Proposal Submission Procedures

Procedures for Submitting Proposals

All external proposals for sponsored projects must be reviewed by department, dean, and the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP)  before submission to external sponsors.  The procedures outlined here are designed to satisfy informational needs within the university and internal processing requirements and to assure that contractual obligations implied in written proposals in harmony with Campbell policies, practices, and capabilities.  A review of Common Research Administration Terms and Definitions will assist this process.  To gain OSRP approval for submission of a research proposal to an off-campus agency, do the following:

  1. Complete a Notice of Intent to Submit (NIS) to alert OSRP staff of your interest in external support for your program or research endeavor. Upon receipt the OSRP will respond to coordinate a preliminary meeting to discuss the submitted information. It is mandatory that the Principal Investigator obtain approval from their respective chair and dean before initiating this step.
  2. Participate in a preproposal meeting with OSRP staff to the review the funding opportunity guidance provide in the NIS, discuss university procedures, required elements of the proposal package and submission timeline.
  3. At minimum the complete the information requested on each Internal Processing Form and on each of the sponsoring agency forms.
  4. Obtain the endorsing signatures of your department chair and dean on the Internal Processing Form, the faculty release form, and any letters of commitment for cost sharing or matching funds.
  5. Ensure proposals involving faculty, staff, graduate, or undergraduate students from more than one department, college, or school are endorsed by all involved chairs or deans.
  6. Submit the original proposal with the guidelines to OSRP, allowing seven working days for processing. OSRP will need to examine in detail the budget and be satisfied that the fiscal details of the proposal are in accord with the policies of the university and of the granting or contracting agency. OSRP will determine whether additional revisions or discussions are needed before final approval for submission is given. Once satisfied that the proposal is in order, the original and all signature forms will be forwarded to the provost and/or president for final approval and appropriate signature.
  7. Complete any additional requirements for electronic submission of proposals through NSF FastLane or other federal electronic system , which are available by contacting osrp@campbell.edu.
  8. If the proposal is not recommended for funding, the principal investigator is entitled to know why funding was denied. Some agencies include reviewers’ comments with the declination notice and others will provide them when the PI requests. Most agencies permit re-submissions and some even encourage them with proposals that have a sound idea but a design that may require some revision.

This section is included to call your attention to certain policies and procedures that need to be considered prior to or during proposal preparation.

1. Released Time

Commitments of faculty time will be permitted if approved in advance by the department chair and the dean of the school or college. In most cases, the grant or contract should fully reimburse the university for that portion of a faculty member’s time that is being released. Summer compensation at the rate of 1/9 of the nine-month contract amount per month is routinely approved, provided that no other employment is assumed during that period. Faculty members are expected to request reimbursement for the time allocated to research projects funded by grants or contracts, even though the percentage of time allocated may not call for a further reduction of course load.

2. Overloads

Faculty may not be paid additional grant compensation beyond their regular contract except in rare cases where there are clearly defined extra duties. Generally, only those faculty teaching off-campus extension and continuing education courses in addition to their regular class schedules will qualify.

3. Human Subjects

All proposed research involving human subjects conducted under the auspices of a department, school, or research unit within the university requires completion of the Request for Review of Research Involving Human Subjects and the Research Protocol forms and submission to OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu) well in advance of the proposal deadline. Research involving human subjects is required by federal regulation [45 CFR 46.102] to be reviewed and approved or declared exempt by the Campbell University Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Research Subjects (IRB) prior to submitting a proposal for extramural funding to support such research. All protocols and other documentation needed for the review must be submitted to the IRB.

4. Cost Sharing

For those programs that require cost share, appropriate discussions must be concluded prior to proposal preparation. Contact OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu) to initiate this discussion. Any type of commitment on the part of the university must be cleared in writing by the university administration (i.e. department chair, dean, vice president, and provost). Some commitments may require the approval of the Office of Legal Affairs and the president. Matching funds must be approved in writing by the university.

5. Indirect Costs

Indirect cost rates are established by federal negotiation, not by the university. Contact OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu) for the university’s current negotiated indirect cost rate and for assistance with this part of the budget. The negotiated rate must be charged to all grants and contracts. Deviations must be stated in writing by the agency sponsor or waived in writing by the university administration.

6. Fringe Benefits

Employee benefits vary for different types of appointments but must be charged to the grant in proportion to the salaries that are given.

7. University Commitments after Grant Expiration

Any commitment of the university to support a program at any level after the expiration of the grant period must be cleared in writing with the university administration.

