Transitioning to Cayuse
As of February 2026, all external funding proposals will be initiated, reviewed, and approved through the Cayuse Sponsored Projects (SP) module. The previously used Proposal Summary & Approval Form will no longer be required, nor accepted.
OSPR’s timeline for review of external funding proposals remains the same – All applications are due at least 10 days before the funder’s published deadline. Principal Investigators are required to initiate a proposal record in Cayuse to comply with this timeline.
Cayuse marks a significant improvement in technology and methods use to submit proposals and manage awards, however, the process and guidelines for submission and grants management remain substantially the same.
Frequently asked questions about Cayuse
What is Cayuse?
Cayuse is Clark University’s online platform for managing the entire sponsored projects lifecycle. It supports proposal initiation, development, internal routing and approval, submission to sponsors, tracking proposal outcomes, and post-award management of externally funded projects. The Office of Sponsored Projects and Research (OSPR) is the administrator of the system.
Why are we moving to Cayuse?
Cayuse allows OSPR to better support you while protecting the university. Cayuse will:
- Streamline proposal routing and approvals
- Improve visibility into proposal and award status
- Reduce administrative burden for faculty and staff
- Ensure compliance with sponsor and federal regulations
- Provide a centralized source for sponsored projects and research data
Who has access to Cayuse?
All faculty and staff are automatically given access to Cayuse. Log in using Single Sign-on (SSO), i.e., your Clark University email and password. Links to the SSO are found on the OSPR webpage and Clark YOU.
Do students have access to Cayuse?
No. Students are given access to Cayuse only if applying through Clark for an externally funded grant or fellowship. The student’s faculty or staff advisor must request that the student be added as a User by submitting a Request for Cayuse Access Form. The form can also be used for new faculty and staff if needed.
Do I have to use Cayuse for all of my grant proposals?
Yes. Effective February 2026, all proposals for external funding will be processed through the Cayuse platform. Faculty and/or staff will load all proposal documentation to Cayuse Sponsored Projects or S2S modules; proposals will be internally routed for review and approval in Cayuse.
Department administrators, Department Chairs, and Research Administration will also use Cayuse to review and approve proposals.
All proposals must be approved in Cayuse by OSPR prior to submittal to the Sponsor.
Who can see my proposals and awards?
Cayuse access is based on Roles and Permissions so that you can only see proposals and awards on which you are listed as Key Personnel. Principal Investigators can also add others to view and/or edit their proposal. In addition, Department Chairs and Grant Administrators will have access to those proposals and awards within their purview, e.g., Biology Department Chair can see all Biology Faculty proposals and awards.
What does Cayuse NOT do?
Cayuse Sponsored Projects (SP) module does not replace sponsor submission systems like: Research.gov (NSF) or ASSIST (NIH). For most proposals, Clark will continue to submit proposals to sponsors using the designated sponsor-specific portal. Cayuse SP supports internal routing, approvals, tracking, and compliance.
However, Cayuse Proposals S2S module does provide a system-to-system interface for federal grant applications that can be submitted to Grants.gov only. This means that if you are applying for funding through Grants.gov, you have the option to use the Proposal S2S module to develop, validate, and submit your proposal directly. Please contact OSPR for access to the S2S module.
Is there training on how to use Cayuse?
Yes. In addition to periodic scheduled training sessions, the following resources are available:
- Recorded videos (pending)
- Quick Start Guides
- Step-by-step User Guides
- Open Office Hours and individual support
- Admin-specific training
What about my prior proposals and awards, and current active awards?
OSPR will provide guidance on how active proposals and awards will be handled during the transition. In most cases, legacy data is already imported into Cayuse so work can continue without disruption.
Note: historical (legacy) data for prior proposals and awards contains minimal information (PI/Co-PI, Department, Sponsor, dates, proposal/award amounts) and does not include proposal or award documents.
What if I have questions or issues?
Contact Cayuse support at cayuse@clarku.edu with the description of the issue.
