The Office of Sponsored Programs

Office of Sponsored Programs

Home

Services

Finding Funding

Proposal Preparation

Grant Administration

Forms

IRB Forms

Grant Administration Forms

IRB

IRB Procedures & Training

IRB Forms

Newsletter

Writing Guides

Policies

Reports

Success Stories

Staff

FAQ

NEIU Home

Frequently Asked Questions
Who We Are and What We Do:

What is and what is not a sponsored program?

General Definition: The term "sponsored programs" refers to scholarly, professional, creative or other activities conducted by NEIU personnel conduct with support from external funding instruments such as grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other agreements.

Specific Definitions: In addition to the general definition above, any one of the following conditions is sufficient to define a sponsored program:

Conditions Concerning the Nature of the Agreement/Activity

1. A formal proposal exists requiring the endorsement of an NEIU-authorized official.

2. Progress, technical, final reports, and/or other exchanges are required. The proposed activity binds NEIU to a specific delivery of work including service to a sponsor.

3. The activity has a specified performance period or completion date.

4. The agreement for the activity contains compliance terms and conditions.

5. The agreement for the activity contains provisions for confidentiality.

6. The testing/evaluating of proprietary products is involved. Conditions Concerning Financial/Institutional Involvement

7. Initial pricing, expenditures, financial reporting, and/or performance may be subject to external audit.

8. Billing, separate accounting procedures, and/or report of expenditures are required.

9 Reimbursement/payment is contingent on completion of specified exchanges.

10. Unexpended funds must be returned to the sponsor at the end of the activity.

11. Cost sharing/cash matching is involved in the performance of the activity.

12. The activity includes budgeted indirect costs.

13. The activity involves disposition of property, whether tangible or intangible, that may result from the activity (e.g., equipment, inventions, copyrights, or rights in data).

A sponsored program is NOT:

1. A voluntary donation -- i.e., the donation does not include any of the conditions defining a sponsored program.

2. A voluntary donation of funds given irrevocably.

3. A voluntary donation of personal property (e.g., cash, securities, books, equipment) provided by a donor without expectation of tangible or economic (except tax) benefit.

4. The transfer of property with no implied responsibility on the part of NEIU or the NEIU foundation to provide the donor a product, service, technical or scientific report, intellectual property rights, or any other exchanges.

5. Donations of real estate.

6. Funds received directly by a faculty member (e.g., summer fellowships or travel grants).

7. A project conducted as an external professional activity for pay.

8. Honoraria -- funds given directly to a faculty member by agreement not requiring administrative endorsement.

9. Non-technical services to external organizations (e.g., lodging and food service to groups on campus; meeting facilities; sporting events).

10. Fellowships and/or scholarships without a service component or other restrictions.

What services does the Office of Sponsored Programs provide?

The OSP will:

1. Help you acquire information and application guidelines from potential funding sources.

2. Give you advice concerning the step-by-step process of proposal development.

3. Help you develop your content and format.

4. Give you feedback on preliminary drafts and edit your text for organization, style, grammar, and compliance with guidelines.

5. Facilitate the University approval process.

6. Secure documentation for compliance and regulatory issues.

7. Proof your proposal, if necessary.

8. Assist with the transmittal and submission of proposals.

9. Help you meet your deadline.

Getting Started:

I have a project and want to apply for funding. What should I do first?

Contact the OSP to determine who will fund your project and to initiate the procedures for administrative approval. OSP subscribes to the Illinois Researchers Information System (IRIS) database of funding opportunities. OSP also has information on other funding databases and many application materials from federal, state and private funding sources. Start the process as early as possible so OSP can provide you with the best possible service.

I have a project and already know of a funding source for my project. Do I need to contact the Office of Sponsored Programs?

YES! OSP staff will help you obtain University approval for your project. Before being submitted, all grant proposals must have a Final Approval Form filed in the Office of Sponsored Programs. On it the project director must assure compliance with relevant University policies. Ten working days prior to the deadline is requested to assure timely routing.

Writing the Proposal:

Is it necessary to follow all the details in the program guidelines?

ABSOLUTELY! Follow the guidelines meticulously, because the reviewers will. Funding agencies report the most common problem with proposals is failure to follow directions. Reviews will often reject a proposal without reviewing it if you do not follow all the guidelines!

What if I do not understand the guidelines or cannot answer the questions exactly?

Contact the OSP for assistance in interpreting grant program guidelines. If necessary, we will contact the Program Officer at the funding agency for clarification.

