MinerAlert
What does the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) do?
Provides support throughout the life of all externally funded sponsored projects to UTEP. This includes assistance with submission related tasks for funding requests, proposal submission, accepting/negotiating awards, managing awards, and project closeout. OSP is pleased to provide expert regulatory and grant administration guidance as well as overseeing compliance of all project activities, guiding Principal Investigator's (PI) on project strategy/management, negotiating with sponsors, retaining project records, and facilitating the internal approval process. OSP has authority to sign sponsored project award documents, negotiate with sponsors (the funding source), accept awards, and withdraw/decline project or otherwise make material changes.
What is a sponsored project?
Sponsored Projects include grants, contracts or any other externally funded instruments granted to UTEP as an institution (not a student or faculty member personally).
What is a Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD)?
A principal investigator, or project director, is the individual(s) judged by the applicant organization (UTEP) to have the appropriate level of authority and responsibility to direct a project supported by external funds. The term project director is commonly used in relation to education and public service projects while the term principal investor is commonly used for research projects. The terms are generally used interchangeably by OSP and sponsors.
What is the Principal Investigator (PI) role?
The PI is responsible to oversee all aspects of the grant, ensure project outcomes are met, ensure work is done on the project regardless of staffing levels, and follow internal and external grant regulations. The PI has the authority to enlist the resources necessary to accomplish the project outcomes, including those resources outside the PI’s institutional jurisdiction.
Who can be a Principal Investigator (PI)?
A PI is someone who meets the criteria to oversee research by possessing a doctoral degree in their discipline. The PI is charged with conducting objective research that generates independent, high quality, and reproducible results. In some cases, there are multiple investigators included in applications for external funding. However, agencies and the University require that one individual be designated as the principal investigator since both the sponsor and the University must have one designated as ultimately responsible for the project's conduct.
Where do I find sponsored project opportunities?
Research & Innovation (R&I) provides a bi-weekly listserv of funding opportunities. You can subscribe by contacting research@utep.edu. All federal agencies and many state and local entities have listservs that send out emails with opportunities. Individuals can sign up to receive updates. A list of agency links can be found on the Funding Sources page of R&I’s website.
What type of sponsored projects/grants does Research & Innovation house?
All externally funded awards which can include federal, state, private, or non-profit entities are supported by R&I.
What can and cannot be paid from sponsored project funding?
Grant funding supports activities that are:
Attempting to use public funding for activities that do not meet these criteria can jeopardize funding for the PI, the project, and the University. Specific guidance about costs is in the solicitation, sponsor guidelines and other regulations. PIs are encouraged to read these guidelines and contact OSP with questions. Cost regulations for federal grants are located on U.S. Government Publishing Office.
Can I submit on my own?
No. Per University policy, all grants must be routed through OSP. OSP will work with PIs to review and submit the proposal. Most grant applications require approval by the authorized signatory. OSP staff are the only authorized signatories for all sponsored projects. In some situations, PIs may submit the grant, but only after it has been reviewed by OSP and received all internal approvals.
What writing help is available to PIs?
OSP does not write grants for PIs. PIs are encouraged to contact Proposal Development Services to request support services. Please contact the proposal development team at propdev@utep.edu.
I received a sponsored project. What is the next step?
If you have received the notice of award directly, send the notice to OSP immediately ( OSP@utep.edu or your assigned Research Administrator). Because proposals are submitted, and awards are granted to the University and not individual PIs, only OSP staff are authorized to accept grants and execute contracts on behalf of the University. OSP will review and, as appropriate, negotiate the terms and conditions of the award on behalf of the University and the PI.
Who can sign sponsored project applications and awards?
OSP is the signatory authority for all sponsored projects at UTEP, which means only OSP is authorized to sign sponsored projects. Faculty and staff should not sign sponsored projects.
What is the difference between a Grant, Cooperative Agreement, and Federal Contract?
Where can I find sponsored project opportunities?
https://www.utep.edu/orsp/proposal-development/funding-sources/
When do I contact Pre-Award if I’m interested in submitting a proposal?
The PI should submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) as soon as a funding opportunity is identified. Please see proposal timeline for further information.
How long will it take to process my proposal?
