Sponsored Research Handbook for Departmental Research Administrators

Complete Handbook [PDF]

Section 1. Introduction to Sponsored Project Administration at UT Austin

Section 2: Getting Started - Sponsored Project Administration

• 2.1 Central Administrative Offices
• 2.2 The Departmental Research Administrator
  • 2.2.1 Research Administrator Certification
  • 2.2.2 Professional Development Opportunities from OSP
  • 2.2.3 Professional Organizations: Membership and Conference Information
  • 2.2.4 Additional Professional Development Resources
  2.3 The Principal Investigator (PI)
• 2.4 PI Status: Approved Categories of Faculty Positions
• 2.5 How to Request PI Status
• 2.6 Unit and PI Codes
• 2.7 Obtaining Access to Electronic Systems for Your PI and/or Yourself
  • 2.7.1 Research Management System (RMS)
  • 2.7.2 CAYUSE 424™ and Grants.gov
  • 2.7.3 FastLane
  • 2.7.4 Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons
  2.8 Research Administrator Network (RAN)
• 2.9 Responsibility Matrix: PI, Departmental Research Administrators, and OSP Research Administrators
• 2.10 Learn the Lingo

Section 3: Searching for Sponsored Research Funding Opportunities

• 3.1 What are Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)?
• 3.2 Who Is Responsible For Finding Funding?
• 3.3 Find Funding Opportunities/Notices at UT Austin
  • 3.3.1 Office of VP for Research: Research Alerts
  • 3.3.2 Limited Submission Programs
  • 3.3.3 Special Funding for UT Austin Faculty and Students
  • 3.3.4 OSP FAQ: “How Do I Find a Sponsor”?
  • 3.3.5 Community of Science (COS)
  • 3.3.6 UT Austin Libraries
• 3.4 Find Funding Opportunities/Notices at the Federal Level
• 3.5 Find Funding Opportunities/Federal Listservs
• 3.6 Find Funding Opportunities/Notices at the State Level
• 3.7 Find Research Funding by Corporate Sponsorship
• 3.8 Find Research Funding by Foundations/Non-profits
  • 3.8.1 Research Gifts
• 3.9 Research Training Sponsorships for Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

Section 4: Understanding Funding Opportunity Guidelines

• 4.1 Overview of Steps
  • 4.1.1 Download and print ALL of the announcement/guidelines/instructions from the appropriate agency's website.
  • 4.1.2 READ the guidelines and documents carefully.
  • 4.1.3 Note the required formatting guidelines, and create key element checklists.
• 4.2 Key Elements in the FOA Guidelines
  • 4.2.1 Submission Deadline date
  • 4.2.2 Time of Day Deadline
  • 4.2.3 Required Formats
  • 4.2.4 Applicant
  • 4.2.5 Submission Method
  • 4.2.6 Appendices
  • 4.2.7 Funding Restrictions
  • 4.2.8 Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Cost Rates.
  • 4.2.9 UT Austin Institutional Information
  • 4.2.10 Letters of Recommendation and Support

Section 5: Proposal Application Preparation

• 5.1 Overview of the Pre-Award Cycle
• 5.2 The Faculty Perspective
• 5.3 The Departmental Research Administrator Perspective
• 5.4 The Nuts and Bolts of Preparing the Proposal Application
  • 5.4.1 Print the FOA, submission instructions, and application forms from the appropriate funding organization's Web site.
  • 5.4.2 Create the Proposal Review Form (PRF)
  • 5.4.3 Proposals to Grants.gov
  • 5.4.4 Proposals to NSF
  • 5.4.5 Proposals to Limited Submissions Programs
  • 5.4.6 Proposals to Private Foundations
  • 5.4.7 Proposals to Corporate Sponsors
  • 5.4.8 Using Proposal Application Checklists
• 5.5 OSP Resources: Preparing Proposal Applications
  • 5.5.1 Proposal Preparation
  • 5.5.2 Proposal Format
  • 5.5.3 UT Austin Institution "Boilerplate" Information
  • 5.5.4 Export Control Issues
• 5.6 Compliance and Oversight Committees: Human Subjects, Animals, recombinant DNA (rDNA), and Biosafety Materials
  • 5.6.1 Oversight Committees at UT- Austin
  • 5.6.2 Animal Use and Care
  • 5.6.3 Human Subjects
  • 5.6.4 recombinant DNA
  • 5.6.5 Radiation/Radioisotopes and Infectious Agents, Human Blood or Extreme Toxins
  • 5.6.6 Controlled Substances/DEA Licensing
• 5.7 Additional Proposal Writing and Preparation Resources
• 5.8 Proposal Preparation Timelines

Section 6: Cost Principles and Budget Preparation Activities

• 6.1 Overview of Cost Principles
  • 6.2 Allowable Costs vs. Allocable Costs
  • 6.2.1 Allowable Costs
  • 6.2.2 Allocable Costs
• 6.3 Direct Costs vs. Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs
  • 6.3.1 Direct Costs
  • 6.3.2 F&A Costs, or Indirect Costs
  • 6.3.3 Reduced or Waived F&A Cost Rates
• 6.4 Cost Sharing
• 6.5 Budget Types: Detailed vs. Modular

Section 7: Estimating Budget Categories

• 7.1 Calculating Direct Costs
  • 7.1.1 Salaries and Wages
  • 7.1.2 Salary Caps
  • 7.1.3 Student Salary Ranges
  • 7.1.4 Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) Salary Rates
  • 7.1.5 Fellowship Stipends
  • 7.1.6 Tuition Remission
  • 7.1.7 Fringe Benefits
  • 7.1.8 Consultants
  • 7.1.9 Non-Expendable Equipment (Capital and/or Fabricated)
  • 7.1.10 Expendable Equipment and Supplies
  • 7.1.11 Publication Costs
  • 7.1.12 Travel
  • 7.1.13 Computer Time
  • 7.1.14 Subagreement Budgets
  • 7.1.15 Direct Costs: Other
• 7.2 Estimating F&A Costs for your Project
• 7.3 Other Budget Preparation Resources

Section 8: Proposal Application and Routing and Submission

• 8.1 The Proposal Review Form (PRF)
• 8.2 OSP Submission Deadlines for Proposal Applications
• 8.3 What to Expect After Submission to OSP
• 8.4 What to Expect After Submission to the Sponsor

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