LSA Research Administrators
Information Network (RAIN)
PRE-AWARD Managing the Process
February 23, 2011
Presented by:
Amber Stadler, Business Manager,
Department of EEB
Alexandra Thebaud, Contract and Grant Specialist,
Department of Physics
Peggy Westrick, Senior Manager,
College of LSA Research Office
1
Peggy
Know A21 rules
Cost Acctg. Standards
Locate resources needed
Help make proposals best that can be
submitted
Spend time needed to
explain your expectations
Advocating
for my
faculty
Training
staff
Being a
good
steward of
funds
Keeping
my career
on track
Take courses
Know the RA track if you want to stay
doing research administration
Being a
good
BIG
PICTURE
Shepherding proposals (nagging)
communicator Talking with HR manager
about appointments
Department and
PI
for Department
Research Admin.
Keeping up
with the
rules
Attending LSA ResAG
Sponsor sites
DRDA-net
Word of Mouth
2
Peggy
Managing
the awards
Resource commitments
7471s
Appointments
Purchasing
Submitting
proposals
Sponsor guidelines
eRPM
IRBs
Deadlines
Time
management
Have a good
Business
Process for
managing
Research
Administration
Proposals, Renewals,
final reports, budgets,
7471s
How many things can I
juggle-be realistic
Start
here
Setting expectations for faculty
Service plan, Renewals, Deadlines,
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Being Proactive
Each department has a process (if not develop one)
 Partnership with areas in your administrative office.
 Ensure that you have support from Chair and Key
Administrator for your process.
 Use the Proposal Checklist to help you develop the
proposal http://lsa.umich.edu/research/resources/admintoolkit
 Don’ apologize for your process—tell your faculty about it!
o It was created to ensure successful submission of their
proposals.
3
Peggy
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Being Proactive
 Putting together good proposals—follow your business
process.
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Make an agreement with your faculty on what you can provide if you get the information
sooner in process (we’ll discuss more on next slide-5).
Read the sponsor announcement.
Understand the type of proposal they will be submitting. Is to be a single PI, multi
University(collaborative proposal or subcontracts), or multi school project? That
information will determine how you proceed (slide 6).
Use the DRDA Proposal Submission Guide
http://www.drda.umich.edu/proposals/proposals.html
Use the LSA Bs. Process document http://lsa.umich.edu/research/resources/admintoolkit
 Planning your workload
Knowing your faculty sponsors’ deadlines.
 There are classes through the U such as “Eat that Frog” that can help you plan your
workload.
 Does anyone have examples they want to share?

REMEMBER YOU ARE THE EXPERT
4
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Being Proactive
Getting faculty to tell you what they are doing using an email solicitation (template below)
Dear Faculty and Doctoral Students:
If you haven't already done so, please contact me as soon as possible if you are planning to submit a proposal this term.
Planning ahead for these deadlines allows us to provide you with the best service possible. We're always happy to receive
news of impending proposals even if the deadline is several months away.
Proposal Deadlines
The College deadline for external proposals is six working days before the sponsor deadline. The final
documents must be uploaded into eRPM four working days before the sponsor deadline.
Internal (UM) Proposals through eGIF. Our office will help you upload (or the appropriate process for
your unit) your application into eGIF. Please note that requests are required to the Dean’s Office two weeks
prior to other funding source’s deadlines. This includes cost sharing requests.
Please inform our office well in advance of a proposal deadline so we can begin planning an appropriate timeline.
Final documents including a draft of the research plan are due to my office 14 days (or whatever Bs. Process you have in
place in your unit) before the sponsor deadline. This timeline allows our office, the College, and DRDA adequate time for
review and submission of your proposal. We want to do all we can to ensure your proposal will be funded!
As always, if you have any questions regarding this message or any other research-related topic, please do not hesitate to
contact us me (your email address)
5
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Resource Commitments
(Communicate with areas in your administrative office )
 Cost Sharing (requesting through eGIF two weeks before sponsor
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deadline)
Space (follow department business process)
Effort (what is realistic—if shown and not requested from the sponsor
must cost share it)
Subaccount distribution (get the other department(s) and college(s) in the
loop asap)
Subcontracts (get from other institution a Statement of Work, final
budget, budget justification, CV, current and pending, letter of intent
and facilities, the institution address and a point of contact.)
