Cayuse FAQs

You will want to start by creating an Institutional Processing Form (IPF) in Cayuse SP. The Cayuse Research Suite can be found at https://montclair.cayuse424.com. Use your MSU single-sign on (or SSO) username and password to log in. Once you are logged in, click first hyperlink for Cayuse SP and select “Start a New Proposal” from the home screen.

Previously, all users were required to route proposals in Cayuse 424 for approval. This is no longer the case. All users must now begin an IPF (Institutional Processing Form) in Cayuse SP. Cayuse 424, now called Cayuse Proposals, no longer offers any routing capabilities.
If you are submitting a proposal to a federal agency (with the exception of NSF), you will use Cayuse Proposals (Cayuse 424) to create your actual proposal. Cayuse Proposals (Cayuse 424) is the system-to-system submission module that allows users to develop and submit their Federal grant submissions. You will “pair” your Cayuse SP IPF with your Cayuse 424 proposal via a link at the bottom of the “General” page on the IPF. For more information on pairing proposals, please see this resource.

With the addition of Cayuse SP, we are now able to automate the creation/update of users throughout the entire Cayuse suite via a file from Workday HR. The Cayuse suite contains Cayuse Proposals (previously called Cayuse 424), a system-to-system submission module that auto-populates Cayuse data into Federal grant proposals. For this reason, we need all user’s legal names to populate Cayuse user profiles.

We know that new systems can be challenging to navigate and we are here to help! For quick guides and video, please visit the OSP webpage for resources on completing the IPF, pairing proposals, and submitting a federal application via Cayuse Proposals (previously called Cayuse 424). Additionally, while in Cayuse SP, you may notice an orange question mark in the bottom right corner. This is Cayuse’s Help tool and it can be very helpful with basic navigation in Cayuse SP. Please note, however, that instructions in that help tool are not specific to MSU.
Last but not least, once the “General Proposal Information” section of the IPF is complete, you will be assigned a Pre-Award Officer. Although our pre-award officers are primarily tasked with ensuring the on-time completion of high quality, responsive and compliant proposals, they can absolutely address specific questions you may have.

You can begin in either system, but we recommend that everyone initiates a proposal record in Cayuse SP to start. Once you have completed the basic information required to create your proposal, click Create a Paired Proposal. Depending on your settings, Cayuse Proposals (previously Cayuse 424) will open in a new window or tab, and the Create Proposal dialog box will pop up.
The Cayuse SP Proposal’s Short Project Name becomes the Cayuse Proposals (Cayuse 424) proposal’s Proposal Name, and the Sponsor Deadline is the Due Date. This information is carried over from Cayuse SP for your convenience, and you can change it as you would for any Cayuse 424 proposal. This will not affect the linkage between the proposals.
Once you have completed the proposal creation in Cayuse Proposals (Cayuse 424), you’ll see your newly-created proposal with next to the proposal name at the top . Clicking on the icon will direct you back to Cayuse SP.

You will need to route a new IPF, but you are able to copy your previous proposal to serve as the basis for your new one. To do so, click on “My Dashboard,” and then click on either “My Proposals” or “Proposals in my Unit.” Click “Copy” to the right of the proposal you want to copy and select “Okay.”
On the General Information page, most fields will come over with the exception of the “Sponsor Program Name” and “Activity Code.” These will not copy over to the new proposal.
Only a handful of IPF sections will be included in the copy. These include: the Budget, Regulatory Compliance, Subcontractors, Intellectual Property, and Application Abstract.

The Short Project Title is a title used for reference. It will appear in your Proposal dashboard, as well as the dashboard of your approvers. We recommend using the following format: “Last Name of PI_Sponsor & Program (if applicable).” For example, it may read “Doe_NSF CAREER.”
The Title of the Project is the full title of the proposal that is being submitted to the funding agency. This title should match the title on the cover letter, face page, and abstract.

If you are submitting a proposal to a federal agency (with the exception of NSF), you will prepare and submit the actual proposal in Cayuse Proposal (previously called Cayuse 424). Therefore, you will want to pair your IPF with your 424 Proposal to connect the two records. Further, pairing a proposal allows a PI to easily complete the Budget section of the IPF by selecting the “Autofill” option to auto fill Cayuse SP with your Cayuse 424 proposal budget.

• The first person you add to the Research Team must be the individual responsible for the technical, regulatory and financial aspects of the project. This person will have the role of Lead Principal Investigator. This person must certify a proposal before submission.
• The Principal Investigator role is Cayuse is synonymous with what we call the “Co-Investigator” or “Co-PI.” This individual is involved with the Lead Principal Investigator in the development or execution of a project. A co-investigator typically devotes a specified percentage of time to the project and is considered senior/key personnel. This person must certify a proposal before submission.
• An Investigator is considered Senior Personnel, responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research.
• UG/Graduate Research Fellow and Postdoctoral Research Fellow are individuals serving on the project. Departmental approvers for these individuals are added to the routing chain.
• Other Key Participants are project participants whose role title differs from those above. After selecting Other Key Participant, a field labeled “Role Title” appears beneath the Role. Enter the participant’s custom title. The participant’s unit will be included in the routing list on the Approving Unit’s screen. There is also an option for Other Participant (no routing), which may be used after consultation with OSP.
• Proposal Editor may be used to provide access to an additional administrator. This person will have the ability to edit the IPF prior to certification, and his/her unit will not be added to the routing list..

When a proposal is submitted for routing, two things happen simultaneously via email: (1) An authorization request is sent to the first approver on the routing chain; and (2) A certification request is sent to the Lead PI and other Principal Investigators.

Many of the codes are self-explanatory, but the following definitions will help when classifying research:

• Basic Research: Systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind.
• Applied Research: Systematic study to gain knowledge or understanding necessary to determine the means by which a recognized and specific need may be met.
• Developmental Research: Systematic application of knowledge or understanding, directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements..

In Cayuse SP, the Lead PI and other Principal Investigators must certify the proposal. Without certification, OSP will not submit your proposal to the sponsor.

Detailed IPF instructions can be found in the cost-share one-pager.