Due to the complexity of some proposals, sponsor deadlines, and the possibility of collaborating institutions’ and/or subcontracts’ internal deadlines, this time frame can vary greatly. It is extremely important to submit an NOI as soon as you know you will be submitting a proposal. Please see proposal timeline for further information.
How long does OSP need to review my final proposal?
The length of time depends on your proposal and on the number of other proposals pending at the time yours is received by OSP. OSP staff review proposals as expeditiously as possible, generally prioritizing the due date and then in the order they are received. Often, there are several proposals to be submitted for a particular deadline, which makes it especially important to provide materials well in advance of a deadline.
My project involves human subjects and or animal subjects, how do I proceed?
Please visit our Human Subjects Research page for further information. https://www.utep.edu/orsp/human-subjects-research/
What is the difference between direct costs and indirect costs?
Direct costs (DC) are the costs required to conduct the project. These costs can be easily identified within a particular project with high accuracy.
Indirect costs (IDC), or facilities and administrative costs, (F&A), are costs to the University to house a faculty member's project. F&A cannot be readily identified with a particular sponsored project but is essential to the conduct of a project.
Will my proposal include IDC costs?
Yes. As permitted by the agency, your budget will include IDC. Our office will use the current negotiated rates.
What are typical categories budgeted for in proposals?
Salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials, and supplies, equipment, travel, participant costs, publication costs, direct and indirect costs.
For travel costs, please use the federal per diem rates as a guide posted on General Services Administration.
What are participant costs?
Participant support costs are not routinely budgeted for research projects but can be included if the project includes an education or outreach component. Participant support costs include items such as stipends, subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants (not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.
What is cost sharing?
Cost sharing or matching is that portion of the project costs not paid by the funding agency. Federal funds may not be used for cost sharing. It is the PI’s responsibility to discuss cost share commitments with their department head, college, and dean and must documents and approved.
Do LOI’s, white papers, preliminary proposals route through OSP?
The answer is yes or no depending on whether the sponsor requires it. Submit an NOI as soon as you identify a step 1 submission is required. Your RA will then review the requirements and who is responsible for submission.
What is the difference between a Sponsored Project and a Gift or Donation if both are externally supported activities?
A gift is essentially a donation of any item of value given to the University by a donor expecting nothing in return other than recognition and disposition of the gift. Gifts are administered through the Office of Institutional Advancement.
A Sponsored Project outlines a specific statement of work and there are expectations by the sponsor in exchange for financial support. Sponsored Projects are administered through the Office of Sponsored Projects.
I just found out my proposal is being funded. What should I do next?
OSP staff are committed to assist each Project Director/Principal Investigator at UTEP. Please contact OSP at OSP@utep.edu or consult your assigned post-award RA [insert website link] if you receive notice of potential funding. After we receive formal notification of a new grant award, the team will process the grant/agreement and generate a Project ID. If necessary, we will contact you to schedule a grant kickoff meeting once the project has been set up and verified in PeopleSoft. Members of the project staff, OSP staff, and staff from other applicable departments will be in attendance. During this meeting the highlights of the grant, including the objectives, reporting and budget requirements, will be reviewed. The goal of this first meeting is to clearly define the responsibilities and expectations associated with the management of the grant.
How do I know what costs are allowable under a grant?
Review your Notice of Award (NOA) for its unique set of requirements and regulations. Each NOA will include an itemized budget showing how the funds will be distributed acrossUniversity subaccounts. The NOA will also include potential restrictions. If you have further questions about the allowability under your grant you can always contact your assigned Post- Award RA for further guidance.
What are Indirect Costs (IDCs)/Facilities and Administration Costs (F&A) and how are they managed during post-award?
F&A costs are those that are incurred for common or joint objectives and, therefore, cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity. Facilities are defined as depreciation and used allowances, interest on debt associated with certain buildings, equipment and capital improvements, operation and maintenance expenses, and library expenses. Administration is defined as general administration and general expenses, departmental administration, sponsoredprojects administration, student administration and services, and all other types ofexpenditures not listed specifically within one of the subcategories of Facilities. F&A costs are managed through negotiation with funding agencies and are typically reimbursed based on an agreed-upon rate. Please visit: F&A Agreement
What reports are typically required in post-award?
