How to Submit a Grant Proposal at Cal State L.A.

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How to Submit a Grant Proposal at Cal State L.A.

• Office of Research Development
• Division of Academic Affairs
• Office of Research Sponsored Programs
• University Auxiliary Services, Inc.

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Overview

• Introductions Roles of ORAD and ORSP in proposal
  development and submission
• When to first contact us
• The Intake Meeting
• Budget Development
• Obtaining University Approvals
• Proposal Development
• Submitting the Proposal

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Office of Research and Development (ORAD)

• Organization
• ORAD is a unit within the University (Division of
  Academic Affairs)
• Our Mission
• ORAD provides research and proposal development
  support services to the university community,
  increasing opportunities for faculty and students
  to engage in research, scholarship and creative
  activities, and strengthening academic programs,
  student support services, and community
  engagement.

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Office of Research and Development (ORAD)

• What we do
• Help Principal Investigators identify external
  funding opportunities
• Provide assistance at every stage of proposal
  development
• Provide support and guidance for compliance
  issues related to the use of human subjects and
  animal subjects in research, conflicts of
  interest, and research misconduct.
• Assist PI's with intellectual property and
  technology transfer issues.
• Highlight and support campus research activities
  (Student Research Symposium, Research
  Newsletters, RSCA Awards)

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Office of Research and Development (ORAD)

• Staff
• Regulatory Compliance Research Advancement
  Analyst
• Ellen Stein
• Institutional Review Board Human Subjects (IRB)
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
  (IACUC)
• Technology Transfer and Patents
• Newsletters and Events
• Director, Research and Development
• Phil LaPolt
• Dean, Extended Education and Research
• Jose Galvan

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Office of Research Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

• Organization
• ORSP is a unit within University Auxiliary
  Services, Inc. (UAS)
• Our Mission
• ORSP is the authorized organizational
  representative for the University. ORSP assists
  faculty and staff in applying for extramural
  funding through preaward services including
  budget preparation, technical preparation of
  proposals, and proposal submission.
• ORSP also provides post-award administration for
  all funded proposals, including award set-up,
  budget management, expense review and approval,
  billing and collection, cash management,
  financial reporting, audits compliance, and
  project close-out activities and reporting.

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Office of Research Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

• What we do Preaward
• Help Principal Investigators with budget
  development and technical aspects of proposal
  development
• Review, negotiate and approve contracts
• Coordinate the proposal approval process
• Submit approved proposals to funding agencies
• Follow up on submitted proposals and contracts
• Track proposal and contract submission numbers
• - Collaborate with ORAD on activities that
  recognize and support campus research activities

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Office of Research Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

• What we do Post-award
• Set up award accounts
• Award administration and budget management
• Review and approve expenses
• Fiscal management
• Financial reporting
• Monthly billing and collections to funding
  agencies
• Manage audits and sponsor site visits
• Provide monthly reconciliation and closing
  reports
• Report on financial close-out of projects
• Provide compliance to ensure proper award
  administration

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Office of Research Sponsored Programs (ORSP)

• Staff
• Grants Contracts Analysts Rowynn Spencer,
  Ernesto Argumaniz
• Financial Analysts Karen Dunham, Katherine Chim,
  Mike Uyenishi, Angelita Amio, Jeannie Cha
• Grants Contracts Compliance Manager Lynne
  Duong
• Director of Grants Contracts Alma Sahagun

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Pop Quiz

• How much time should you budget to develop and
  submit a grant proposal?
• Two weeks
• One month
• Two months
• Four months

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Pop Quiz

• How much time should you budget to develop and
  submit a grant proposal?
• Two weeks
• One month
• Two months
• Four months!

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Why Four Months?

• You need time to .
• Read up on the funding agency to understand its
  goals and mission
• Review the literature and grants already funded
• Write and revise the proposal
• Have others review the draft
• Revise the proposal again
• Develop a budget based on the proposed project
• Obtain the University and UAS approvals
  necessary to submit the proposal (several weeks)

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Pop Quiz

• At the latest, how early before the proposal due
  date should you contact ORAD/ORSP?
• One month
• Three weeks
• One week
• Two days

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Pop Quiz

• At the latest, how early before the proposal due
  date should you contact ORAD/ORSP?
• One month
• Three weeks
• One week
• Two days

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Why Three Weeks?

• We need time to .
• Schedule and hold an Intake Meeting
• Finalize the budget (including equipment quotes
  and subcontractor information, if any)
• Route the Approval Form for Externally Funded
  Contracts and Grants (department, college)
• Obtain University/UAS approvals for the proposal
  package
• Submit the proposal (prior to the deadline date)

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The Intake Meeting

• Objectives
• Review the goals of the sponsored project, as
  related to the requirements of the funding
  announcement and the mission of the University
• Review the draft budget
• Identify any issues requiring University review
  and approval
• Identify any services needed by the PI
• Develop a timeline for required documentation
  and submission of the proposal

