The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Development has compiled a library of successful proposals submitted by Cornell faculty members to external sponsors. These proposals are available to Cornell faculty members to provide insight and ideas for successful proposal writing.
We also recommend speaking to colleagues who have had success with specific programs.
- The sponsors for which we have sample proposals are listed below.
- Click the sponsor name to view the list of proposals for that sponsor.
Go to DOD Proposals - Go to NIH Proposals - Go to NSF Proposals - Go to Foundation Proposals
If you have suggestions for additional sponsors or programs to include in the library, or if you would like to donate a proposal, please contact Research Development.
To request access to a proposal
Email Research Development stating your name, NetID, and the proposal you would like to access. Once access is granted our staff will email you a link to the proposal.
Proposal access is limited to full-time members of the Cornell faculty with the following titles:
- Professor
- Associate Professor
- Assistant Professor
- University Professor
- Senior Scientist
- Senior Scholar
- Research Scientist
- Principal Research Scientist
Federal Sponsors
Many of the proposals in this library may have utilized now outdated or specific programmatic guidelines. You should always refer to the current program related guidelines when writing your proposal.
Program:
- Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI)
- Standard AFOSR Grants
- Young Investigator Research Program
Program:
- Standard ARO Grants
Program:
- Standard ONR Grants
- Young Investigator Program
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Sample proposals awarded in recent years from NIH are listed below, organized by award type. Although every effort has been made to use only standard NIH proposals in the Sample Proposal Library, some proposals may contain elements that respond to a specific Request for Applications announcement. (NIH current How to Apply - Application Guide.)
Program:
- Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00)
Program:
- Director's Pioneer Award (DP1)
- Director's New Innovator Award (DP2)
Program:
- National Human Genome Research Institute (Parent R01, Renewal)
- National Institute on Aging (Parent R01)
- National Institute on Aging (Parent R21)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Parent R01)
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (Parent R01)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (Parent R01)
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35) Early Investigators award
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Parent R01, Renewal)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Parent R01)
Program:
- Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32)
- Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31):
*Coming Soon*
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Sample proposals awarded in recent years from NSF are listed below, organized by Directorate and division. Although every effort has been made to use only standard NSF proposals in the Sample Proposal Library, some proposals may contain elements that respond to a specific solicitation or may have been written and awarded prior to the most recent set of guidelines issued by NSF. (Current NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide)
Division:
- Chemistry (CHE)
- Division of Materials Research (DMR)
- Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
- Social and Economic Sciences (SES)
Division:
- Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF)
- Computer and Network Systems (CNS)
Division:
- Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET)
- Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS)
Division:
- Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS)
- Earth Sciences (EAR)
- Ocean Sciences (OCE)
Division:
- Division of Chemistry (CHE)
Division:
- Astronomical Sciences (AST)
- Materials Research (DMR)
- Mathematical Sciences (DMS)
Division:
- Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR)
Division:
- Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
- National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)
- Social and Economic Sciences (SES)
Non-Federal Sponsors
As with Federal Sponsors, you should always refer to the current program related guidelines when writing your proposal.
Foundations
Sample proposals awarded from several Foundations are listed below in alphabetical order. These proposals may have been written using older, outdated guidelines.
- Beckman Foundation
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
- Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund
- Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
- Packard Foundation
- Pew Charitable Trusts
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Russell Sage Foundation