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THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH
RESEARCH INVESTIGATOR HANDBOOK
4. FINDING, OBTAINING AND MANAGING MONEY
4.2 Pre-award: How do I find and ask for funds?
• Do I need to be a Principal Investigator to apply for funds at UCSF?
• Where can I find sources of funding?
• Do all of my grant or contract proposals have to be submitted through UCSF?
• How do I submit my funding application?
• What am I responsible for when applying for funds?
• What resources are available to help me obtain funding?
• Top tips to speed up the approval process and prevent problems
• Relevant policies and procedures
Do I need to be a Principal Investigator to apply for funds at UCSF?
Yes. University policy states that individuals must
hold Principal Investigator (PI) status in order to
be eligible to submit proposals for research,
instruction, clinical trial or public service contracts/grants
to extramural agencies. This status is subject to the
approval of your Department Chair and Dean.
The Chair and the Dean can agree to waive this requirement
in limited circumstances but this waiver must be documented
(PI
Status form).
Individuals who submit applications to the Committee
on Human Research, the Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee, and the Technical Committees, must also
hold PI status or provide proof that their department
and school have waived this requirement.
Full information on eligible titles, and procedure to request approval
to be a principal investigator for non-eligible titles can be found on
the
PI Status form. Additional title information is provided on the
Office
of Academic Personnel website.
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Where can I find sources of funding?
As new faculty, you may initially have only startup funds from
your department to begin your research . You should seek out
extramural funding and collaborators to support your research
as soon as possible. Sources of funding opportunities as well
as links to potential collaborators include:
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Must all of my grant or contract proposals be submitted through UCSF?
Yes, University
policy states that employees, who receive any part of
their salary through the University, or whose activities use any University
facilities, must submit their proposals for extramural support through
the appropriate Office of Sponsored Research unit. Extramural support
includes contracts, grants, subcontracts, fellowships, and cooperative
agreements.
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How do I submit my funding application?
Do not submit directly to funding agencies or to contract sponsors.
At UCSF, the Office
of Sponsored Research (OSR) must review and approve
all funding requests prior to submission of your application to any type
of funding agency. The Office of Sponsored Research has the final signature
authority for all types of extramural funding, as these are legal agreements
between The Regents and an extramural entity. These requests can include
grants, contracts, subcontracts, clinical trial agreements, fellowships,
and cooperative agreements.
When you apply for extramural funds, allow enough time for the review and approval by first, your department, and then the Office of Sponsored Research. Work with your department to determine internal department proposal submission deadlines required to process and approve your application. In addition to any departmental deadlines which may be in place, the Office of Sponsored Research has proposal deadline policies which are strictly enforced and which should be included as part of your proposal development timeline.
An essential guide to investigators is the Quick
Guide to Preparing Contracts and Proposals. It is highly recommended that all new investigators
read this guide before they start the proposal process as it gives very
clear guidance on the most common questions that you will have.
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Your
Department: |
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You complete
the funding application with the help of your department’s
Research Service Administrator. |
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The Department reviews the application,
and once approved by the Department Chairman, they
submit it on your behalf to the Office of Sponsored
Research. |
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Some of the Schools will also
require the Dean’s signature prior to submittal
of your proposal. Signature requirements can be
found at C&G Approval Form-Who
Signs?. |
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The Office of Sponsored
Research (OSR): |
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After the OSR receives your
application with Department approval (and School,
if applicable), the appropriate unit will review,
and if approved, sign and submit your proposal
or contract on your behalf to the funding agency.
Contracts and Grants unit requires a minimum of
four business days by 9AM to process applications. |
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The Contracts
and Grants Division (C&G) will process your funding applications
for: |
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Government
grants, contracts, and fellowships |
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Non-profit grants, contracts, and fellowships |
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Foreign government grants, contracts, and fellowships |
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The Industry
Contracts Division (ICD) will negotiate your
contracts for: |
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Industry contracts, grants, and clinical trials |
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Industry fellowships |
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Industry collaboration agreements |
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UC Discovery Grants |
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Industry confidentiality agreements |
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All Material Transfer Agreements
(MTA) |
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All Data Use Transfer Agreements
(DTA) |
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What am I responsible for when applying for funds?
As a Principal Investigator, you are held responsible and accountable for
managing all aspects of your sponsored project. Your application for funds must reflect
good
judgment, scientific and financial integrity. To this end, you will be expected
to
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Be able to complete
the project you have outlined in your proposal while staying within the allowable funds and allowable time period, |
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Adhere to all regulatory policies related to award finances, science, and compliance. |
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What resources are available to help me to obtain funding?
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Your
Department: |
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The Department’s Research Services Administrator will work with you to ensure that
your application is ready for OSR review and submission.
The Schools and Departments are responsible for
verifying that projects are consistent with academic
plans and program directives. The Principal
Investigators and the Departments are responsible
for verifying the accuracy of faculty and staff
salaries and line items in the budget. |
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Contracts
and Grants Division: (Government grants and non-profit
agencies) |
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Contracts & Grants (C&G)
provides a variety of services to the campus
community related to obtaining and managing extramural
sponsored research, instruction, clinical trial
and other sponsored projects awarded by a variety
of federal, state, local government and non-profit
sponsors. Questions about proposals can be sent to: CGProposalTeam@ucsf.edu |
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Industry
Contracts Division: (Private, Industry research
contracts, and Industry clinical trials) |
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Services provided by Industry
Contracts (IC) include negotiating the terms
of the contract and providing consultation with
faculty who are considering a contract with the
private sector. The campus has a standard contract
that can be offered to prospective sponsors,
which can greatly reduce the time it takes to
negotiate a contract. It is important to consult
with the IC unit as early as possible. Questions about proposals or awards can be directed to industrycontracts@ucsf.edu |
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Top tips to speed up the approval process and prevent problems
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Work with your department
early in the submission process. |
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Follow the instructions issued
by the funding agency for the application as limitations
on document length and font type are strictly enforced
by the funding agency. They can reject any proposal
that does not follow their format restrictions
or application instructions. |
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Be sure to justify any
extraordinary budget increases from one year to the next and
include full direct and indirect costs. |
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Make sure that the correct facilities
and administration (F&A) rate is applied to your
project. Guidance on UCSF F&A rates: |
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For
government and non profit proposals |
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For industry proposals |
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Make sure that the application
packet is completed and signed. |
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Allow enough time for both your
department’s approval of your application
and then for Office of Sponsored Research units
to review, approve, and submit your application
to the funding agency. |
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Relevant policies
and procedures
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