 If equipment is asked for in the proposal will it require renovation of
space—talk with your facilities folks.
 If Computing is involved talk with your IT Manager and give them copy
of Data Management Plan right away.
 Use the Data Management Plan template so that the faculty member
and IT Manager understand what needs to happen.
6
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
What you should know about using eRPM (the
PAF)
 Routing and Data Collection tool—consistent
information in—consistent information out!
 Work smart
 Add good notes for your reviewers
 Add good notes for you—you’ll need them if awarded
 Shepherding the proposal using the status “DRDA
submitted to Sponsor” in eRPMyou aren’t done until the status says so and
maybe not even then
7
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Using eRPM (the PAF)
 What does the PI signature mean?
 What does the Department signature mean?
 What does the College signature mean?
Elements we look at:
http://lsa.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=87f55b6562f1a210VgnVCM100000a3b
1d38dRCRD&vgnextchannel=9bd1506cd387a110VgnVCM100000a3b1d38dRCRD&vg
nextfmt=default
(Go to LSA Research RA Toolkit and pick meeting schedule.
The link on the September 15th meeting houses an overview
of the College review.)
8
Peggy
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
 Proposal Approval Form (PAF)
 an electronic form where proposal pieces are collected and
archived
 a data collection tool
 a routing mechanism
The next slide has the Proposal Submission Guide
that Physics uses when first talking with their
faculty about a submission.
9
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award Process
Proposal Submission Guide
1. Who is the sponsor
NSF, DOE, ARO, DARPA, NIH, private foundations and etc.
If the sponsor is NSF and the PI is new make sure he/she filled out the Fastlane new user
profile information (see attachment)
If the sponsor is NIH make sure the PI registered for eRA commons. To register please go
to http://era.nih.gov/
8. Refer to DRDA and LSA business rules and guidelines as necessary. One thing to made
aware of, LSA does not waive indirect cost unless it is indicated in the sponsor
guidelines
2. Solicitation number - confirm the solicitation number with the PI once retrieved.
9. Check spaces for the PI your department
3. Time needed for proposal
At least one month
Department requires 5 business days before the deadlines (each dept might be different)
LSA requires 6 business days before sponsor deadlines
DRDA requires 4 business days before sponsor
Entire proposal can be submitted as a draft but the budget and budget justification has to be finalized.
10. If other departments are involved make sure you communicate with them at the beginning stage of
the proposal because number 5 above will apply to them.
4. Due date of proposal – confirm sponsor deadlines with the PI and communicate with PI the LSA &
DRDA’s deadlines.
11. Once most of these documents are retrieved eRPM needs to be filled out and routed to all the
proper channels for approval
5. Budget
Ask PI if they have a budget in mind
Beginning and end date of the proposal budget
Intended PI effort
Will there be equipment
Will there be cost sharing involved (if so request it through eGift immediately)
Are there post docs and the effort amount
Would there be GSRA and how many
Are the GSRA candidate and pre-candidate
Are there other PI collaborators or departments
Are there subcontracts involves
If so, who is the lead organization
12. Before routing proposal most of these documents need to be attached
Project summary/abstract (read guidelines for page limit)
Project narrative (read guidelines for page limit)
Budget
Budget justification
Copy of Fastlane or Grants.gov form package
Reference cited
Facilities & other resources
Equipment (if any)
Bibliography (read guidelines for page limit)
Current & Pending (if co-PI’s are involved they will each need a CP and Bio)
6. If equipment is involved such as computer cluster IT, Facilities and HR would like to be informed.
For example IT will be in charged for ordering the computer and other issues, facilities will be in
charged for renovating the area and other issues and HR personnel will be involve in the effort category
and other issues
13. Routing the proposal
PI will need to electronically sign the PAF proposal first
The department chair or designated department signer will review the proposal for wording and space
Proposal will then route for the college for review by Steve Beach and Peggy Westrick and they will
review the attached documents.
DRDA review the proposal and submit the final documents (or hot it states on the sponsor guidelines
for submission)
7. Read sponsor guidelines for rules and regulations
14. Completion
An email confirmation will generate stating the proposal has been submitted to the sponsor.
Physics Proposal Submission Guide
10
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Determine type of Proposal if Multi University submission(s):

RA verifies the sponsor’s due date.
