Stanford Research Development Office

Support for Contacting Program Officers

Connecting with a program officer at a federal funding agency can be an important step toward securing external research funding, allowing proposers to gain insights into program priorities, refine their ideas, and receive feedback on project/opportunity alignment. By taking time to prepare for the initial outreach, you can set the stage for a productive exchange.

How can RDO support PIs in engaging with program officers?

It's not uncommon for a PI with ample experience working with program officers from one agency to have questions when approaching a new agency or opportunity. Whether you are applying to a funding program for the first time, have questions about feedback you received, or have been advised to reach out to a program officer before submitting your proposal, RDO would be happy to support you! We find that this type of outreach typically works best if done by the PI themself rather than someone else writing on behalf of the PI. 

To facilitate this interaction, we can provide:

  • Fact-finding assistance: Leverage RDO’s experience working across funding agencies to understand the program officer’s responsibilities and scope of influence, and how to identify the right contact(s) for your project.
  • Guidance on outreach emails: Receive tailored support in drafting outreach emails that align with your goals and the program officer’s scope of work.
  • “One-pager” support: Get help outlining and refining a brief description of your concept or project to include with your outreach email.
  • Thought partnership to prepare for a program officer meeting: Collaborate with RDO to develop key questions, anticipate discussion points, and strategize on communicating your project’s goals and alignment with funding program priorities.

Support related to contacting program officers is available whether or not a proposal is actively in progress. We invite Stanford PIs to contact us at stanford_rdo@stanford.edu to schedule a consultation on this topic. PIs in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine should reach out to research development staff from Engineering Research Administration and the School of Medicine Proposal Development Office, respectively.

Interested in more information on contacting program officers? 

When possible, we recommend first checking the information provided by the funding agency or scheduling an RDO consultation due to the variation in policies and procedures across and within funding agencies. RDO provides some general background information in the FAQ below. 

FAQs on contacting program officers

When should I contact a program officer?

Reaching out early in the process is critical because program officers can provide valuable insight into whether your idea aligns with their agency’s mission or specific funding priorities. Early contact also gives you time to refine your proposal based on their feedback or to pivot if needed. Avoid waiting until just before a deadline, as program officers are less likely to have time to respond or meet during busy submission periods (and some restrict contact closer to submission dates).

Once a proposal has been submitted, it is considered “under review” and it is therefore no longer appropriate to contact program officers with questions. If considering a resubmission, we suggest waiting at least a week after receiving a decision and reviews (but not much longer, as program officers may have a better recollection of review conversations closer to the time they occur).

As a very general guideline, RDO recommends contacting program officers with questions about your specific project at least two months in advance of the proposal deadline. There are some important caveats to this advice, however:

  • Some sponsors have a separate deadline for drafts or questions, after which program officers may not be able to respond to inquiries.
  • If there is not a separate question deadline, it may be acceptable to send clarification requests closer to the proposal deadline.
  • Some funding agencies provide a separate method of contact for policy or clarification questions. In those cases, RDO recommends that you do not direct such questions to a program officer unless you are already meeting with them to discuss your project.
  • If you are in the preliminary stages of developing your concept and would like to get a general sense of where to direct your proposal, you may reach out considerably earlier.
Why should I contact a program officer?

In general, contacting a program office may be a good idea if:

  • You would like some guidance on whether or not your project or concept is a good fit for the funding agency or program.
  • You would like advice on appropriate programs or institutes to apply to (within their portfolio or outside of it).
  • You need to clarify something contradictory or ambiguous in the funding opportunity announcement/solicitation (see caveat under "When should I contact a program officer?" above regarding agencies or programs that provide a separate method of contact for clarification requests).

It’s important to note that the scope of a program officer’s role can vary considerably across funding agencies. If you are not familiar with how program officers typically operate at a given agency, RDO is happy to share resources and further information with you. Depending on what the program officer can and cannot do within their role, there may be additional reasons to contact them, such as to request feedback on a draft or to ask for help interpreting reviewer comments.

How do I find out who to contact?

Requests for proposals, also known as NOFOs, FOAs, solicitations, etc., often provide individual or organizational contact information. You may also find program officer contact information on a funding opportunity web page or an agency, program, or institute contact list. PIs proposing to NIH can use the agency’s Matchmaker tool (more information about how to use Matchmaker).

What’s the best way to go about contacting a program officer?

Research who you are contacting and what they tend to fund: For best results, we recommend researching the program officer or funding program/institute’s portfolio before reaching out. This can help give a preliminary sense of whether your project aligns with their area of interest, and increase the chances that you are reaching out to an appropriate contact. 

For your initial contact, email rather than call: Calling by phone is generally not recommended (but do use the phone if explicitly instructed to). Reaching out by email provides a clear record of your communication and allows program officers to respond on their own schedule. Ideally, the initial email can provide background, key questions, and a request to schedule a call or meeting for further discussion.

Be polite and concise in your communication. We recommend a brief email accompanied by a one- to two-page attachment summarizing your project. By including a "one-pager," you give the program officer something tangible to reference during your discussion or to potentially forward to a colleague. This document should summarize your research goals, objectives, and the project's alignment with the funding agency’s mission. This enables the program officer to provide targeted suggestions on how to strengthen your proposal (if allowable by a given funding agency), better align it with the funding opportunity, or potentially find another funding opportunity that’s a better fit. 

CC etiquette: If there are multiple contacts listed for a given program, many program officers prefer that you include all of them in CC (and say that you are doing so) rather than reach out to each individually. Anecdotally, the preference for copying multiple contacts as opposed to reaching out one by one is variable across agencies, funding program/institutes, or even individual program officers. RDO recommends checking for specific guidance if in doubt. If you include others from outside the funding agency in CC, briefly explain why they are copied in the body of your email.

Have specific questions ready: If you are invited to meet after sending your initial email, having prepared questions helps ensure a productive conversation and makes the most of the program officer’s time. Program officers typically cannot provide a definitive answer to questions like “Would you fund this project?” or “How can I do this work to best appeal to your agency?” Instead, it often works best if PIs come prepared to describe their plans at a high level and bring a few well-considered questions that reflect a clear sense of the funding agency and program priorities as well as their own research plans. Example questions include:

  • “Does my project align with the priorities of Program X?”
  • “Would you recommend applying to this solicitation, or are there other opportunities better suited to my research?”
  • “Are there any key aspects reviewers typically look for in proposals to this program?”

Follow up as needed: Program officers get busy like anyone else, and it’s reasonable to follow up if you haven’t heard back after a week or more. If you are referred back to a previously unresponsive contact, you might say, “I have been unsuccessful in getting in touch with ___. Can you advise me on how best to reach them?" 

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Created: 12/10/24

Updated: 01/10/25