I’m Ready! Finding Funding Opportunities & Submitting Proposals

1. I’m Ready!Finding Funding Opportunities & Submitting Proposals Brown Bag Series, Fall 2006 Alexia Lewis, Assistant Director Pre-Award Services 620-2455

2. Office of Research & Sponsored Programs • Pre-Award Services • Post-Award & Accounting Services • Research Compliance • Intellectual Property Management & Marketing

3. The Pre-Award Team • Alexia Lewis • Assistant Director for Pre-Award Services • Initial point of contact for proposal development services • Chantel Cummings • Coordinator of Grants Information Management • Funding opportunities • Proposal & budget development • Sonja Avery & Renee Rossi • Coordinators of Proposal and Contract Development • Proposal & budget development • Award / contract review, negotiation, & acceptance

4. Useful Acronyms • ORSP – Office of Research and Sponsored Programs • PI / PD – Principal Investigator / Project Director • FOA – Funding Opportunity Announcement • RFP – Request for Proposal • RFA – Request for Application • PA – Program Announcement • BAA – Broad Agency Announcement • ITB – Invitation to Bid • SOW – Statement of Work • CAS – Cost Accounting Standards • F&A – Facilities & Administration Costs • Overhead • Indirect Costs

5. The Life Cycle of A Grant • Funding opportunity • Project development / networking • Proposal development & submission • Award negotiation & acceptance • Account set-up / Accounting • Project performance / Project modifications • Final reports/deliverables, project/ account close-out • Record Retention

6. Finding Funding OpportunitiesWhat ORSP Can Do • Perform personalized searches • Set up in distribution lists • Email opportunities to PIs based on research interests on file with ORSP • Distribute relevant incoming paper FOAs • Facilitate collaboration with faculty members who have similar interests

7. Finding Funding OpportunitiesDistribution lists • InfoEd’s SPIN using GENIUS and SMARTS • Keyword Thesaurus • ORSP registers faculty members • Foundations, Associations, Societies • Grants.gov • One portal for finding and applying for federal projects • Over 900 FOA’s from 26 federal agencies • Email / Search – No PI registration

8. Finding Funding OpportunitiesWhat PIs Can Do • Read emails from distribution lists and ORSP • Network with colleagues • Work in collaboration with colleagues to play to strengths and interests • Talk to program officers in relevant Directorates (NSF), Institutes & Centers (NIH), or agencies • Shift research focus to fit available FOAs • See ORSP as soon as you know you want to submit!

9. Finding Funding OpportunitiesHelpful URLs • ORSP’s Funding Search Tools • http://www.unf.edu/dept/research/search.html • Register for SPIN • http://www.unf.edu/dept/research/facprofile.html • Grants.gov • http://www.grants.gov/

10. Submitting ProposalsWhat Does ORSP Review? • Proposals for sponsored programs • Research • Service • Instruction • Types of Proposals • New (competitive) and renewal (non-competitive) • Modifications when not solely technical • Supplements • White / Concept Papers

11. Submitting ProposalsOverview of Standard ORSP Services • ORSP review of RFP • Eligibility • Appropriateness • Determination of required proposal components • Meeting scheduled: proposal development plan • Set timeline • Delegate tasks • Facilitate collaborations • Agency and subcontractor liaison

12. Submitting ProposalsOverview of Standard ORSP Services • Work in on-going partnership with PI • Feedback and revisions • Meet deadline • Submit fundable proposal • Ensure UNF can endorse proposal • ORSP submits on behalf of PI • Completes forms • Makes copies and mails / uploads to agency

13. Submitting ProposalsWhat Is The Same? • University approval of proposals for sponsored projects is required • University rates • Base salary versus effort • Fringe Benefits • F&A costs • University policy • Mechanism • Reassignment • Supplemental Compensation • Summer Contract • CAS – allowability of costs

14. Submitting ProposalsWhat Is Different? • Proposal submission process • Grants.gov / NIH / NSF • State of Florida • Non-profits: Foundations / Agencies / Societies • Private Industry • UNF as subcontractor • Forms and certifications needed • By agency • By ORSP

15. Submitting ProposalsWhat If There Is No RFP? • “Bare Bones” Proposal • Signature sheet • Itemized budget • Internal versus external • Statement of work

16. Signature Routing Sheet Provided by ORSP Routed for approval by PI

17. Internal Budget Form Prepared by ORSP based on information provided by PI

18. Proposal SubmissionBudgets - “What if…?” • I don’t know how much effort is appropriate? • I don’t know how to compensate students? • I don’t know how much to request for travel? • I know I can only get a set amount?

19. Submitting ProposalsStatement of Work • PIs let ORSP know the level of support desired • Minimum: review of responsiveness and appropriateness • Maximum: review of grammar, structure, clarity as time allows • If resulting in fixed price contract, must have specific deliverables • If subcontractors involved, must have separate SOW for subcontractors

20. Helpful Guides • The Art of Granstmanship by Jacob Kraicer • http://www.utoronto.ca/cip/sa_ArtGt.pdf • Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal by S. Joseph Levine, Ph.D., Michigan State University • http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/ • NIH/NIAID’s All About Grants Tutorial • http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/default.htm • NSF’s A Guide for Proposal Writing • http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04016/nsf04016.pdf

21. Submitting ProposalsPossible Additional External Forms • Cover Letter • Bio-sketches • Other Support • Resources • Letters of support from collaborators • 501(c)3 letter • University financial reports • Letter of Delegation from President to ORSP • Representations & Certifications

22. Submitting Proposals Possible Additional Internal Forms • CAS Expenditures • F&A Waiver • Third party commitments • Subcontractors • Collaborators/Consultants • Cost-sharing parties

23. Proposal SubmissionBudgets - About Timing • If directly charging CAS items or requesting F&A waiver/reduction • ORSP will determine need for forms during budget discussions • Assistant Vice President for Research will review and approve/disapprove prior to forms being provided for routing • AVP approval is contingent on Chair and Dean approval • If not approved, ORSP will need to rework budget and re-route for signatures • Result is need for additional processing time!

24. Submitting ProposalsTiming – “What If…?” • What if signatures cannot be obtained? • What approval signatures are required? • What is their availability? • What if I just found out the day before a deadline? • What if I don’t go through ORSP? • What if I just want to work as a consultant?

25. Take Home Tip Of The Day See ORSP as soon as you are ready to pursue sponsored funding for your research!

26. Submitting ProposalsORSP Value Added • With more time for review… • Results in more feedback… • Results in… • More well thought-out research design • More responsive proposal • More accurate budget • More firm commitments… • Results in a better chance of… Funding! at an adequate level (with less stress!)

27. Discussion • Questions? • Comments? • Funding searches?