1.6. The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
 
The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) is designed to provide high-quality support and administrative expertise to the university on research sponsored projects and to represent the interest of the Board of Regents in its contractual relationships with the external sponsors. The following sections present the responsibilities of the office as it relates to sponsored projects.
 
1.6.1. ORSP Support Responsibilities. The ORSP is responsible for the administration of sponsored programs and the following related services:

• Maintain property accounts of all equipment and other property acquired through sponsored projects, initiate property screening procedures for equipment to be supplied by the contractor; and assist faculty and principal investigators with procedures for acquiring equipment;
• maintain records on cost sharing and report on the levels of cost sharing to sponsors;
• process subcontracts; and
• supervise both pre-award and post-award activities.

 
The office also assists in researching external sources of funding for research, education, and public service. The following outlines the major activities in this area:
 

• review of funding announcement publications from sources such as the Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, Federal Grants and Contracts Weekly, Federal Research Report, NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts, and the NSF Bulletin;
• provide information about funding sources, agency information and programs, changes in sponsor policies and procedures, management of organized research on campus and other timely information regarding research funds;
• circulate announcements and fellowship opportunities;
• maintain files on funding agencies, including program announcements, application forms, and annual reports;
• sponsor and organize grant writing seminars and workshops; and
•  provide access to collection of reference materials such as foundation and grant directories, funding source bibliographies, and proposal and budget outlines. 

1.6.2. Sponsored Projects: Pre-Award Activity. The pre-award activity includes signature authority for outgoing proposals that have been delegated to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The office also:

• assists principal investigators with technical aspects of proposal preparation including general information, required assurances, representations and certifications, and budget planning for projects;
• maintains and updates the files of all pending proposals;
• administers portions of contracts and grants relating to external funding as required by the university president;
• authorizes pre-award costs where allowed by funding;
•  interacts with sponsors as required by the university president;
• prepares and supervises printing and distribution of reports;
• approves all proposal budgets for compliance prior to submission to funding source; and 
• notifies committees of project awards.

1.6.3. Sponsored Projects: Post-Award Activity. The post-award activity begins after the university has accepted awards. The office also:

•  notifies committees of project awards;
•  works with the business office to assign account numbers for awarded sponsored projects;
•  coordinates with the business office to set up and close out accounts;
•  monitors the financial status of all sponsored programs through the business office;
•  assists principal investigators in financial management of projects and resolution of accounting problems; and
•  approves requisitions, travel requests, and other documents based on amounts which incur expenses and obligations against project accounts that require signatory authority by the office of research and sponsored projects.

1.7. Schedule of Annual Committee Meetings