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RA reads the sponsor’s guidelines.
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RA starts the eRPM Process.
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RA starts the Fastlane process.
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Once all the documents are received, the RA will then upload the proposal on the system.
Collaborative proposal
 Lead institution ask that the Universities working on collaborative proposal provide the TPN and PIN number to
RA.

Each University is responsible to press the SRO button themselves.
Subcontracts
 RA gets from other institution:
 Budget
 Budget Justification
 Statement of Work
 Collaborative letter
 RA assures that IDC is charge on the first $25K of the budget when doing the proposal.
11
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Possible elements of a proposal
Cover page/face page/title page
 Abstract of project summary
 Table of Contents
 The proposal narrative
 List of References
 Bibliography/proposal reference section
 Curriculum vitae, bio-sketches
 A budget and budget justification
 Research resources such as core facilities and shared equipment
 Appendices as required or as permitted
 Current & Pending support (including the one you are submitting)
 Data Management Plan
 Sponsor guidelines supersedes everything
http://www.drda.umich.edu/proposals/PWG/pwgcontents.html

12
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Sponsor Compliance elements
 Human Subjects in Research
 Animals
 Mentoring plans
 Responsible Conduct of Research
 Data Management Plans
 etc.
COMMUNICATION--Can’t always email!
13
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Budget
 Using a template budget builder
 Making it your own and why (we have links in our RA
Toolkit where you can find examples).
 What is so important about the budget
justification?
 Making the transition to award. Do a good job from the
beginning.
 Who should write it and why? Faculty member has the
scientific rationale for the categories. RA knows the IDC
and FB rationale and should provide language.
14
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Components of the Proposal Packet
Budget
 Why do I have to worry about A-21 sensitive
items when at the proposal stage?
 What makes them sensitive?
 Administrative salary, computers, phones, office supplies,
hosting, membership dues. Sponsor doesn’t want to pay
twice.
 What are the rules?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a021_2004
15
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Scenarios-How would you have solved the problem?
 Break into teams
 Take ten minutes to come up with your best
answer for solving the problem
 Choose a team leader to report back on your
solution
16
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Scenarios-How would you have solved?
Urgent Proposal–
 Professor Cooper is submitting a NSF proposal that is due on
January 17, 2011. He has been working with Erin, Contract &
Grant Specialist, over the last month to finalize the proposal. On
January 15, Professor Cooper informed Erin that he is leaving on
an unexpected trip and will not have access to his email. Right
before he leaves, he emails Erin to upload the final summary and
proposal in FASTLANE. However, Professor Cooper did not give
SRO access to submit the proposal or the okay to submit the
proposal. However, Erin has the faculty FASTLANE login
information but isn’t sure if the proposal is ready for submission.
How should Erin proceed?
17
Amber
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Scenarios-How would you have solved?
Collaborative Proposals
 A professor at University of Michigan is submitting a proposal to
NSF with multiple Principal Investigators - PI from different
institutions. Each PI has a level of authority and responsibility to
direct the project. Universities that are involved are as follows:
Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke University and University of
Michigan as the lead institution. The professor provides the
Research Administrator - RA with the budget info, the solicitation
number, the due date and the contact info of the additional PI’s.
When the RA contacted the other institutions and suggested to do
the collaborative proposal through Fastlane, three out of four
agreed and one institution (Duke University) asks that they provide
them with the sponsor required information instead of going
through Fastlane. What’s the best way to proceed?
18
Alex
LSA RAIN-Managing the Pre-Award
Process
Getting Help!
ITS Help Desk for eRPM
LResAG@umich.edu
Your own administrative support group (RA, KA,
and Chair)
College (Steve or Peggy)
19
Peggy
LSA RAIN—Managing the PreAward Process
TOOLS
 Proposal Checklist (RA Toolkit
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/research/resources/admintoolkit
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Proposal Submission Guide (RA Toolkit--see above)
LSA Business Process for eRPM (RA Toolkit-see above )
eGIF (https://www-a1.lsa.umich.edu/eGif/)
Budget spreadsheet (RA Toolkit-see above)
Budget justification (RA Toolkit-see above)
Data Management Plan (RA Toolkit-see above)
DRDA website
http://www.drda.umich.edu/proposals/proposals.html
 Colleagues LResAG@umich.edu
20
Peggy