Introduction
Getting Started
Who can help me apply for grants and subcontracts?
Your department administrator and Sponsored Programs Administration (SPAdmin) grant specialists understand UNMC’s research administration infrastructure and can guide you. You should notify both as soon as you identify a funding opportunity you plan to pursue.
Identify your SPAdmin grant specialist.
SPAdmin contact information:
Web: unmc.edu/spa/
Phone: 402-559-7456
Email: spadmin@unmc.edu
Does UNMC offer grant writing assistance?
Yes, researchers can request grant and manuscript editing assistance through the Research Editorial Office.
Web: unmc.edu/vcr/cores/research-editorial/
Phone: 402-559-4132
Email: grantseditor@unmc.edu
Roles and Responsibilities for Grants and Subcontracts
Effective sponsored project management
Effective sponsored project management is a collaboration among Principal Investigator(s); Departmental Administrators and other research staff; Sponsored Programs Administration (SPAdmin); and Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPAccount).
Principal Investigator
- Leads and directs the project, intellectually, logistically, and administratively
- Oversees proposal and budget preparation
- Identifies project personnel and collaborators
- Secures appropriate research resources
- Follows departmental policies for pre-review of application for scientific merit
- Ensures integrity and timeliness of financial, administrative and technical information provided to SPAdmin
- Signs internal research routing forms and verifies that Conflict of Interest disclosures in COI-Smart are current
- Obtains regulatory approvals of research prior to initiating the research
Department Administrators and other research staff
- Assists PIs with completion of the application and budget preparation
- Manages UNMC’s financial systems, maintaining the integrity of the financial transactions in those systems in keeping with Policy #8012
- Generates internal forms for signature
- Submits published manuscripts or clinical trial updates to the appropriate databases
Sponsored Programs Administration (SPAdmin) staff
- Provides expertise and guidance to investigators and department personnel regarding grant and contract submissions and management
- Protects the UNMC by monitoring compliance with federal, institutional, and sponsor requirements
- Reviews and submits applications, agreements, and modifications in accordance with sponsor terms, conditions and program guidelines
- Negotiates final terms for government and non-profit grants, contracts, and subcontracts
- Reviews Conflict of Interest disclosures for project personnel Approves internal forms and applications prior to institutional signature
- Prepares awards for set-up by Sponsored Programs Accounting
Web: unmc.edu/spa/
Phone: 402-559-7456
Email: spadmin@unmc.edu
Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPAccting) staff
- Oversees post-award financial compliance in accordance with the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards or “Uniform Guidance”. (Uniform Guidance rolls OMB Circular A-21, OMB Circular A-110, OMB Circular A-133 into one document)
- Sets up awards
- Manages effort reporting certifications
- Monitors program revenue, cost-share, and cost allowability
- Invoices sponsors
- Prepares and submits financial reports to sponsors
Web: info.unmc.edu/management/finance/spaccounting/
Phone: 402-559-5822
Who can sign grant proposals prior to submission?
The Director of SPAdmin or a designee are the only personnel who can officially sign grant proposals, subcontracts, and internal forms as the institutional official for sponsored projects at UNMC. A SPAdmin grant specialist reviews the application first to be sure it is compliant with UNMC and sponsor policy and then will obtain the institutional signature for the applicant.
Preparing a Federal Grant Application
Read the instructions early, carefully, and often. Early in the process, investigators should review submission timelines and requirements of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and the programmatic guidelines. The applicant should communicate the information as soon as possible to anyone helping them with their grant application, including their department administrator and designated SPAdmin grant specialist.
How are federal grant applications submitted at UNMC?
Federal grant applications are prepared by investigators and departmental personnel, and submitted using Cayuse424, a system-to-system interface that:
- Populates applications with institutional information
- Allows multiple users to work on an application
- Validates applications before submission
Link to Cayuse424 (log in with UNMC net ID and password): unmc.cayuse424.com
Contact your SPAmin grants specialist for questions about using Cayuse424.
Preparing Non-federal Grant Applications
Investigators need to be aware of submission deadlines and requirements of the Request for Applications and programmatic guidelines. Communicating this information to your department administrator and SPAdmin grant specialist as soon as possible is critical for establishing timelines and generating project support.
How are non-federal grant applications prepared at UNMC?
Investigators and departmental personnel prepare non-federal grant applications in accordance with sponsor guidelines. Many non-federal sponsors have their own submission website and forms.
Submitting Federal and Non-federal Applications
Are there prerequisites to submitting a grant application?
NIH submissions require an eRA Commons ID and password. This eRA Commons ID is also required on every NIH Biosketch submitted. To request an ID and password for the Principal Investigator and an ID for other key personnel, including graduate students, contact SPAdmin at 402-559-7456.
Required internal budget and other forms must be routed through the appropriate Department and College units and signed by UNMC’s institutional official prior to grant submission. For more information, see Research Administration for Grants and Subcontracts.
Are there minimum time requirements for Sponsored Programs review prior to grant application?
Draft applications should be sent to SPAdmin for review at least three business days (ideally five business days) before the submission date. SPAdmin carefully reviews all forms, including the budget and program requirements, to correct errors or inconsistencies that would disqualify the grant from review. NIH and other sponsors can and will disqualify grant applications that do not comply with instructions.
Who submits the final grant application?
After SPAdmin review and signature by UNMC’s institutional official, SPAdmin submits the application to the sponsor. Federal applications are submitted to www.grants.gov directly from Cayuse424, and non-federal applications are submitted electronically or shipped per sponsor guidelines. Departments may transmit or ship applications themselves if they wish, but only after receiving SPAdmin approval and by making arrangements in advance with SPAdmin.
Sponsor guidelines specify how to submit applications. Guidelines generally include an identifier (e.g. Funding Opportunity Announcement number), due date and time, paper or electronic submission instructions, required contact and format, award amount (including F&A), period of performance, and eligibility requirements. Guidelines may be program-specific or generally applicable to the sponsor. Be sure that you are working from the current version of the guidelines.