Lifecycle of Sponsored Project

The following proposal development procedure steps are not meant to be exhaustive or all-inclusive but provide direction to faculty or staff seeking external funding. Questions should be directed to Vincenzo Cassella, Director of the OSRP at cassella@campbell.edu. 

Pre-award Stage:

Step 1: Discovery

A. Have you answered the following questions relative to your idea or project?

  • What do you intend to do?
  • Why and to whom is the work important?
  • What difference will it make?
  • What has already been done and written on the subject?
  • What is your methodology and approach to the work?
  • How does the current project fit into your long-range teaching-research plan?

B. Have you reviewed the relevant faculty policies and sponsor guidelines relative to submission?

C. Do you have a potential source of funding in mind?

  • If yes, contact your department chair and dean to confirm their support of the pursuit of this research or project relative to the specific Request For Proposal (RFP) or opportunity. This will include the internal process specific to your department or school in advance of submission to the OSRP.
  • If no, then check out our Funding Opportunities page to browse the many sources of funding you may need. This page will provide some guidance on different sponsors, grants, or gifts. 

Step 2: Pre-Application

You have a project, funder, and approval of your department chair and dean. Now what…

  1.  Complete the internal Notice of Intent to Submit (NIS) proposals to confirm the step-by-step process and timeline for submission to the particular sponsor, including registration requirements, if any. Upon review of the NIS the Director will provide the next steps to the submitting Principal Investigator (PI), the respective chair and dean, college grant administrator if applicable.
  2. Update  SciENcv (federal and state applications only) as these are often required to accompany grant applications.
  3. Create an ORCID ID Number and an updated profile as this number will be required on the Internal Processing Form and by some sponsors.
  4. Contact the program director at the sponsoring agency, if appropriate. This person will become an invaluable resource to you while you draft the project narrative. On federal grants, the sooner you can contact this individual, the better chance your grant application has at being competitive; ideally, contact the program director three months before the submission deadline at least. You may also ask if the sponsor agency has scheduled any webinars or conference calls for potential applicants. These informative sessions are particularly helpful to investigators as they prepare grant applications. The OSRP should be copied on email communication to expedite the sharing of information. 
  5. Contact the Institutional Review Board at irbadmin@campbell.edu and become familiar with the IRB’s policies if your project involves human subjects.
  6. Contact Bonnie Brenseke at brenseke@campbell.edu regarding Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) if your project involves animal subjects.

Step 3: Application

Every proposal submitted for external funding to any agency or organization –- whether public or private -– must receive administrative approval by the university prior to submission. There are no exceptions to this rule. Failure to comply will result in the review of faculty actions by the representative dean and the vice president for academic affairs and provost. In the event of an award on a non-compliant grant application, review by the general counsel and the vice president for business and treasurer will also be conducted and all awarded funds are subject to complete return to the funding agency. When drafting your proposal narrative and budget, please consider the following items:

  • A complete proposal package includes at a minimum: a proposal narrative or scope of work, annualize budget, Internal Processing Form budget for the life of the performance period (must be in excel format), budget justification (template here), internal and external letters of commitment, Internal Processing Form, completed Conflict of Interest (COI) training module proof sent to the OSRP, and Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) in Sponsored Research Disclosure Form for each key personnel.  Proposal packages must be submitted to the OSRP at least ten (10) business days before the sponsoring agency’s deadline.
  • Administrative sections of the grant application will be completed by the OSRP, including, but not limited to DUNS, Tax ID#, copies of 501(c)3 determination, 990, and a list of current Board of Trustees.
  • Indirect Cost Rates where allowable. The university’s negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (or Facilities & Administration Rate) with the Department of Health & Human Services (our cognizant agency for all federal grants) is 52% for all programs both on and off campus. This rate was calculated on a Modified Total Direct Cost (MTBC) basis and is valid until the end of the university’s fiscal year. Indirect costs awarded on a grant will be divided between the department (50%) and the university (50%). NEW effective 6/1/2022
  • The following fringe benefits rates have been approved for sponsored projects:
    • Future Full Time Faculty and Staff – 27.6%
    • Current Faculty and Staff – Use actual fringe rates as confirmed by Human Resources
    • Student/Graduate Assistant – 7.65%
    • Summer Salary only for Academic Year Faculty – 7.65%

