Our team has expertise in all major phases of the grant lifecycle and is organized with specialists in three distinct branches: Pre-Award Services, Grant Administration, and Post-Award Compliance & Management. SP offers comprehensive assistance, including funding searches, opportunity analysis, proposal development and submission, research development support, legal review and award acceptance, compliance monitoring, post-award reporting assistance, and implementation of close-out procedures.

The sooner that you contact SP, the better. Our team is available to help in all phases of acquiring and managing extramural awards. Whether you are just beginning to explore your options, have found a potential funding opportunity, need research or proposal development assistance, and/or are ready to submit an application, the SP team is ready to lend a hand.

Definitely. SP is required to vet all ATSU grant proposals prior to submission and then again at award acceptance to assure the University can meet the obligations of the award. Unauthorized extramural submissions may be withdrawn by the University, and funded award notices with unacceptable terms may be declined for legal, financial, or programmatic reasons. Do not risk it! Prospective project directors and principal investigators are encouraged to contact SP at least one month in advance of an intended submission deadline and to promptly advise their department chair, dean, and divisional vice president of any planned submission.

SP proposal development services adjust based on the complexity of the application, submission timeline, and expertise of the project directors and principal investigators. SP may help to refine objectives/scope, review proposal guidelines, serve as a liaison with funding agencies, develop supporting sections, obtain institutional approval, verify budget appropriateness, provide a quality assurance (QA) review, and submit the proposal. At a minimum, SP will develop an institutional commitment letter, assist with budget clearance, proofread, and assure the internal approval form is routed for signature. We highly recommended all proposals undergo SP’s comprehensive pre-submission cover-to-cover QA review for an assessment of readability, completeness, competitiveness, and conformity with University protocols and standards.

A cover-to-cover Quality Assurance check typically involves a thorough review of the funder guidelines and submission-ready proposal, including all forms, budget, and supporting documentation, to ensure compliance with funder guidelines and University policies and procedures. SP offers content and formatting suggestions as well as other recommendations for improving competitiveness and presentation.

Congratulations! SP provides a range of critical services to assist newly funded projects at ATSU. Award acceptance, compliance monitoring, and post-award assistance include review of terms and conditions of award; development and execution of memoranda of agreement and contracts; fiscal start-up; risk assessment; regulatory, policy, fiscal, and programmatic compliance; assistance with project staffing, programmatic and fiscal management, report preparation/submission; and communication with the sponsoring agency (funder) when needed. Please contact SP to schedule an appointment to discuss these critical activities.

Grant-funded projects often require mid-course adjustments due to setbacks, a changing environment, or the advent of amazing new opportunities. However, the ability to change course using a sponsor’s financial support depends largely on the terms of award and funder intent. SP helps faculty navigate such changes in a compliant manner.

Gift funding is characterized as having a true philanthropic intent and is typically obtained from donors or via fundraising initiatives. While philanthropists may call their donation a “grant,” it is ATSU’s responsibility to assure external funding is properly characterized as a gift or grant for business and ethical purposes. Gift funding typically does not require substantial deliverables beyond a brief explanation of how the funds were used and recognition of the donor. Gift funding may be entirely unrestricted (providing lots of flexibility) or may be restricted to a particular activity. Gifts often support endowments, scholarships, brick-and-mortar construction, general operating support, naming opportunities, and purchase of capital/equipment. Gift funding at ATSU is managed by University Advancement.

Sponsored projects have academic, service, research, or scholarly intent and function as a “quid pro quo” relationship between ATSU and the sponsor (an exchange transaction). Factors built into the award mechanism or awarding documents guide the degree of flexibility that is permitted. Sponsored projects often:

• Have specified conditions of award, performance objectives/deliverables, contractual obligations, line-item budgets, defined funding periods, and detailed reporting requirements.
• Involve faculty or staff time (requiring payroll records, time and effort certifications, etc.).
• Require regulatory compliance, substantial monitoring, and/or lengthy outcomes reporting.

While Policy 20-119 explains ATSU’s award classification system, the degree of flexibility for change depends largely on the funder’s agreement, laws, regulations, etc. Please reach out to SP to discuss potential changes, and we will help to formulate an appropriate funder communications strategy.

Sponsored scholarly activity that relies on the expertise of a particular PI is often transferrable. By contrast, funding that is anchored in the mission of the recipient organization and could be performed by others who remain, is generally not transferable. Contact SP as soon as you accept an ATSU employment offer, and we will work to determine if ATSU can accept grant reassignment.