What should I keep in mind when planning the budget?

At some point during the agency's evaluation of your grant application, the budget will be the most important part. A flawed budget can result in rejection. Give the best estimate possible--a padded budget will be detected but an inadequate budget will reflect the applicant's inexperience. Bring a list of anticipated expenses to the Office of Sponsored Programs and the staff will work with you.

What is NEIU's negotiated indirect cost rate?

Currently, 55% of direct salaries and wages for all grants and contracts with the federal government. Other indirect cost rates may be used depending upon the funding agency and the program.

How do I determine fringe benefits?

The Office of Sponsored Programs will help you in determining which fringe benefits apply to your budget.

My project will involve research using human subjects. What should I do?

File an Application for Approval of the Use of Human Subjects with the chair of the Human Subjects Committee before initiating research. See the Human Subjects page for more information. The Human Subjects Committee is responsible for reviewing all research or related activities which involve humans as subjects that is proposed by any member of the NEIU faculty, staff, or student body (whether full or part-time). The current chair of the Human Subjects Committee is Saba Ayman-Nolley. OSP serves as support to the committee and provides all necessary forms to faculty, staff and students.

Why do I have to submit ALL of my electronic proposals at least 3 days and drafts of the proposal ten days in advance of the submission date?

The process for submitting a grant via Grants.gov takes quite a bit longer than the old mailing process. Submitting to a sponsor via Grants.gov with no problems can take 2-4 business days alone. If there are errors, the time to submit can increase significantly. A 3-day submission policy is actually quite liberal. Because there are so many grants submitted electronically, the lead time for all proposals is increasing, therefore, we have implemented the new submission deadline across the board.

Before being submitted, all grant proposals must have a Final Approval Form filed in the Office of Sponsored Programs. On it the project director must assure compliance with relevant University policies. Ten working days prior to the deadline is requested to assure timely routing.

Who is authorized to sign grant proposal forms as Sponsoring Group or Authorizing Official?

Only the President or designated substitutes are authorized to commit the University to any financial arrangement with an outside entity, including accepting grants of money, equipment, or services. The OSP will help you obtain authorization and signatures.

After the Award:

I have underestimated the time needed to complete my grant project, miscalculated expenditures for several categories in my grant budget, have money left over at the end of the year, and/or want to pay for activities related to the funded project that occurred before the effective date of the grant, what should I do?

Yes, refer to the memo on expanded authorities granted in part 75 of EDGAR for further details. Also see Expanded Authorities Overview document (available in either Word or PDF format).

Office of Sponsored Programs, Building C, 3rd Fl, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, IL 60625 - 773.442.4670 (P) 773.442.4673 (F)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who We Are and What We Do:

What is and what is not a sponsored program?

General Definition: The term "sponsored programs" refers to scholarly, professional, creative or other activities conducted by NEIU personnel conduct with support from external funding instruments such as grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other agreements.

Specific Definitions: In addition to the general definition above, any one of the following conditions is sufficient to define a sponsored program:

Conditions Concerning the Nature of the Agreement/Activity

1. A formal proposal exists requiring the endorsement of an NEIU-authorized official.

2. Progress, technical, final reports, and/or other exchanges are required. The proposed activity binds NEIU to a specific delivery of work including service to a sponsor.

3. The activity has a specified performance period or completion date.

4. The agreement for the activity contains compliance terms and conditions.

5. The agreement for the activity contains provisions for confidentiality.

6. The testing/evaluating of proprietary products is involved. Conditions Concerning Financial/Institutional Involvement

7. Initial pricing, expenditures, financial reporting, and/or performance may be subject to external audit.

8. Billing, separate accounting procedures, and/or report of expenditures are required.

9 Reimbursement/payment is contingent on completion of specified exchanges.

10. Unexpended funds must be returned to the sponsor at the end of the activity.

11. Cost sharing/cash matching is involved in the performance of the activity.

12. The activity includes budgeted indirect costs.

13. The activity involves disposition of property, whether tangible or intangible, that may result from the activity (e.g., equipment, inventions, copyrights, or rights in data).

A sponsored program is NOT:

1. A voluntary donation -- i.e., the donation does not include any of the conditions defining a sponsored program.

2. A voluntary donation of funds given irrevocably.

3. A voluntary donation of personal property (e.g., cash, securities, books, equipment) provided by a donor without expectation of tangible or economic (except tax) benefit.