Post Award Procedures and Responsibilities

  • Grants and contracts administrative management and compliance
  • Assist the PI or program director with completing budget forms
  • Work with administrators and others to resolve grant-related programs
  • Approve all grants and contract expenditures
  • Communicate any changes to funded projects to the sponsors
  • Coordinate all project closeouts

Notification of the Award

After favorable action on the application, a “Grant Award” or similar document is ordinarily issued by the sponsor. Upon receipt of such documents, OSRP will summarize the terms and conditions of the award and authorize the establishment of an account in the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer. A copy of the award notification is forwarded to the PI, the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer Office, or interested parties.

When notification of the award is completed and the budget is cast, the PI is responsible for the transmittal of all payroll forms on employees who will be paid on the grantor contract. The University Personnel Policy should be followed by hiring managers when hiring new employees.

The following post-award procedures should be followed when a proposal is funded:

  1.  The notification of the grant award when received should be submitted to OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu).
  2. The OSRP Director will analyze all award documents and related regulations and coordinate the next steps with OSRP staff.
  3. The completed award notification is sent to the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer to assign an account number and set up the grant account.
  4.  NOTE: Package of personnel forms and procedures for implementing project related to staffing can be obtained from the Campbell University Human Resources Department.
  5. OSRP will submit a final itemized budget with budget codes to the Accounting office to assist in the establishment of an accurate grant account and authorized users. In consultation with the PI and the Accounting Office, the OSRP Director drafts invoices, monitors award fiscal activity, determines the propriety and reasonableness of costs, maintains an effective and auditable time and effort reporting process, provides support to faculty and staff for the financial administration of contracts and grants and exercises fiscal oversight of contract and grant funds. Final financial reports and invoices are submitted by the AOR or the Accounting office respectively.
  6. Requests for budget transfers and revisions must be submitted to OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu) for approval. Upon approval, the request is forwarded to the Accounting Office where the revision is entered into the university accounting system.
  7. Prior to closing a grant account, the PI should review the grant expenses, in consultation with the OSRP Director, for available funds, deficit balances, accuracy of the account, and outstanding encumbrances.  OSRP will coordinate account close out with the Accounting Office. All requisitions must be submitted to osrp@campbell.edu before or by the termination date. If an extension of the grant beyond the ending date is needed, a written request should be submitted to the funding agency through OSRP prior to the termination date.
  8.  All requests for modifications to grants, contracts, or agreements are processed through OSRP.
  • The nature of the request (i.e., budget transfer, no cost extension, change of PI, or other) should be forwarded to OSRP (osrp@campbell.edu).
  • After review by OSRP, if the request can be approved internally, it will be endorsed by OSRP and forwarded to the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer for execution.
  • If sponsor approval is required, a written request to the sponsor for approval of changes to approved budgets, personnel, project timelines, or other project needs should be sent to the sponsor through OSRP. The requests should include a detailed statement of justification and a copy of a revised budget when appropriate. When written approval is received from the sponsor, OSRP will endorse and forward to the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer for execution.

i. Changes in Human Subjects Protocol must be approved by the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects from Research Risks (IRB).
j. Human Resources Department establishes university procedures that must be used in hiring all persons to be supported with grant or contract funds.

Remember: Principal Investigators/Project Directors should have all payroll authorizations approved before an employee starts to work. Questions regarding position classifications and salary and wage policies should be discussed with the Human Resources Department.

NOTE: The Project Director/Principal Investigator must report all cost sharing expenditures to the Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer at the end of the project with supporting documentation. The Office of the Vice President for Business & Treasurer will report expenditures to the agencies.

k. Practically all sponsors require a final, comprehensive report on completion of a project. The one exception is when a project is continued, in which case an interim report may also be required. There is ordinarily a firm due date for final reports, and sponsors properly expect to receive the report on or before that date. If for reasons beyond the project director’s control the report will be delayed, a letter should be transmitted from OSRP to the sponsor explaining the reasons for the delay and requesting a time extension. In many cases, as with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), no costs can be charged to the project after the expiration date even though the report may not have been delivered. Consequently, if the report is not completed on or before the expiration date, there may be difficulty in paying such costs as typing, art work, duplication, etc.

NOTE: The university cannot receive its final payment under a contract or grant until the sponsor’s final reporting requirements are met. Therefore, undue delay in submission of the final report may incur a financial hardship on the university. Until the report is received the sponsor can bar any future applications from or awards to the university. There is also a very real probability that both the PI’s and Campbell University’s image with the sponsor may be damaged.

Faculty and staff seeking to discover, submit, and/or administer public or private grant funds, please visit the Proposal Development Procedures page for information regarding the specific services provided by the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.