Sheraton University Inn December 15, 2015
Faculty Member – Principal Investigator (PI) has a research question they want to explore Group of researchers have an ongoing project or research topic (can be internal or external partners) University, College, or Community Initiative Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Applications (RFA), Request for a Letter of Intent or Interest 2 Sponsored Projects – How do they get started?
Before you Begin h Familiarize yourself with required forms for all key/ senior personnel working on sponsored projects Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Policy o University policy, required by federal government as a means to ensure research will be free from bias and objectivity preserved. Completed as an online survey. Intellectual Property Agreement (IPA) o Agreement form required for staff & faculty working on externally funded projects. Documents acceptance & understanding of SU policy on Ownership and Management of Intellectual Property.Ownership and Management of Intellectual Property Internal Routing and Review Form (IRR) o This required document is the primary data intake form utilized by OSP. It informs us of such important items as; who is working on the project, what agency are we submitting to, and are all necessary resources and approvals in place to conduct the project Consultant Letter of Intent Format o Us ed when you have named consultant on your project to demonstrate the commitment. Statement of Work Format o Used when another institution is the lead applicant.
Proposal Development Notification by faculty member of upcoming proposal submission Request information on specifications RFP/RFA/Funder Requirements for a thorough review Review with faculty member expectations of receipt of proposal and all the pieces (develop a template) Ask if the proposal involves other departments, schools, colleges, centers/institutes, or organizations If project involves collaborators, determine lead and what materials are needed (i.e. biosketches, statement of work,…) Budget development Use your calendar to set up reminders to talk to faculty member regarding deadlines and items needed Call or meet with your OSP Research Administrator 4
Review, Endorsement and Submission OSP REVIEW QUESTIONS (50,000 foot view): Can this work reasonably be performed at SU/by this department? Are there any stated risks/ compliance management factors? Is the investigator/project staffing reasonable and available to carry out the work? – Do investigators have effort available to perform the project? – Will investigators be able to hire student workers/ post- docs to perform the project in the stated period? Is there space available to carry out the work? Can we accept all of the terms of the award? Have all external collaborators officially confirmed their participation? 5
Review, Endorsement and Submission – To be covered in depth at Thursday’s session OSP Budget review, and/or OSP Budget formulation – Does it add up? – Are all costs included allowable? Reasonable? Allocable? – Have we been consistent in budgeting? – Are salaries correct? Have they been verified in SU’s payroll? – If consultants are budgeted, are they truly consultants rather than employees, are rates proposed reasonable? – Are all rates (F&A, fringe benefits) correctly applied and calculated? – Are collaborators’ efforts correctly budgeted? Vendor? Subawardee? – Are there any Cost Sharing requirements? 6
Review, Endorsement and Submission – Cont’d OSP Proposal Review for adherence to Sponsor’s guidelines: – Page limitations – Formatting Font size Margins Line spacing Pagination scheme – Assembly (i.e. – attachments are properly ordered and all mandatory fields are completed) – Documents that must be included – Documents that should not be included 7
Review, Endorsement and Submission – Cont’d Signature/electronic submission of proposal certifies: – SU has the expertise and skill to reasonably carry out the proposed work. – Investigators/project staff named are available to carry out the work. – SU is in compliance with, and will adhere to, applicable regulations. – proposal submission indicates SU’s acceptance of terms, or letter of exceptions to terms should be submitted. – Budget is sufficient to carry out work proposed and follows cost principles and SU policies. – SU has verified that other collaborating institutions have submitted authorized and binding commitments. 8
Key Points to Remember Give yourself plenty of time Grant writing takes longer than you think! When collaborating with others, particularly subawards, build in additional time, as other institutions may have more rigid guidelines for submission. Confirm your idea with the sponsor’s point of contact, (aka the Program Officer,) before you do any work on the application Carefully read the solicitation’s instructions – in their entirety, then re- read them. Sometimes details jump out on a second read through.
Key Points to Remember Ask OSP for a simultaneous read of the solicitations Make a timeline of what needs to be done by whom and when, then follow it! Plan on having everything done 1 wk before the deadline, and follow OSP service guidelinesOSP service guidelines
OSP Service Guidelines 3-4 weeks prior to deadline Inform OSP of the solicitation, deadline & team 7 Business days prior to deadline Provide OSP with budget, budget narrative and draft narrative 3 Business days prior to deadline Provide OSP with final, complete application Submission Date Provide OSP with the fully signed IRR form
Key Points to Remember Tell everyone who ‘needs to know’ your plans, i.e. chair, dean, OSP, as well as what resources you need when Embrace the collaboration!! OSP is here to help, but please know we serve the entire University! Open communication and a “we’re in this together” approach to pursuing and administering externally sponsored projects is key.
Key Points to Remember Use the OSP budget templateOSP budget template Get the IRR together as early in the process as possibleIRR Don’t forget to file your Intellectual Property Agreement and your Conflict of Interest Disclosures Get feedback on your narrative from a variety of folks in your field and perhaps from folks not in your field.