1. ORSP Overview: What We Do & How We Do It By Gil Harootunian, PhD
Director, RSP

2. Part I: What We Do
Share common goal: success in landing external funding.
Support your journey to become a lifelong and successful grant getter.
Develop resources—and more resources.

3. Come To Us….
The sooner you come to us, the sooner we can provide services.
On the rare occasions when bumps happen, often we have not been approached early enough.
Come to us early, and here’s what we can do to help deliver an on-time, fundable grant application to a sponsor….

4. We do … budgets
Question: What is one of the most common reasons for declension of a grant?
Answer: An excessive or poorly justified budget.
Why? Allocation of resources is a critical leadership skill.

5. We do … translation Translate ‘federal-ese’ into plain English
Interpret and clarify sponsor’s language
Explain terms, contexts, and regulations

6. We do … compliance Technical requirements Financial practices
Project priorities
A compliant application is a fundable application.

7. We review (a lot)
Having the application early allows us to do a thoughtful and meticulous review.
Having the application late means that we can verify only the most basic information.

8. We have experience….
NIH: We use two-day business window to view submissions (e.g., graphics).
Grants.gov: 4-day early submission is narrowest window to successfully re- submit if necessary.
E-Grants: We can give “viewer” privileges.
NSF: We can ‘create a copy’ in Fastlane to re-submit if necessary.

9. We can minimize 11th hour scenarios….
Partner can’t deliver on promised letter of commitment.
Computer runs slower than a turtle in a tar pit.
No one is available to sign off.
Application just ‘falls through the cracks.’

10. We can minimize ‘but the program officer told me’ scenarios….
Program officers are informative and dedicated so … keep in touch w/ them.
Program officers are also rotated from program to program.
Program officers must keep external constituents happy (translation: butter can melt in their mouths).
Program officers have prescribed duties and authority.

11. We can share best practices….
We have an entire session dedicated to this today.
Question: What is the result of sharing best practices ?
Answer: Increased chances of submitting an on-time, error-free grant application.

12. Part II: How We Do It Human Resources (a.k.a., the ORSP Team)
Tom McClanahan, PhD, AVP, RSP
Gil Harootunian, PhD, Director, RSP
Nancy Myers Sims, Grants and Contracts Development Specialist/former Director
Daniel Griffin, EdD, Associate Director
Douglas Carey, Grants Administrator
Maral Kismetian, Administrative Analyst
Rocio Quiñonez Montaño, Dept. Secretary

13. Information Resources
ORSP website
Guidelines and samples
Disciplinary resources
Policies and regulations
PI Handbook
FAQs
Twitter

14. Programmatic Resources
Faculty awards provide seed money and track record.
RSCA: $5,000 competitive awards, primarily for release time or summer pay
One criteria = likelihood that work will lead to successful grants

15. Programmatic Resources
Laval: The Claude C. Laval Award for Innovative Technology & Research supports development of innovative technology and related research at Fresno State.

16. Programmatic Resources
Student awards enhance the ‘pipeline’ that most sponsors value highly.
NSF
NEH
USDA
Sponsors want the best for the future.

17. Programmatic Resources
California State University Student Research Competition — both undergraduate and graduate students eligible
Central California Research Symposium — a forum to share recent research as well as to encourage research activities in the Central Valley

18. Programmatic Resources
Grant Development Workshop
…and we do lots more that can be ‘invisible’ to Fresno State stakeholders.
Hispanic-serving Institution status
Minority-serving Institution status

19. Finally … the nuts and bolts
We guide you through required institutional review and approval (a.k.a., joining the Fresno State Team).
Who must review and approve?
Your Chair
Your Dean
Your Grants Manager
Provost or AVP for Research or Designee
VP of Admin/ Univ CFO or AVP Finance
Note: Co-PIs in different colleges need to secure approvals from their own Chairs and Deans.

20. Finally … the nuts and bolts
What is the absolutely best practice here?
Start early
Intent to Apply form—gives all interested parties a heads up about your grant application
Project Information Form (“PIF”)— abstracts the key information needed for parties to review and sign off

21. The future w/ the nuts and bolts
Spring 2011: Begin transition to automated workflow system
Benefits
Access 24/7/365 from anywhere in the world
Track with accuracy
Good-bye to endless and phone tag
“Bolts” onto e-systems already in place

22. Questions?

23. Follow-up Questions?
Contact Information:
Gil Harootunian, PhD
Director, RSP
8-0863