• All Proposals will be submitted to the appropriate Department Research Committees, and when once reviewed according to the Research Proposal Evaluation Criteria will be forwarded by the committee within 30 days to the College Research Committee for review and comment.
• Once reviewed by the College Research Committee, the proposal will be forwarded to the University Research Committee with both departmental and college comments and recommendations. It must be forwarded at least 21 days before the next regularly-scheduled University Research Committee meeting.
• The University Research Committee will then review the proposal to see that it meets all guidelines, standards of excellence, and ethical concerns. The URC responds to the applicant within 14 days of its regular meeting date*. If the guidelines are met, then the Committee will recommend either approval or approval with funding.
• Approved proposals will be endorsed by the University President.

* The University Research Committee meets four times a year on the 15th day of the following months: September, December, March, and June. If the 15th falls on a holiday, then the committee meets on the following working day.

• External proposals are expected to meet the same guidelines as internal proposals.
• External proposals should be sent to the Director of Research, who will screen them for adherence to University submission protocols.
• All proposals formatted to University protocols will be forwarded to the University Research Committee for general review, i.e., to assess the proposal’s adherence to thematic and other guidelines. Those proposals meeting University guidelines and standards of scientific excellence will be forwarded to the Dean of the appropriate college.
• The Dean of the College will forward the proposal, without review, to the department or departments most suited to evaluate the proposal. No less than two members of the departmental research committee will assess the proposal’s academic merit, its pertinence to national thematic research priorities, and its appropriateness to disciplinary and interdisciplinary needs. Relevant government agencies will be consulted at this stage when appropriate. There will be 30 days for departmental review. Standing departmental committees may ask other members of faculty or experts from outside the University to evaluate proposals when more appropriate expertise is required in the review.
• The departmental review, with comments, are forwarded to the College Research Committee for its review. The comments and recommendations of the College Research Committee are forwarded to the University Research Committee for its final review and decision 21 days before the regular committee meeting dates stated on section A-‘Internal Proposals’. Approved proposals will be endorsed by the University President.
• Once the research project is approved, the Director of Research may issue a formal letter of endorsement within 14 days of the committee’s regularly scheduled meeting dates. The need for final approval before letters of endorsement are issued ensures that all guidelines are met by a foreign researcher, including appropriate agreement to participate in the teaching program of some departments.