Frequently Asked Questions
Topics you can find on this webpage:
General Questions
What services and resources does OSP provide to faculty and departmental administrators?
- Funding Information
- Proposal Preparation & Processing
- Award Negotiation & Acceptance
- Forms & Information Sheets
- Training Opportunities
How do I locate the Office of Sponsored Projects?
| Health Science Office 75 South 2000 East Rm 211 Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 |
Federal Way Office 1471 East Federal Way Salt Lake City, Utah 84102 |
Note: These addresses also work for our FedEx shipping address.
What research education and training opportunities are available to faculty and departmental administrators?
The Research Administration Training Series (RATS) offers several continuing education and training opportunities. These opportunities are designed to support, develop, and maintain a standardized body of knowledge, as well as understanding the best practice methodology for all research personnel at the University of Utah. The curriculum includes traditional classes and lectures, interactive workshops, online instruction, and educational resources. These resources ensure compliance with federal regulations and enhance the overall productivity of researchers. For a complete program information, please visit the Research Administration Training Series (RATS) website.
Why is Institutional Review and approval of the Office of Sponsored Projects required?
When applying for funding, the proposal is made on behalf of the University of Utah. The University is the official recipient of the grant / contract and is fiscally liable for the appropriate expenditure of funds. Therefore, it is the University's responsibility to ensure that terms and conditions of the grant or contract are met. The University must also respond to fiscal and programatic audits by the funding agency.
It should be noted that many sponsors of research project will not make award to individuals. The University is not obligated to honor or accept grants and contracts that have not been reviewed by a Sponsored Project Officer, and that have not received institutional approval and signature.
Funding Information
Please contact Megan Tolman (801.581.6903) if you:
- Need to know who coordinates limited submission announcements
- Need to know how to start finding external funding, and to which agencies should you send your proposal
- Need to find out about agency deadlines or websites
Proposal Preparation and Processing
Where do I locate proposal budget information on Facilities and Administration Costs (F&A), cost sharing, supplemental pay in proposals, etc.?
You can find information regarding budgetary proposal information at this link.
Where do I go with my draft proposal?
Please contact the Sponsored Project Officer that is over your department. The grant and contract officer will help you with your proposal. If you are unsure which officer you will be working with, click to see a list of staff and which departments they are assigned to.
Who is designated as the authorized institutional representative?
Brent Brown, Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects
How do I know when I should have a sponsored agreement versus a personal consulting agreement?
You should always use a sponsored agreement when using University resources to complete all or part of the scope of the work. In most cases, a personal consulting agreement is appropriate when you are performing work on your own time, outside of the contractual commitment to the University. For further information, contact the Sponsored Project Officer over your department.
My project may involve the use of human participants, animal subjects, recombinant DNA, or biohazards. What do I have to do to clear my project for submission to a potential funding agency?
- For Human Subjects, contact the Institutional Review Board,at 801.581.3655
- For Animal Subjects, contact the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at 801.581.5950
- For Recombinant DNA or Biohazard, contact the Environmental Health & Safety Department at 801.581.6590
- Sponsor and University regulations require in all cases that approvals be obtained by the appropriate University compliance committees before an award is made. In some cases, approvals must be obtained simultaneously, or soon after submission. You should be aware that you cannot begin data collection on your project until the University clearances have been obtained. Your project's involvement with any of these compliance issues is noted on the Document Summary Sheet.
What approvals will I need from the University?
- Document Summary Sheet
- Institutional Authorization on the grant or contract
- Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators must complete a Conflict of Interest statement on each proposal or award. OSP cannot process the proposal or award until a disclosure has been submitted to the COI Committee.
What is the Institutional Policy on matching funds and cost sharing?
The policy for Matching Funds and Cost Sharing can be found in the Research Handbook.
How do I request additional compensation on a sponsored project?
Requesting additional compensation is discouraged. To request additional compensation, please contact Barbara Nielsen at 801.581.5989.
What are the different kinds of proposals?
- New Proposal: A proposal for a new project or a new direction in research that has not been funded before. It competes with all other new proposals and is evaluated in all areas pertinent to the sponsor.
- Renewal: Competes with other proposals for approval and funding, even if it is a project that has been funded before, but in this case, it will also be reviewed on it's progress during the period of the original award.
- Continuation: A proposal that has been approved for funding for more than one year, but requires and annual submission for a non-competing review. A continuation is reviewed for evidence of progress and adherence to the original proposal before the allocation of money is made for the next year.
- Supplement: Made to an existing grant during the funding period and usually does not require competitive review.
Award Negotiation & Acceptance
What if a sponsor asks me to sign a non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement?
A faculty member is not authorized to sign a non-disclosure agreement. All non-disclosure agreements need to be reviewed and signed by the Technology Commercialization Office (801.581.7792).
Someone from the agency to which I've applied has asked me for a revised budget. Whom should I contact?
Any changes or revisions regarding your contract should be brought to the attention of your Sponsored Project Officer. If you are uncertain who that would be, we have provided as list of officers and the departments they oversee.
My potential sponsor wants to negotiate a research contract. Whom should I notify?
If you have questions regarding contract negotiations, please feel free to contact the Sponsored Project Officer that is handling your study. If you are uncertain who that would be, we have provided as list of officers and the departments they oversee.
My project wasn't funded the first time around. What happens now?
