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EMU Research

Letters of Support or Commitment

Letters of Support

These letters are sometimes required by sponsors to show support for a new project from within the project's area of impact. In federal proposals the most common reason for them is as support from upper administration for projects that will have an impact on the institution as a whole, e.g., major restructuring of the curriculum, renovation of space for a new and important degree program, etc. Sometimes such letters are required from, for instance, administration, teachers and students in schools that will participate in a new K-12 initiative.

For research proposals, however, such letters are rarely required, and, in fact, they are usually not allowed, and could cause the proposal to be declined without review.

 

Letters of Commitment

Projects that involve the participation of other persons or organizations often do require commitment letters from those persons or authorized representatives of the organizations as evidence of their agreement to participate in the project. The letters assure the sponsor and reviewers that all persons and groups listed in the proposal are aware of and fully agree to participate. Participation in the project can take a wide variety of forms. These letters must specifically state the name of the project – the letters should not be generic.

Some online submissions, such as NSF's Collaborative Project submissions via Fastlane, obviate the need for such letters because each party to the project submits its own part of the proposal, securing its own authorized signatures at that time.

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