Salary Questions:

  • It is possible for nine-month faculty to be paid salary on summer research grants, but this MUST be approved in advance by the department chair, dean, and provost.
  • For 12-month faculty or for grant research that will be completed during the academic year, any questions regarding course load should be directed to the vice president for academic affairs and provost. The results of this conversation should be forwarded to the OSRP as there may be some reflection of the decision in the proposed grant budget.
  • Per the Campbell University Faculty Handbook, “Receipt of an external grant to assist in accomplishing the purpose of the sabbatical (other than for tuition and related expenses for pursuing further education) shall result in a corresponding reduction of sabbatical leave compensation provided by the university.” For other salary- or sabbatical-related questions relative to external grants, faculty members are directed to review the Faculty Handbook, or address questions to their academic dean and/or the vice president for academic affairs and provost.
  • Principal Investigator (PI) or another senior researcher must devote a minimum of one percent (1%) effort during the relevant project period(s) to accurately reflect their leadership of the project and meet this requirement. In requesting sponsored projects funding, the PI, chair and dean must ensure that the proposed effort commitments are reasonable and conform to the University’s expectations of the PI and key personnel.

C. Budget Questions:

  • A narrative statement of budget justification explaining how you arrived at the budget figures is required for all proposals. Address each number or category in the order that they appear on the budget form, thoroughly explaining each expense and calculation.
  • Matching Funds/Cost-Sharing: If institutional cost sharing is required, it is important that commitments of matching funds are discussed with, and approved in advance by, your dean and/or the University Signing Official (SO). No unauthorized obligations are to be assumed by Campbell University.
    • Grant applications requiring a commitment of matching funds by the university by inference, letter, or any other means must be included in the routing package reviewed and approved prior to submission to the chair, dean, the general counsel and SO.
    • The OSRP requires a copy of your dean’s approval (email is acceptable) and will facilitate communication with the SO and general counsel.
    • Even if not required, institutional matching can be an indicator of university support and buy-in. Some agencies (such as NSF) prohibit cost sharing; therefore, it is important to check the specific agency requirements.

Step 4: Administrative Review & Submission

The OSRP must receive all relevant materials for your grant proposal at a minimum of ten (10) business days prior to the submission deadline to allow for a complete administrative review. Unless the deadline is specifically defined as earlier than 5PM by the sponsor, the submission deadline is 5PM Eastern Time (ET) on the sponsor’s specified deadline date (even if the sponsor allows submissions beyond 5PM ET).  The OSRP will do the following for all submissions that adhere to the submission procedures:

  1. Ensure all specifications of sponsor/funding agency are adhered to and applied to grant package.
  2. Attach and complete all required University administrative forms.
  3. Obtain/facilitate all administrative institutional approvals as required.
  4. Notify PI, co-PI, and department chair when grant application has been finalized and approved for submission. If there are no changes on the faculty side, the OSRP and/or the Authorized Official Representative (AOR) will submit the grant application per the specifications of the sponsor or funding agency.
  5. Keep on file copies of all applications and relevant associated materials. The PI is required to maintain his/her own files relevant to grant applications as well.

Step 5: The Wait

  1. Periodic contact with all institutional parties involved (PIs, co-PIs, department chairs, deans, and the OSRP) is appropriate during this time so that everyone is kept apprised of the grant review progress by the sponsor or funding agency.
  2. Should the application/proposal be declined during this time, a next-steps meeting or conversation should be conducted with the OSRP in order to determine a strategy for improving the success of future grant applications relative to this or other projects.

Post-Award of Stage:

Step 6:  Notification 

Notify your department chair, dean, and OSRP.