Reporting requirements vary but often include financial reports (e.g., expenditure reports), technical reports (e.g., progress reports), and compliance reports. The list of reporting requirements can be found in the Notice of Award (NOA) document.
How do you manage changes in the project scope or budget post-award?
Changes in scope or budget require prior approval from the funding agency or sponsor. This is typically done through a process known as a grant or contract amendment, where modifications are documented, justified, and approved before implementation. Your Post-Award RA will assist you in processing these modifications/amendments if needed.
How are funds typically disbursed and managed post-award?
Funds are often disbursed in accordance with an approved budget by each funding agency. Grants Management Accounting (GMA) manages the funds through the UTEP financial tracking system (PeopleSoft) that accounts for expenditures and ensures they align with the grant or contract terms.
How do you handle closeout procedures at the end of a grant or contract?
Closeout procedures involve final financial and programmatic reports, equipment inventories, and other documentation to formally conclude the project. These procedures ensure all obligations are fulfilled and any unspent funds are properly accounted for or returned.
What is a No-Cost Extension and how can I apply for one on my grant?
A no-cost extension (NCE) allows a grantee (recipient of the grant funding) to extend the performance period beyond the original end date without requesting additional funds from the funding agency or sponsor. Typically, NCE’s will be extended for 1 year unless instructed otherwise by the agency. Please visit: [link to NCE section] for steps on requesting an NCE.
My award has subcontracts, what’s next?
All subcontracts are administrated through our Subcontract Team. They can guide you through the process and deadlines established for Subcontract setup. You can contact the Subcontract
Team at subcontracts@utep.edu or visit the subcontract website for more information.
What is prior approval?
Agencies require prior approval for certain changes to occur during the lifecycle of an award. Depending on agency-specific requirements, each agency has different guidance on how to submit prior approval based on the type of award and the change requested.Some federal agencies allow expanded authority to grantees. This means the agency has waived prior approval for certain actions and has given authority to the grantee. The Prior Approval Matrix is a guide that outlines criteria and circumstances that waive or require prior approval from a funding agency.
What changes require prior approval?
Examples of changes that may require prior approval, including but not limited to, are:
Who do I contact to request a change to my award that may require prior approval?
For any questions on prior approvals or to request a change that may require prior approval contact your assigned Post-Award RA or to the office general email: OSP@utep.edu
What is the process for prior approval?
Step 1: Contact the Post-Award RA assigned to your project. The Post-Award RA will act as the liaison between the agency and the principal investigator to request any changes that require prior approval.
Step 3: Once agency review of the prior approval request is completed a determination is provided to OSP:
How do I notify OSP that I have a proposal/award with subcontracts?
During proposal stage: please submit your NOI and the designated RA will reach out to you. After an award has been established: please contact the OSP Subcontract team.
What documents are required from the subrecipient?
Documents are required based on the details of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and/or agency guidelines. At a minimum, the subrecipient should be prepared to provide a scope of work (SOW), budget and justification, letter of collaboration, CV for all key personnel, indirect cost agreement, facilities and other resources, and information on points of contact. All documents must be uploaded by the Subrecipient through the UTEP Subrecipient Portal.
How long will it take to establish a subcontract?
The process usually takes 3 weeks from the time the award is received. This estimate is based on all parties communicating in a timely manner.
My grant has already been set up, but I want to add a new subcontract, what do I need to do?
Approval from the Sponsor is typically required prior to issuing a new subcontract. You should review the terms and conditions to determine eligibility. If approved, our team will reach out to the Subrecipient through the Subrecipient portal to request necessary documents and proceed with executing a sub agreement.
How much F&A is charged on a subcontract?
F&A is charged on the first $25,000 of a subcontract.
May we use the format of any prior Agreement or Amendment and just fill in the current information?
Only the Subcontract team can complete, issue, and execute all Agreements.
What if the Subrecipient wants to make any changes to the agreement?
You should review terms and conditions to determine if proposed changes being requested need agency approval. If approval is needed, the Subcontract team will coordinate with the Post Award RA to forward the request to the sponsor. Upon receipt of agency approval or if no approval is needed, the Subcontract team will issue an amendment on approved changes. For changes to SOW and Budget, the PI (Principal Investigator) will need to provide an approval.
