PSD-LBC Pre-Award Support Services (PASS)
PASS provides administrative, informational, and logistical assistance to PSD investigators and LBC staff to identify funding opportunities and prepare grant applications, serving as a dedicated central resource in all matters of research development, proposal development, and submission. Working collaboratively with University Research Administration, the Office of Research Development, and other campus units, PASS provides pre-award research administration and division updates, reminders, training, and consulting services; timely information on federal agency regulations; and guidance on institutional compliance with University and government regulations. PASS draws on best practices for research development, proposal development, and submission.
Pre-Award Processes Overview
Research Development
- Identifies and disseminates funding opportunities
- Coordinates division-level review of limited opportunities
- Monitors funding opportunity databases to enhance distribution of information
- Maintains faculty research profiles to match with funding opportunities
- Supports the development of research teams to pilot ideas for current and future opportunities
- Interacts and coordinates with funding agencies and institutional leadership
Proposal Development
- Interprets and evaluates sponsored funding guidelines and RFPs to match with ongoing research and research development
- Assists researchers in preparing proposal forms and collecting and organizing requisite documents
- Coordinates large, collaborative, or multi-disciplinary proposals
- Provides copyediting and general feedback to ensure a proposal is clear, concise, and compelling
- Drafts non-technical sections of a proposal (e.g., NSF’s “broader impacts” section)
- Assists researchers in developing their proposal budget
- Assists researchers in collecting sub-recipient scopes of work, budget, and compliance documents
- Supports collaborative research and facilitates and develops comprehensive proposals for curriculum improvement, institutional enhancement, and institutional initiatives
- Develops formal and informal programs to educate faculty and staff about proposal development
Proposal Review and Submission
- Reviews proposals to ensure a complete understanding of the commitments made, including requirements for cost share, facilities and space, additional personnel, and sub-recipients
- Reviews proposals to ensure all institutional requirements are met and that they are aligned with division and institutional research priorities
- Reviews proposals to ensure all document requirements for submission to the sponsor are met and the documentation is formatted in accordance with sponsor requirements.
Grant and Contract Administrators (GCAs)
GCAs provide the following services in support of PIs:
- Reviews sponsor guidelines and identifies key requirements
- Assists with budget preparation, related documentation, and proposal submission forms
- Prepares required sponsor administrative forms
- Ensures that all information included within the proposal is accurate and complete
- Contacts and collaborates with partner institutions to secure all necessary subcontract documentation
- Assures all regulatory requirements and export control issues are identified
- Reviews the final proposal package to ensure all administrative requirements have been met
- Obtains academic approval and provides institutional approval for the proposal
- Completes the final submission package, uploads final documents and forms, and submits to the sponsor and/or URA per the sponsor guidelines and University policy
PASS Staff
Bruxanne El-Kammash
Senior Pre-Award Lead Administrator
bruxanne@uchicago.edu
T: 773-795-5642
Bruxanne completed undergraduate and graduate school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she then worked in the non-profit world until she joined Coastal Carolina University (CCU). She earned an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership in 2013. She began her research administration career at CCU, first as a grant coordinator then moving up to the director position. She then joined Georgia Southern University as a director for 5 years before taking a role in the URA at UChicago as a Sponsored Development Manager. She joined the PSD in April 2025 as Senior Pre-Award Lead Administrator.
Jennifer Woods
Director, Program Development and Special Projects
jqwoods@uchicago.edu
T: 773-795-3957
Jennifer completed a PhD at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, then went to work as a policy analyst for the Illinois Board of Higher Education in Springfield. She has worked in the Division of Physical Sciences since 2007 and completed the Graham School’s editing certificate in 2016.
Editing Services
Jennifer Woods is PSD’s Director of Program Development and Special Projects. With an editing certificate from the University of Chicago’s Graham School, she has been editing PSD proposals for over 15 years. Jennifer is available to all PSD PIs to proofread and edit proposals to make them concise, clear, and compelling. Please note the suggested lead times for requesting services, although Jennifer will do her best to accommodate any request.
Testimonials
“Thank you so much for your comments. They are very insightful, as usual!” —Member of the National Academy of Sciences
“I really appreciate the help you gave me on the proposal. I think it made all the difference.” —NSF CAREER Recipient
“Thank you so much for the helpful comments! In addition to your very thoughtful suggestions, just seeing what does and doesn't come through is very useful.” —Sloan Research Fellow
Basic Review2 days prior to deadline |
For documents that need a quick review for compliant formatting:
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Proofread3-4 days prior to deadline |
For documents that need a final pass before a submission deadline
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Copyedit5 or more days prior to deadline |
For documents that are near-final but need editorial review before a submission deadline Proofread, plus
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Substantive EditSeveral weeks’ notice to accommodate iterations |
For early drafts from single PIs or multiple authors that need significant feedback for organization and completeness. Copyedit, plus
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Faculty Support for Proposal Development
Proposal Development and Award FAQs
URA SciENcv Quick Reference Guide
Pre-Proposals, White Papers, and Letters of Intent
Letters of Commitment, Collaboration, and Support
Data Management and Sharing Plans
Graphics and Evaluation Resources
National Science Foundation: Broader Impacts
Research in the PSD is also augmented by collaboration with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory, both of which are located in the suburbs of Chicago. These collaborations provide researchers with easy access to unique, large-scale experimental resources in high-energy physics and in solid-state, nuclear, and low-temperature physics, chemistry, computer science, and environmental science.
We invite you to explore the websites of the Physical Sciences Division (PSD) departments, institutes, and centers to learn more.
Resources for Faculty Proposal Development
Faculty Proposal Development Guidance
Proposal Development and Submission
Assistance with pre-award proposal development questions, concerns, training, and tutorials on the UChicago eRA internal system (AURA); budget development; assistance communicating with University Research Administration or the Office of Research Development; or to work together on specific funding opportunities. Providing services for proposal development and submission, serving as backup for the PSD teams, and coordination of large, interdisciplinary proposals for PSD and other university divisions.