The award documents (letter, terms, and conditions) must be processed through the OSRP and reviewed by our general counsel. If you –- the PI — receive such documents, please send or deliver original documents to the OSRP or forward the original communication immediately to cassella@campbell.edu.  If the OSRP or another administrative office receives the documents, the OSRP will notify the PI.

Step 7: Acceptance

The OSRP will then:

  1. Obtain any signatures needed on agreements, acknowledgments, or thank-you letters that are required or appropriate.
  2. Create and process any outgoing sub-awards or Memos of Understanding to your collaborators. We will also review and process any incoming sub-awards, contracts, or Memos of Understanding for grant-funded work.
  3. Provide necessary information to the accounting department in order that a budget account may be established for this grant (see STEP 8, Grants Management, below).
  4. Notify university administrators about your award.
  5. Work with University Communications & Marketing on news releases, magazine articles, etc., in the absence of the PI.
  6. Notify PI and co-PIs of any training requirements specific to the management and administration of the grant, specifically Financial Conflict of Interest, etc.

Step 8: Award Management

  1. The PI is responsible for maintaining accurate and complete records on not only the narrative-proposed research or project, but also all student work, contractual work, invoices and receipts on purchases, etc. These files should be maintained for a minimum of three years (longer on federal grants) by the responsible faculty member/PI.
  2. The OSRP will work with Accounting to create a budget account for this grant. The OSRP will email the PI this relevant information. All equipment purchases on a grant (generally items over $5,000) MUST BE approved prior to purchase by the department chair.
    • On federal grants, the government requires that we follow the Procurement Standards in the Office of Management and Budget, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (enacted 12/26/13) for goods and services purchased with Federal funds. Download PDF. (See sections §200.318-§200.323)
    • Purchases of single items of more than $5,000 require two bids or a sole source provider/vendor justification.
    • Single items costing more than $25,000 must have at least three bids or a sole source provider/vendor justification.
    • All applicable university procurement guidelines and procedures must be adhered to regarding all purchases of supplies or equipment. It is the requirement of Campbell University that ALL EXPENDITURES are approved in advance using the forms provided at the time of the award and account setup. This will require advance planning by the PI and key personnel. Purchases that do not adhere to these procedures will be deemed departmental expenditures. Questions regarding the timing for purchases should be directed to osrp@campbell.edu questions regarding purchase policy should be direct to the Accounting Office.
    • Appropriate time tracking tools and/or software must be in place for the calculation of percent effort for non-hourly staff and faculty and hourly staff on grant work.
    • Please become aware of the internal purchasing/travel procedures established by your respective college and/or department that must be adhered to in addition to that of the OSRP and the sponsor.  
  3. Depending upon the terms of the grant award, disbursement of funds (pre- or post- expenses being incurred), and reporting requirements, the OSRP will review during mandatory Award Kick-Off meetings, the reporting timelines to which the PI is responsible for complying. Project key personnel should attend the Award Kick-Off meeting to ensure awareness of all requirements.
  4. The PI is also responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of their grant and should create a timetable for the research side of the grant along with a time frame for any dissemination of final data from the project or research as specified by the sponsor or funding agency.
  5. Prior to submitting or uploading to a sponsor portal all progress and technical administrative reports are to be approved at the department level in advance of forwarding to Vincenzo Cassella for review and approval. Additional monitoring includes correspondence with the PI and college grant administrator, monthly newsletters, quarterly meetings and site visits with the PI and stakeholders. Questions regarding post-award administrative monitoring and compliance should be directed to cassella@campbell.edu.
  6. The Director of OSRP conducts monthly fiscal audits of the grants and will periodically contact the PI and others as necessary with notification of fund balances, account status, etc. Questions relating to fiscal monitoring of awards are to be directed to the cassella@campbell.edu and the Accounting Office.

Step 9: Grants Closure

  1. At the end of the grant period, the OSRP will contact the PI to confirm that all administrative reports have been completed and for the PI to coordinate with the Accounting Office relating to final expense reports as required by the sponsor.
  2. The OSRP in conjunction with the PI and the AOR will coordinate for the timely submission of final reporting to the sponsor or funding agency.