Is it possible to add or reduce the amount after an agreement is executed?
Yes. The value of the agreement can be modified (increased or decreased) through an amendment. The subrecipient will need to send a revised SOW and Budget justifying the change of the amount allocated. The Subcontract team will work with PI to review requests and proceed with amending the agreement. All changes to subcontracts are made through amendments.
I am having trouble getting a subrecipient to provide reports/deliverables. Can anyone help me?
You should contact the Subcontract team if a subrecipient is not performing adequately and describe the situation. Our team will troubleshoot with you on the steps that can be taken depending on the seriousness of the problem.
Can the Subrecipient continue to use funding from a prior year?
If a Subrecipient wishes to carryover funds, they will need to send a carryover request with a spending plan for those funds. We review the request with the PI and issue an amendment approving or denying the request. If denied, those funds are transferred back to the parent project.
The subcontractor is asking me why carryover is restricted by UTEP when it is not being restricted by the agency?
Per UTEP policy, all subcontracts are drafted with carryover funds restricted by the Pass- Through Entity (PTE). This is done to better monitor the burn rate of funds and technical progress of the subrecipients.
What if the carryover is restricted by the Agency?
Please reach out to your Post Award RA for guidance on how to request carryover. If approved and you wish to extend it to the subcontract, we will contact the subrecipient with our Carryover Request Guidelines.
Can my admin move funds from subcontract funding to another category on my project?
No. All transfers of funds for subcontracts need to go through the Subcontract team. Typically, a transfer will not be approved if an amendment has not been established to merit a transfer.
Is it possible to extend the project end date after an Agreement has been executed?
Yes. The project end date can be extended provided the extension is within the period of performance of the Prime Contract or a No Cost Extension is granted.
How does the Subcontract receive payments?
invoices should be sent to the UTEP PI and subcontracts@utep.edu for review. The Subcontract Team will review invoices with the PI for approval and then coordinate payment with Grant Management Accounting. Do not send invoices to OSP@utep.edu .
Who is responsible for monitoring the financial and technical progress of a subcontract?
The responsibility of ensuring that a subcontract is meeting the goals established on the SOW falls under the PI. The subcontract team will assist and help troubleshoot any issues that arise with the subcontract.
What happens when the subcontract period of performance ends?
If no additional funding or extending of budget period is given, the Subcontract Team will move to closeout with the approval from the UTEP PI. We will help the PI review all expenditures and technical reports issued and request that the Subrecipient sign a Sub release.
Who signs the Sub release?
Only the Subrecipient’s Authorized Signatory Official is permitted to sign the sub release.
I have an agreement that needs VP signature. What do I do?
It is the PI’s responsibility to upload any agreement they want reviewed and signed into CLM. All contracts and agreements that need review and signature must be uploaded to CLM.
I do not want to use CLM, can I just send the information to OSP@utep.edu ?
Please do not email a contract/agreement directly to OSP. The Contracts & Agreements team at OSP have review and approval authority and should not be uploading documents on behalf of faculty as that would create a conflict to both upload and review/approve the same documents.
What is CLM and how do I use it?
Click here for more details and instructions on how to submit.
I uploaded the document through CLM, now what?
CLM will first route the agreement to the POC (Point of Contact) of the College/Department for review and approval. That is a vital part of the system so that Colleges/Departments are kept aware of what their faculty are submitting. Their POC will then route to OSP. See full timeline here.
Who is the POC for CLM at my college/department?
Please refer to the point of contact chart to determine who to reach out to.
I have questions about the CLM DocuSign system, who can I contact.
Click here to find the DocuSign CLM team.
How long does it take to get a fully executed contract/agreement back?
The turnaround time depends on the language and type of contract/agreement. If legal review is needed, it can take up to 3 months to process.
How do I find the status of my submission?
DocuSign CLM automatically sends emails for each status update to the individual who submits the form.
How will I receive a fully executed (FE) document?
DocuSign CLM automatically sends an FE document to whoever fills out the form.
OSP is located in Kelly Hall, 6th floor, East Wing
500 W University Ave
El Paso, TX 79968
Main: 915-747-5680
osp@utep.edu
Fax: 747-8977
Research Administration