Processing Grants and Research Documents

Deborah L. Smith, Ed.D.

Research Administration

UT Health Science Center

Research Administration

ORA Mission: To support the faculty and staff of the Health Science Center in their efforts to obtain external funding for research and other sponsored projects, while ensuring compliance with UT policy, sponsor policy, and applicable law.

Research Administration

• Service Unit

• Serve the faculty

• Facilitate research

• Help our clients

• Protect the University

• Provide information to Administration

The UT Puzzle

UTHSC UTK UTC Martin

UTSI PSI Ag Vet

The HSC Puzzle

Memphis UTGSM-K

COM – Chattanooga Others

Research Administration Staff

• Monica Orange (901 448-5587)

• Ginny Geer (901 448-1668)

• Connie Bozant (901 448-4188)

• Carlisa Jackson (901 448-5532)

• Ruthie Ruston (901 448-5985)

• Wanda Donato (p/t 901 448-2037)

• Debbie Smith (901 448-4823)

Research Administration Personnel (cont’d)

• Clinical Trials Unit:

• Melanie Luchs (901 448-3303)

• Ruthie Ruston (901 448-3126)

Vice Chancellor’s Office

• Leonard R. (Rusty) Johnson, Ph.D.– Lisa Bronte (901 448-7125)

• Jane Poulos (901 448-3746)

• Jeanne Hermann (901 448-5043)

Services Provided by ORA• Review and approval of grants & related

documents• Information on UT and sponsor policies,

forms, compliance, and procedures• Contract negotiation & facilitation• Clinical trials facilitation• Institutional signatures • Grant and contract data base• Non-financial close-out

Services (cont’d)

• Liaison with UTRF re: inventions

• Liaison with sponsors and subcontractors

• Liaison with compliance committees

• Information on external funding

• Training re: grant/contract processing

UT Research Policy• UT policies specifically applicable to

research projects can be found at: • http://www.uthsc.edu/research/

research_administration/policy.php • NOTE: Other UT policies (e.g., fiscal

policy, personnel policy, etc.) are also applicable to research.

Responsibility for UT Funds

Business & FinanceBusiness & Finance

Development

Gifts; Private

Grants

ResearchAdministration

Grants & ContractsFor Research &

Other SponsoredActivity

Business &Finance

Service contracts;Affiliation

Agreements

Mechanisms of External Research Funding

• Gifts

• Grants

• Contracts

Funding Mechanisms

• Gifts– unrestricted funds given to the University

with no expectation of the donor’s receiving anything in return; may be designated for a specific research area, lab, PI, or other specific purpose

– handled by Development Office

Funding Mechanisms (Grants)

• Grants

- Funds received by the University for a specific project but for which the sponsor does not receive anything in return (except reports); no scientific involvement with the sponsor is expected.

Categories of Grants

Sponsor:• Federal – NIH, NSF, DOD, NASA• Private – AHA, ACS, ALA, NKF• State

Type:• Research• Training• Other

Grant Process

PI has an ideafor project

PI writes grant PI gets ACUC, IRB, etc. approvals and routes grant andsubmits for agency review

Peer reviewers and agency make funding decisions

Funds are providedto the institution

PI conducts research

Grant Process• PI develops idea for research project• PI locates potential source of funding• PI writes grant and completes required

application forms• PI submits protocol for review and approval

by compliance committees (IRB, ACUC, rDNA, etc.)

• Note: Grants may be submitted in response to RFA (request for applications)

Grant process (cont’d)• PI prepares route sheet (available at

http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_administration/forms.php ) and routes grant for campus signatures:– Department head– Dean – Check with business officer re: additional

forms that may be required (CoM)– ORA – NOTE: ORA will take care of institutional

signatures required

Grant Signature Process• Documents needed to process a grant:

– Original grant + 1 copy (copy only for g.g submissions)

– IRB/ACUC approval letter– ORA route sheet– Cost-sharing document (for

Business & Finance, if applicable)

Grant Process (cont’d)• ORA Review of Grant:

– Forms– Budget– Policy– Signatures– Compliance Issues

• Institutional Signatures – including final submission to agency if submitted electronically by Institution

Grant process (cont’d)• ORA calls department to pick up

signed originals, if applicable, or scans signed route sheet

• ORA enters proposal into sponsored research data base and files proposal as “pending”

• Department prepares final w/copies and transmits grant to sponsor (for paper submissions)

Sample NIH Grant Application NumberType of Serial Grant Number

Amended

1 R01 CA 123456 01 A1

GrantNew Institute YearSource: NIH/Ganguly

Links to NIH Activity Codes/Institutes

• http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/funding/ac.pdf

• www.nih.gov (click on Institutes link)

Grant Process (cont’d)• Sponsor notifies PI or institution of receipt

and assignment #• Sponsor reviews grant and makes a

determination regarding funding Sponsor notifies PI and/or institution of final funding decision (Note: Time from submission to funding can range from a few weeks to a year or more.)

