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- Do I need a cover sheet?
- What are the guidelines for fonts and pages?
- What are F and A and benefit rates?
- Why do we need budget explanations?
- What constitutes an "off-campus" justification?
- Why do you require four days to review proposals?
- What is exempt from facilities and administration costs
(formerly known as indirect costs/overhead)?
- Why are so many authorized signatures required?
- What is different about interdisciplinary proposals?
- Who can be a PI?
- What is the difference between a subcontract and a consultant agreement?
- Do I need a cover sheet?
If the agency to which you are applying does not have a cover sheet then a "generic" University cover sheet should be used to clearly illustrate the purpose and title of the document and show that its submission has been properly authorized. Go to top of page
- What are the guidelines for fonts and pages?
In recent years agencies have become increasingly stringent about the amount of material reviewed within a proposal. For this reason both NSF and NIH have specific instructions regarding the height and width of characters used in writing the proposal, page numbers, and the width of margins. Please follow these instructions carefully because proposals have been returned without being reviewed by the sponsors for violating these limitations. Go to top of page
- What are F and A and benefit rates?
F and A stands for facilities and administration. This terminology replaces indirect costs and overhead, but means exactly the same thing. The Federal government determined that this new terminology would help the public (including members of Congress) better understand the fundamental types of costs this charge was capturing. Benefit rates comprise various charges used by the University to underwrite various insurances and services toward which it contibutes. The University of Michigan uses 31% as an average. Go to top of page
- Why do we need budget explanations?
We must be prepared to explain the basis of every proposed expenditure in the budget, including supplies, equipment (vendor and copy of price quotation, if requested), travel (where, how long, per diem or estimate of unit costs, and why), etc. Also, where appropriate, arguments can be made for the appropriateness of "marginal" cost elements, such as clerical and support staff salaries. Additionally, this serves as a template for spending to your department when an award is made. Go to top of page
- What constitutes an "off-campus" justification?
Off campus rate is for use when 50% or more of the expenditures take place 50 miles or more out of the Ann Arbor area. The college reviews projects to help with this determination. Go to top of page
- Why do you require four days to review proposals?
In order to ensure complete budget information and adherence to proposal formats, time is needed to review the document. All University contributions must be verified in writing, and signatures must be secured that assure that the researcher, his/her chairperson, and the appropriate dean have reviewed the proposal. Go to top of page
- What is exempt from facilities and administration costs (formerly known as indirect costs/overhead)?
As of the last facilities and administration (F and A) agreement, the list of cost items exempted from F and A had shrunk. What remains are:
- Tuition,
- Amount of subcontract in excess of $25,000,
- Equipment costing $5000 or more per unit.
Go to top of page
- Why are so many authorized signatures required?
Authorized signatories certify that the claims made within a proposal are correct and that the Institution can and will fulfill the responsibilities stated in the proposal regarding technical, administrative, and financial requirements stated in the RFP, FARs, OMB Circulars, BAAs, specific certifications and representations, etc. This responsibility is legally assigned to specific administrative and academic officers of the University, who also face legal liability if false statements are intentionally made or if those without institutional permission fraudulently sign in behalf of the University of Michigan.The principal investigator’s signature certifies that the scientific/scholarly elements of the proposal are complete and exercise the highest technical and ethical standards of the research discipline. The chair’s signature certifies that the proposal has been reviewed for scholarly content and that all departmental support proposed will be provided (space, PI commitment, support staff assistance, etc.).The associate dean’s and/or research program representative's signature certifies that the proposal meets the mission of the school and that the PI is anticipated to be in "good standing" for the proposed duration of the proposal effort. Also important is the associate dean’s verification of any proposed cost-sharing or any other non-routine commitment expressed within the proposal. Go to top of page
- What is different about interdisciplinary proposals?
Any proposal that is being submitted as part of an interdepartmental or interdivisional effort must be channeled though the appropriate school or division process as if it were going directly to an external sponsor. This permits each school or division to exercise the same review function that it would over regular proposals. In certain instances, one signature page can be prepared for all divisional authorities’ signatures. Go to top of page
- Who can be a PI?
All full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty are eligible to submit proposals from The University of Michigan. Most departments permit research scientists to submit proposals. From that point on, there is an expectation that all proposals;whether from research scientists, visiting scientists, post-docs, or graduate students; have a tenured or tenure-track faculty member as titular PI or as co-PI. The basis for this approach is that, in order to submit a proposal from UM, one must have "standing" within the university and be of a status whereby the quality of research work produced has been accepted through the traditional appointment and promotion mechanisms. Go to top of page
- What is the difference between a subcontract and a consultant agreement?
The primary difference is that a subcontract is almost invariably with another institution and a consultant agreement is almost invariably with an individual. Subcontractual effort usually entails a complex portion of a primary project to be performed by an employee at another institution. The agreement would usually involve the other institution's full project costs, including its negotiated F and A rate, and come to us with a statement of work, a full budget and a "letter of intent" to perform the assigned task should an award be made.
Consultant effort is usually limited to the performance of one activity by one individual. Activity is generally short term or infrequent and the pay line is usually determined by a rate per day which includes travel, expenses, and any overhead or other acceptable "load." Go to top of page
These FAQs are constantly in a state of flux. Please do not be afraid to contact us with any related or different questions regarding this complex and often confusing activity we call research administration.
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