TO: All GMU Faculty and Staff
FROM: Office of Sponsored Programs
SUBJECT: Grant And Contract Proposal Submission And Approval Process
Contents
Identification of Funding Sources
Begining the Process
Preparation of the Proposal and Routing Form
Proposals Involving Multiple Units
Assembly of Final Proposal
Review and Sign-Off
Electronic Submission/Delivery of Proposal
Project Administration
Related Research Offices
The George Mason University Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is responsible for facilitating the development of proposal budgets, approving and submitting all grant and contract proposals for external funding and for ensuring that University, state, and federal requirements are met.
OSP provides access to a searchable database for funding information called SPIN on its website at http://www.gmu.edu/research/ResearchDev/FundingSourceDatabase.html.
It is important that you inform your Chair, Dean/Associate Dean for Research of your intention to submit a proposal. One or more of these individuals may want to meet with you. OSP staff will assist you in reviewing program guidelines, developing a budget and finalizing the proposal submission. When you have decided that you are going to submit a proposal, you will need to submit a request for OSP assistance via Mason’s on-line proposal request system at
http://www.randed.gmu.edu/osp/proposal/index.cfm.
Please provide as much of the requested information as possible. Within two (2) business days, a Grants Administrator will be assigned to work with you in preparing and submitting your application to the sponsor. Please note: OSP staff may need to share proposal information, including draft budgets, with College administrators. You are strongly encouraged to contact OSP early in your proposal process so OSP staff can best assist you.
The Grant Administrator will review with you the sponsor requirements, the contents of the proposal package, and a timetable for assembly and delivery of your proposal by the deadline. Communication between you and OSP staff is essential throughout the proposal development and submission process. In addition to preparing your budget, the Grant Administrator will prepare an internal routing form. The form will include FTE commitments, distribution of recovered F&A, cost sharing, space requirements, inclusion of human subjects or animals, hazardous materials, intellectual property, and conflict of interest for institutional signoff.
When proposals involve multiple units (e.g., two departments within the same college or school, or two different colleges/schools) it is that much more important that the principal investigator start the budget preparation and approval process even earlier, since one must get approval from so many additional individuals. Furthermore, it is essential that details associated the project such as cost sharing and distribution of F&A (indirect costs) are worked out in advance of submission of the grant or contract proposal
You are responsible for producing the final proposal narrative. OSP will prepare proposal forms, assemble the proposal, make any necessary copies and review all copies for accuracy.
Your proposal will be reviewed and approved by the appropriate University officials once OSP has received the project summary, final budget and final budget justification. All proposals must be reviewed and approved by University officials prior to submission to the sponsor.
OSP is responsible for the electronic submission and/or delivery of your proposal to the funding organization. A well-planned timetable for proposal production and assembly guarantees its submission by the sponsor’s deadline. Due to federal requirements for electronic submission of proposals through grants.gov and the potential for problems, OSP submits all electronic proposals at least one business day prior to the sponsor deadline. To permit sufficient time for entry of electronic information, a PI must provide OSP with all final documents at least two business days prior to the submission deadline. It is an unfortunate reality that proposals that are provided to OSP on the day of, or before, a proposal deadline can be at risk for not meeting the deadline, because of the loss of time to handle unexpected delays such as University closures for weather, power grid problems, and server delays. OSP staff will handle proposals in the order in which they arrive in OSP. If OSP receives a proposal after the OSP deadline, OSP staff will do their best to handle it prior to the sponsor proposal submission deadline, but it is not guaranteed.
OSP will negotiate the terms and conditions of your award and will assist in a number of aspects of institutional project administration. In particular, OSP will establish your account in the Banner system, provide an interface with other university administrative functions such as accounting and payroll, monitor budgets and expenditures, monitor effort, monitor cost sharing, develop and negotiate subcontracts, monitor reporting schedules, manage accounts receivables, and perform close-out activities. Your responsibilities will include hiring personnel and submitting appropriate paperwork; managing the project; meeting applicable compliance requirements; working with OSP in developing and monitoring subcontracts and other contractual agreements; and submitting project reports.
The Office of Research Subject Protections (ORSP) is the administrative office that supports the activities of the Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). http://gmu.edu/research/ORSP/index.html
The Office of Laboratory Safety (OLS) is charged with establishing laboratory and environmental safety policies and procedures, providing training, and implementing preventive actions.
http://ehs.gmu.edu
The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) is responsible for the protection, marketing, and licensing of intellectual property.
http://www.gmu.edu/research/techtransfer.html
Refer to the University policies on Copyright and Patents for additional information at http://www.gmu.edu/research/techtransfer/policies.html
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