All research proposals fit into one of two categories, those solicited by an agency and those that are unsolicited. Solicited proposals are submitted in response to a specific request for proposals (RFP) by the agency. Unsolicited proposals are submitted for projects not specifically solicited by the agency, and usually according to an established schedule of deadlines that occur throughout the year. These are referred to as Requests for Applications (RFAs). Individual agencies should be contacted to determine their specific schedule of deadlines. In the case of the federal government, these RFPs and RFAs are announced via the Federal Register, on-line, and by other means of distribution.

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Awards Research awards can be one of three types: grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. The individual agency will determine the appropriate instrument for awarding research funds based upon the work to be performed, and the relationship that will exist between the agency and the institution, among others. Generally speaking, RFPs issued by the federal government will result in a contract, not a grant. Other non-federal agencies may use RFPs to solicit grants. 

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