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The Intake Meeting

• Before the Intake Meeting, submit to ORSP
• ORSP Intake Form
• Draft Budget

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The Intake Meeting

• Before the Intake Meeting, submit to ORSP
• ORSP Intake Form
• Draft Budget

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The ORSP Intake Form
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The ORSP Intake Form
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The ORSP Intake Form
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The ORSP Intake Form
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The ORSP Intake Form
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The Budget Form
RT Release Time OL Overload OQ Off Quarter
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The Budget Form
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The Budget Form
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Some Words about Budget Development

• You should propose a budget that
• Includes only allowable expenses (see the Program
  Announcement)
• Is in line with the budget amounts typically
  funded by the agency for that type of project
• Is realistic can you really do the project if
  you get this level of funding?
• Is well justified (usually in a Budget Narrative
  section)
• Complies with University, College and Department
  policies on workload

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Budget Development

• Typical budget items include
• Personnel PI, Co-investigators, Project
  Directors, Technicians, Post-docs, student
  assistants
• Travel (in-state, out-of-state)
• Equipment (above 5000)
• Supplies
• You may also need consultants, student or
  participant stipends, publication costs,
  subcontracts.

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What is Release Time?

• Release Time (RT) is time bought out from
  some portion of a faculty members State-funded
  duties to pursue activities funded by an external
  grant or contract.
• The amount of RT budgeted in a grant is agreed
  to during the grant proposal submission process
  (PI, Chair, Dean).
• Up to 15 units per quarter may be claimed,
  with the Chairs and Deans approval.

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What is Off Quarter Pay?

• Faculty may be reimbursed for time spent on
  grants outside of their assigned work schedule.
• Normally, up to 15 units may be budgeted for
  off-quarter work (summer salary), depending on
  funding agency limits.
• The amount of OQ salary paid from a grant is
  agreed to during the grant proposal submission
  process (PI, Chair, Dean).
• Some funding agencies limit the amount of OQ
  pay.

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What is Overload Pay?

• Overload is pay for additional effort on
  grants beyond the usual workload (15 units)
  during your normal work assignment.
• The amount of OL budgeted in a grant requires
  justification and is agreed to during the
  proposal submission process (PI, Chair, Dean).
• The 125 rule the cap on OL during each quarter
  is 3.75 units (25 of 15 units).
• Some funding agencies do not allow overload!

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What are Indirect Costs?

• Externally sponsored projects have costs
  associated with them that are not accounted for
  in the direct costs of the budget.
• Administrative costs Costs to the
  University/UAS to administer contracts and grants
• Facilities costs Costs to the University for
  maintenance and use of the campus infrastructure
• The current federally negotiated indirect cost
  rate is 45 of allowable direct costs.
• This IDC amount must be included in your budget,
  unless the funding agency specifically indicates
  a lower rate (submitting a proposal at a lower
  IDC rate is subject to University approval).

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The Budget Narrative

• Provides the justification and rationale for your
  budget request.
• Should be specific
• - how much effort is required to do the work?
• - what, specifically, will personnel be doing?
• - wages and fringe benefits based on
  University/UAS scale?
• - specific needs for supplies, computers,
  equipment, etc.?
• - travel specific conferences/destinations, and
  basis of costs (per diem rate? mileage rate?)

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Budget Development

• If you have questions about budget
  development, ORAD and ORSP can help!
• ORAD Appropriateness of budget items and
  amounts, in relation to the project and program
  announcement, and limits on effort and
  compensation.
• ORSP Allowability of costs developing budget
  numbers for personnel (salaries, release time).

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Proposal Submission Timeline

• At the intake meeting, a timeline will be
  developed indicating dates for
• Draft Budget
• Final Budget
• Return of Approval Forms
• Supporting documents (letters, quotes, etc)
• Submission of final proposal to ORSP
• Submission of proposal to funding agency

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Obtaining University Approvals

• Following PIs approval of the final budget, an
  approval routing form will be provided
  summarizing financial aspects of the proposal
  (total budget RT, OQ and OL certifications
  cost share if any)
• This form is given to the PI, who signs and
  obtains signatures of key personnel, and
  dept./division/school chair/director(s) and
  college dean(s) for all key personnel. Form is
  returned to ORSP.
• Additional approvals (at least four more
  signatures) are obtained from UAS and the
  University.

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Proposal Development

• Assistance is available for the following
• Technical assistance (e.g., formatting documents
  creating charts, tables, graphs scanning of
  documents University data grants.gov fastlane)
• Review/editing of the proposal narrative for
  clarity and compliance with agency and University
  requirements
• Obtaining letters of support from the University
  (President/Provost/Dean of Research)
• Compliance with policies regarding human and
  animal subjects, equipment and computer
  purchases, hazardous and controlled substances,
  etc.

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Submitting the Proposal

• UAS is the entity authorized to submit proposals
  on behalf of the University
• ORSP staff will work with faculty to ensure
  timely submission of proposals in electronic
  (grants.gov, Fastlane, egrants, etc.) and
  hardcopy formats.
• It is important to adhere to the proposal
  submission timeline in order to allow adequate
  time for proposal submission.

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Future Research Development Seminars

• Writing Successful Grant Proposals
• Essentials of Grants Management PI
  Rights and Responsibilities
• Understanding the
  Enhanced NIH Peer Review System

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Questions?