If the agency to which you applied provides information on the reviewer's comments, please request them. Once you receive them, contact Megan Tolman (801.581.6903). Using those comments, Megan will discuss your situation with you, perhaps help you identify another potential funding source.
My project was funded. What happens now?
If you have received an official notice of award, send it to the grant and contract officer over you department as soon as possible.
Post Award Administration
Do I have to monitor my sponsored account?
Yes. As Project Director, you are responsible for ensuring that only allowable costs related to your project are charged to the sponsored account set up to reflect the spending on your project.
Do I have to do anything special when traveling to a foreign country?
Please review the University of Utah Travel Policy
Does the University of Utah have to receive the funds from the sponsor before I can start spending from the account?
No. Once the account is established, spending can begin.
What happens to any residual balance once a sponsored project under a fixed price agreement ends?
University policy is that there should be little or no residual on a fixed price agreement. However, if there is a balance once the project is completed, the balance is transferred to the investigator.
Conflict of Interest
What is the University's Conflict of Interest Policy?
It is critical that the design, conduct, or reporting of any research or scholarly activity not be compromised. Business transactions and financial interests must be disclosed and reviewed by the Conflict of Interest committee to determine whether or not the a researcher, University, or department, stands to benefit by significant financial gain.
How do I determine if a financial interest requires reporting?
A conflict of interest disclosure is required upon:
- Submission of a new grant or contract to OSP
- Submission of a new protocol to the IRB
- Request for signature authority on a University account
How do I report a potential conflict of interest?
Log into the Research Integrity and Compliance website, then click on the CoI Disclosures tab located in the red bar spanning the top of the screen.
Why do I need to include information on family members?
The federal and state regulations that govern objectivity in research require disclosure of financial interest including those of your spouse or domestic partner and/or dependent children.
Why do I need to fill out this form/questionnaire?
The University is obligated by federal and state laws and regulation, to identify, manage, reduce, and if possible, eliminate any potential conflict of interest.
Do all PIs and co-Is need to complete the annual disclosure form and routing form certification?
A conflict of interest disclosure should be filled out and completed by the PI, co-investigators, people who recruit and consent participants, and anyone the PI thinks might have a potential conflict of interest. Disclosures should be completed and submitted to all studies and proposals submitted to both OSP and the IRB.
When do I need to submit the form?
Forms are submitted to the Conflict of Interest office prior to submission of a grant or contract to OSP or the IRB. Forms must also be submitted if a conflict of interest is reported on a signature authority request form.
Do I have to report changes in my activity and/or interests before the next submission date?
Any changes in the status of an existing conflict of interest disclosure should be disclosed to the Conflict of Interest Committee immediately.
Do students need to complete the form?
If a student's role in the study includes being the PI, co-investigators, recruitment or consenting or subjects, or they may potentially have a conflict of interest, then a disclosure should be submitted.
Do I need to fill out the form completely?
Yes.
Can an investigator appeal a decision made by the review committee?
Appeals of any decision of the Conflict of Interest Committee concerning the existence of a conflict of interest or acceptability of a proposed management plan may be made to the cognizant vice-president.
What will happen if I fail to report or disclose a conflict of interest?
For violations of this policy, the committee may recommend one or more of the following disciplinary and or administrative actions:
- Proceedings for employee or student discipline (including but not restricted to: reprimands, fines, probation, suspension, dismissal, the freezing of research funds, other research restrictions, etc.) pursuant to
- the Code of Faculty Rights and Responsibilities PPM 8-12.5 & 8-12.6
- staff disciplinary policies and procedures, PPM 2-9 & 3-32
- the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, PPM 8-10
- the Policy for Research Misconduct, PPM 6-1.1
- Withholding payment owed under a purchasing contract relating to the conflict
- Legal action to rescind University contracts entered into in violation of this Conflict of Interest Policy or of state law
- Legal action to recover the amount of financial benefit received by an employee as a result of his/her violation of this policy
- Other similar and appropriate actions
Who do I call for more information?
Call 801.581.6351 or email the Conflict of Interest Officer, Jahn Barlow.
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs
What are F&A costs?
Facilities & Administrative (F&A) costs are those that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored agreement or institutional activity. F&A costs are those involving resources used by different individuals and groups, making it difficult to assess precisely which users should pay a given share. Typical F&A costs include administrative salaries, postage, memberships, office supplies, local telephone costs, etc.
On the other hand, "Direct Costs" are those identified specifically with a particular sponsored project, and instructional activity, or any other institutional activity, or that can be directly assigned to such activities relatively easily with a high degree of accuracy. Costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances must be treated consistently as either director or indirect costs. Where an institution treats a particular type of cost as a direct cost of sponsored agreements, all costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances shall be treated as direct costs of all activities of the institution.
General categories of direct costs include, but are not limited to, salaries and wages, fringe benefits, supplies, contractual services, travel and communication, equipment and computer use.
What are the components and rates of the University's current negotiated F&A agreement?
To determine F&A costs, calculate the sum of all budgeted costs that fit the definition of "MTDC Base" given, then multiply by the appropriate rate given in the table that follows:
Budget begins: July 2008 through June 2011
| Research | Sponsored Training | Other Sponsored Activities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| On Campus | 50.5% | 35.7% | 32.7% |
| Off Campus | 26.00% | 26.00% | 26.00% |
