Proposal Preparation: FAQs

• Proposals
• Institutional Prior Approval System (IPAS)
• Contract Information Sheet (CIS)
• Funding Opportunities

Proposals

1Q. When should I bring down my grant to ORSP?

1A. Project Officers prefer to see a draft of the proposal’s budget at least two weeks before the deadline. The entire grant application should be routed at least 3 to 5 days prior to the deadline. Having your draft reviewed prior to the deadline date will save you time and eliminate last minute surprises for both yourself and our office staff that might occur if the application is routed at the “11th hour.”

2Q. Who is my Project Officer?

2A. Your designated Project Officer is determined by your department. Each department in the Health Center is assigned to either Debbie Gaudreau, Paul Hudobenko, or Pam Vachon who will assist you in preparing a grant application and answering any other questions you might have. The list of departments and the designated project officer assigned to them can be found on the Project Officer Departmental Assignments page.

3Q. Where can I find the routing sheet?

3A. The routing sheet (RTF format) can be found on the web or in the shared public folder called “Off. of Research & Spon. Pgms. (ORSP).”

4Q. What information do I need in order for ORSP to mail out my proposal via FedEx?

4A. In order for ORSP to send your proposal via express mail, you need to fill out the FedEx form (Word doc).

5Q. What is our DUNS number?

5A. The DUNS number is 02-225-4226. This number, along with the entity number, the profile number, the congressional district, the NIH salary cap, fringe benefit rates and indirect cost rates can all be found on the Quick Facts page.

6Q. When is our DHHS agreement date?

6A. The DHHS agreement date typically asked for on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) checklist page and is currently January 20, 2005.

7Q. How can I determine the due date for a resubmission/renewal/continuation of an National Institutes of Health (NIH) application?

7A. Please see Receipt, Review, and Award Cycles table on the NIH website.

8Q. What is a statement of intent and when is it required?

8A. A statement of intent (Word doc) is required when a Principal Investigator is planning on a collaboration with another institution. This collaboration will result in a subcontract on a proposal. It physically consists of one piece of paper on official letterhead that contains the names and address of the collaborators and the signatures of all involved.

9Q. If I'm collaborating with another institution and they are a subcontract on my proposal, what do I need to provide to the sponsor?

9A. It’s best to think of the subcontractee’s piece of the application as an abbreviated or mini-application. For the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the institution would have to provide a face page, scope of work, budget, all biosketches, resources page and a checklist page as well as a statement of intent as described above.

Institutional Prior Approval System (IPAS)

1Q. When do I have to submit an IPAS request?

1A. This answer depends on your purpose in requesting an IPAS (Excel file). If you are rebudgeting, you should provide your Project Officer with the form as soon as you need the money. For a no-cost extension from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you must submit your request 30 days before the end date of the grant. This allows time for the Project Officer to negotiate with NIH.

Contract Information Sheet (CIS)

1Q. When do I need to prepare a CIS?

1A. A CIS (Excel file) is necessary when a Principal Investigator is subcontracting with an outside consultant or institution that will provide services that have been pre-approved in the PI’s application and are not obtainable from purchasing.

2Q. How detailed should the description of services be?

2A. The description should be sufficient enough so that the Principal Investigator and UConn Health Center administrative officials can determine whether the subcontractor has met his or her obligations and responsibilities under the terms of the contract, should there be any disputes.

Funding Opportunities

1Q. Where can I find funding opportunities?

1A. There are several ways to seek out opportunities for funding. 1) You may use Infoed SPIN.  2.) Click here for a list of various funding web sites.