed
- Three Working Days Before Sponsor Deadline:
Route for final approvals
By Noon on Sponsor Deadline Day:
All finalized documents uploaded and ready for submission.
Do You Need to Register in a Submission Portal?
If you’re new to proposal submissions at ISU, you may need access to certain systems. Begin registration at least 15 business days before your deadline. Not sure where to start? The CARES Team can guide you.
System Requiring OSPA Initiation and Completion
NIH Submissions: Register for eRA Commons New User access
Systems Requiring Researcher Initiation and OSPA Completion
- DOE EERE
- GrantSolutions
- https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/request-an-account/
- Complete Part 1 of the Grant Recipient User Account Request Form and send to your CARES Specialist
- https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/wp-content/uploads/New-RRM-Accounts-using-Login.gov-01-25.pdf
- CARES will review and send to OSPA and they will finish the process.
- JUSTGrants. Upon initial proposal submission through Grants.gov ISU will rereceive an email to set up an account for new users. OSPA will invite and assign the role to the user and they log in and complete their profile.
- NASA NSPIRES
- Research.gov NSF requires users to self-register for access to Research.gov (NSF’s Proposal and Award Portal) and then request an affiliation with Iowa State University.
- USDA ezFedGrants – this link will walk you through the registration process.
Systems Where Researcher Completes the Registration Process
- Foundation for Food and Ag Research (FFAR), Grants Management System
- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) EasyGrants Portal
- EasyGrants Portal
- National Pork Board
- Proposal Central for non-profits
- Russel Sage Foundation
- USDA SARE
The following are identification enrollments required by some organizations:
- Login.gov
- Login.gov is a secure government service used by the public to sign in to participating government agencies. With a Login.gov account, you can use the same username and password to access any agency site that partners with Login.gov.
- Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
- Provides a persistent digital identifier that you own and control, and that distinguishes you from every other researcher.