Grant Process (cont’d)

• Grants & Contracts Accounting receives award notice, sets up account, and notifies PI and department of account #

• PI/Department Business Manager should read award notice carefully for special terms and conditions (see sample)

Grant Process (cont’d)• ORA enters data into sponsored

research data base and files proposal as “active”

• PI begins work on project and files required interim and final reports with sponsor w/cc to ORA

• PI maintains current IRB, ACUC, etc. protocols (usually annual renewal)

Grant Process (cont’d)

• Annually, or as required, PI prepares progress reports and other required reports

• Business Office prepares financial reports annually or as required

• Subawards (out) need to be prepared or amended

Grants – NIH Deadlines

• See handout

Grant Deadlines - Other

• AHA – National – mid-January; mid-July

• AHA – Regional – mid-January

• ACS – April 1, October 15

• Children’s Foundation – mid-March

• Others - whenever

Grant Signatures• Who signs grants?

– Deborah L. Smith, Ed.D.– Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research– Research Administration– 910 Madison, Suite 823– Memphis, TN 38163– 901 448-5587; fax 901 448-7600– dsmith@uthsc.edu

Grant signatures (cont’d)• Alternate:

Alt: Leonard R. Johnson, Ph.D.Vice Chancellor for Research

• If Fiscal Officer Signature Required:• Anthony A. Ferrara, Vice Chancellor,

Finance & Operations, 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 300, Memphis, TN 38163

• gbussell@uthsc.edu 901 448-5541

Funding Mechanisms (Contracts)

• Contracts are binding agreements covering the exchange of: – Something of value ($, scientific material,

information, etc.) for– Something else of value (research

activity, promises of confidentiality, IP rights, etc.)

– Significant involvement of the sponsor in the scientific activity is expected.

Types of Research Contracts• Contracts

– Research Contracts (including clinical trials)– Grant “Agreements”– Confidentiality Agreements– Material Transfer Agreements– Subcontracts under grants (UT may be prime or

sub)

– Note: Contract proposals may be submitted in response to RFP (request for proposals)

Compliance • IRB – All projects involving the use of

human subjects in research (including information and/or tissue) must be approved by the UT IRB BEFORE work begins http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_compliance/IRB/

• ACUC – All projects involving the use of laboratory animals must be approved by the ACUC before work begins http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_compliance/IACUC/

Compliance (cont’d)• rDNA – All projects involving the use of

recombinant DNA or other hazardous materials must comply with UT policy. Please refer to the Institutional Biosafety web page: http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_compliance/IBC/

• Clinical Trials (see CT web page http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_administration/clinical_trials/index.php)

Human Subjects Certification• All NIH-funded projects involving the use of

human subjects require proof of training in the use of human subjects.

• All UT projects involving use of human subjects require certification before IRB approval.

• Directions for accessing the course are at http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_compliance/IRB/training.php

• Form letter is available in ORA

Facilities & Administrative Costs (Indirect costs)

• Facilities & Administrative Costs (F&A), formerly called “indirect costs” are those expenses associated with a sponsored project that are difficult to account for directly. Examples are costs of the space, utilities, administrative support (accounting, purchasing, ORA), etc. (aka “overhead”)

F&A (cont’d)• Federal F&A rates are negotiated with the federal

government periodically.• Current F&A rates for federal on-campus research

is 48.0% MTDC.• Private rates are 20% of TOTAL costs—or

published sponsor rates.• Current info on F&A rates, including a reference

table, is available on the ORA web site: http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_administration/docs/F&A%20info%20for%20web%207%2014%2008.pdf

Fringe Benefits

• Fringe Benefit rates used for grants and contracts are estimated based on average costs for UT employees.

• Current fringe benefit rates are published on the ORA web site at http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_administration/fringe_benefits_rates.php

Project Extensions

• Grants– No-cost extensions of NIH grants –

contact Gerri Bussell– Other grants – Submit letter of request to

sponsor (may need ORA and/or B&F signature)

• Contracts – Check contract language; may need amendment

Transfer of PI with Grant/Contract

• NIH grants – PHS Relinquishing Statement (available on the web), listing date of transfer, equipment to be transferred, institutional signatures; Final invention statement; new 398 application at new institution

• Other grants – contact sponsor & ORA• Contracts – Do NOT transfer; will terminate

contract here and initiate new one with new institution

Closing Out a Project• Notify IRB/ACUC and ORA• Notify department business person and

Gerri Bussell, who will prepare final financial report

• Prepare final scientific report and submit to sponsor w/cc to ORA

• Prepare final invention statement, if required• Records maintenance

Collaborative Projects (Grants w/subcontracts)

• Require budgets & other documents from both institutions

• Require collaboration letter signed by institutional official

Inventions

• Inventions that result from UT work must be disclosed to the University.

• Forms are available at http://utrf.tennessee.edu/

• UTRC handles inventions and other “intellectual property” for UT.

• Contact Richard Magid at 901 448-1562

Reminders

• Ethical conduct of research – Misconduct policy is at https://academic.uthsc.edu/faculty/facultysenate.php?module_id=38&pnum=50

• Confidentiality of Patient information and Sponsor proprietary information

Research Administration Office of Research Administration

(ORA) UT Health Science Center 910 Madison, Suite 823 Memphis, TN 38163 (901) 448-5587 (901) 448-7600 fax dsmith@uthsc.edu

Research Web Site• UTHSC Office of Research• http://www.uthsc.edu/research/vc_research.php

• ORA: http://www.uthsc.edu/research/research_administration/

• Contacts• Policy Links• Agency Links• Forms• Information and FAQs