Proposal Processing Support Staff
Cathy Starks, (Contract & Grant Manager) located
in room 309, Bypass Building (966-4804),
will help you create the budget for your proposal. She
will route the university’s IPF (internal processing
form) and other required forms through UNC. Cathy
also supervises the Account Managers and handles post
award issues.
Sarah Henderson, (Grant Support Assistant)
located in room 315, Bypass Building
(966-1702), will assist Cathy in
the completion of any electronic forms required by
the agency. She will review and make
recommendations about organization, layout, and content
of the proposal (e.g. biosketches, reference lists,
support charts). Sarah will work with the PI and
the PI’s staff for any needs they have in completing
the scientific content of the proposal including appendices.
Steps to Keep Your Proposal Moving
The following steps will be helpful
to Cathy and Sarah and will allow
the PI to concentrate on the science
of the proposal and less on the administrative requirements:
- Once the PI decides to apply to a competition or
a request for proposals, the PI should contact
Cathy with:
- Agency guidelines (e.g. deadlines, etc.)
- Documentation of allowable indirect rate by agency
if their F&A policy agreement differs from the negotiated federal
rate
- An indication of whether a collaboration with a
subcontractor will be involved
- Regardless of funding agency, certain additional
items will always be required by UNC so should be initiated
early in the process::
- Abstract
- Scope of work
- Budget and budget narrative
- Cover page (at a minimum)
- To create the budget, Cathy will need information
about staffing, FTE and non-personnel items. Cathy
will prepare a preliminary budget for the PI’s
review. Then the PI will meet with Cathy to finalize
the budget.
- If there is collaboration with a subcontractor,
then a letter of intent, budget, budget justification,
and scope of work are required from the subcontractor. Depending
on the type of application, federal forms may also
be required from the subcontractor.
- PI may contact Sarah for assistance
preparing other proposal documents (e.g., biographical
sketches, other support, letters of support, resources
and environment) or any other forms (electronic or
paper) that are required by the agency.
- Once the proposal package is completed, the PI
will need to meet with Cathy to review/approve
the package and answer questions as Cathy completes the IPF in Ramses to start
the routing process through the University. All Ramses submissions are initiated and completed by the Grant Services office.
- Cathy is available to answer any questions
that might be asked by OSR concerning the proposal
until submission is completed.
- If requested, we will be more than happy to ship
or email the proposal to the appropriate individuals
if contact information is given.
- PI’s should contact Cathy to share any communications
from a potential funder that arrive after the time
of submission.
- Please refer to the FPG Internal Grant Resources for additional information on services provided by the FPG Core Units.
Types of Proposals
If a proposal meets one of these criteria an IPF will
be required. Please contact Cathy to discuss the
specific circumstances.
- New Proposal: a request for new dollars NOT associated
with an existing contract or grant.
- Revised Request: a previously submitted request
which has not been funded and the reason for submitting
an update is for one or more of the following specific
reasons:
- Revised Personnel
- Revised Cost Share
- Revised Budget
- Amendment/Supplement: a request for additional new
dollars, extending period of performance or a change
in the scope of work. Amendment generally pertains
to industry sponsored research and clinical trials
whereas a supplement pertains to additional new dollars
for an existing contract or grant.
- Renewal or Competing: when requesting new dollars
for continuation of research after existing project
period ends.
- Non-Competing Continuation: if requesting release
of dollars previously committed by sponsor/agency for
an existing contract or grant.
Key University Guidelines
The University has established processing
procedures and deadlines to evaluate
each application prior to submission.
The Principal Investigator (PI) should
prepare proposals in accordance with
the requirements of the sponsor.
All grant or contract proposals (including
electronic proposal submissions and proposals to agencies
that do not require a university signature) still must
be approved through university channels before submission
to sponsors.
Additional No-Cost-Extensions (NCE) On NIH Awards
A second no-cost-extension requires prior approval from NIH and the following information must be submitted. The information must be reviewed and approved by both Program and Grants Management at NIH before a decision can be reached regarding the PI’s request.
Include:
- A detailed line item budget with justification including the amount of the unobligated balance; work with Cathy Starks on these document (be sure to factor in UNC’s current/approved at time of the award Indirect Cost (F&A) Rate.)
- A brief description of how the extension relates to the originally reviewed, approved and funded aims, goals and objectives of the grant. In short, the extension must be considered vital to the completion of the originally funded aims of the grant. Simply having money left is not reason enough to extend the final budget period for "spending the money down."
- A specified end date of the extension period requested (up to 12 months, but it could be less). The end date should be realistically fundable; that is, there should not be a discrepancy between the amount of funding left and the time extension requested unless the request if for continuity purposes only. (Keeping active until a Renewal is funded)
- A brief report outlining:
- the purpose of the request
- why the project was not completed during the initial NCE (for additional extension)
- detailed explanation as to how the funds will be spent in the upcoming extension
- any progress update that would be applicable to the request that covers the period from the submission of the last progress report to the time of the request
The request must be signed by both the Principal Investigator and UNC’s Authorized Official. The letter should be addressed to the NIH Program Official and Grants Management Specialist identified in the award. Letters, once signed by the PI, will be transmitted to OSR by the FPG Grants Office.
The link below is from the NIH Grants Policy Statement regarding second no cost extensions:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2003/NIHGPS_Part7.htm#_Toc54600127
What to do?
To request a prior approval NIH NCE, the PI should compile the documentation detailed above on departmental letterhead. The letter should be signed by the PI and sent to Cathy Starks at FPG. Once approved and counter-signed by OSP, the documentation must be sent to the NIH Program Official and Grants Management Specialist identified in the award. It the PI wishes FPG Grant Services to forward the fully signed documentation to NIH, please make note in the email request.
The NCE request should be prepared and submitted to FPG Grant Services a
minimum of 2 full business weeks prior to the NIH due date. It is important to plan ahead and consult with your Program Official. There is never a guarantee that prior approval NCE will be approved by NIH and it’s important to receive buy-in from the NIH prior to the request.
Cathy Starks, Director of Grant Services
Sherrie Baldwin, Account Manager
Amy Crume, Account Manager
Alana Evans, Account Manager
Jana Spaugh, Account Manager
Teresa Williams, Account Manager
