This page provides answers to general Office of Sponsored Programs frequently asked questions. For FAQs specific to processing teams, see:
Who is authorized to sign a proposal, pre-award revision, agreement, third party agreement, or non-financial agreement related to research activities?
The Directors, Associate Directors, and Assistant Directors of the Office of Sponsored Programs serve as the University Authorized Signatories for such items. Only these University Authorized Signatories can legally bind the University to the terms contained in agreements. Investigators are not authorized to sign agreements on behalf of the University, and, in doing so, can potentially be held personally (and solely) responsible for any legal or business issues related to the agreements.
What does "key personnel" mean?
The Health and Human Services Grants Policy Statement defines key personnel as “The Principal Investigator / Program Director and other individuals who contribute to the programmatic development or execution of a project in a substantive, measurable way, whether they receive salaries or compensation under the award.” Other definitions may vary, but the key concepts are usually the same.
Key personnel typically include the principal investigator and co-investigators, and may include lab technicians, research coordinators, and other personnel if they have a unique skill set that is required for the study. Key personnel should be identified in the sponsored research agreement, and the award sponsor usually requires prior approval for replacement of key personnel and reserves the right to review the qualifications of proposed substitutes.
Key Personnel are required to complete the appropriate Conflict of Interest Faculty/Researcher filing at least annually (and more often if they accrue new outside interests), as well as any research training modules relevant to the project.
Does a Principal Investigator have to include effort on every project?
Consistent with federal regulations, all faculty members listed as the PI on a sponsored project must contribute some level of effort to that project to provide necessary supervision/administration. If the PI does not request funding for their effort on the project, the effort would need to be cost shared. For additional information on effort reporting refer to University policy RI 09 Sponsored Projects – Effort Reporting/Certification.
If it isn’t clear at the proposal stage whether the funding will come to the University in the form of grant or a contract, who should I work with in the Office of Sponsored Programs?
When a solicitation states that the proposal may be awarded as either a grant, cooperative agreement, or procurement contract, you will work with your designated Grants and Contracts Officer if:
- The solicitation has a CFDA number, and
- The solicitation does not include FAR clauses or provisions.
However, if the solicitation states that the proposal may be awarded as an Other Transaction Agreement, you will always work with your designated Federal Contracts Officer.
How do I obtain an NIH eRA Commons account?
To obtain an NIH eRA Commons account, complete the NIH Registration Request Form.
Who should I contact if I have a problem with my existing NIH or NSF account?
For questions regarding existing NIH or NSF accounts, please contact Eric Larson.
How do I sign up to be on the Office of Sponsored Programs email distribution list?
Complete this form to be added to the research administrator distribution list.