4. The transfer of property with no implied responsibility on the part of NEIU or the NEIU foundation to provide the donor a product, service, technical or scientific report, intellectual property rights, or any other exchanges.

5. Donations of real estate.

6. Funds received directly by a faculty member (e.g., summer fellowships or travel grants).

7. A project conducted as an external professional activity for pay.

8. Honoraria -- funds given directly to a faculty member by agreement not requiring administrative endorsement.

9. Non-technical services to external organizations (e.g., lodging and food service to groups on campus; meeting facilities; sporting events).

10. Fellowships and/or scholarships without a service component or other restrictions.

What services does the Office of Sponsored Programs provide?

The OSP will:

1. Help you acquire information and application guidelines from potential funding sources.

2. Give you advice concerning the step-by-step process of proposal development.

3. Help you develop your content and format.

4. Give you feedback on preliminary drafts and edit your text for organization, style, grammar, and compliance with guidelines.

5. Facilitate the University approval process.

6. Secure documentation for compliance and regulatory issues.

7. Proof your proposal, if necessary.

8. Assist with the transmittal and submission of proposals.

9. Help you meet your deadline.

Getting Started:

I have a project and want to apply for funding. What should I do first?

Contact the OSP to determine who will fund your project and to initiate the procedures for administrative approval. OSP subscribes to the Illinois Researchers Information System (IRIS) database of funding opportunities. OSP also has information on other funding databases and many application materials from federal, state and private funding sources. Start the process as early as possible so OSP can provide you with the best possible service.

I have a project and already know of a funding source for my project. Do I need to contact the Office of Sponsored Programs?

YES! OSP staff will help you obtain University approval for your project. Before being submitted, all grant proposals must have a Final Approval Form filed in the Office of Sponsored Programs. On it the project director must assure compliance with relevant University policies. Ten working days prior to the deadline is requested to assure timely routing.

Writing the Proposal:

Is it necessary to follow all the details in the program guidelines?

ABSOLUTELY! Follow the guidelines meticulously, because the reviewers will. Funding agencies report the most common problem with proposals is failure to follow directions. Reviews will often reject a proposal without reviewing it if you do not follow all the guidelines!

What if I do not understand the guidelines or cannot answer the questions exactly?

Contact the OSP for assistance in interpreting grant program guidelines. If necessary, we will contact the Program Officer at the funding agency for clarification.

What should I keep in mind when planning the budget?

At some point during the agency's evaluation of your grant application, the budget will be the most important part. A flawed budget can result in rejection. Give the best estimate possible--a padded budget will be detected but an inadequate budget will reflect the applicant's inexperience. Bring a list of anticipated expenses to the Office of Sponsored Programs and the staff will work with you.

What is NEIU's negotiated indirect cost rate?

Currently, 55% of direct salaries and wages for all grants and contracts with the federal government. Other indirect cost rates may be used depending upon the funding agency and the program.

How do I determine fringe benefits?

The Office of Sponsored Programs will help you in determining which fringe benefits apply to your budget.

My project will involve research using human subjects. What should I do?

File an Application for Approval of the Use of Human Subjects with the chair of the Human Subjects Committee before initiating research. See the Human Subjects page for more information. The Human Subjects Committee is responsible for reviewing all research or related activities which involve humans as subjects that is proposed by any member of the NEIU faculty, staff, or student body (whether full or part-time). The current chair of the Human Subjects Committee is Saba Ayman-Nolley. OSP serves as support to the committee and provides all necessary forms to faculty, staff and students.

Why do I have to submit ALL of my electronic proposals at least 3 days and drafts of the proposal ten days in advance of the submission date?

The process for submitting a grant via Grants.gov takes quite a bit longer than the old mailing process. Submitting to a sponsor via Grants.gov with no problems can take 2-4 business days alone. If there are errors, the time to submit can increase significantly. A 3-day submission policy is actually quite liberal. Because there are so many grants submitted electronically, the lead time for all proposals is increasing, therefore, we have implemented the new submission deadline across the board.

Before being submitted, all grant proposals must have a Final Approval Form filed in the Office of Sponsored Programs. On it the project director must assure compliance with relevant University policies. Ten working days prior to the deadline is requested to assure timely routing.

Who is authorized to sign grant proposal forms as Sponsoring Group or Authorizing Official?

Only the President or designated substitutes are authorized to commit the University to any financial arrangement with an outside entity, including accepting grants of money, equipment, or services. The OSP will help you obtain authorization and signatures.

After the Award:

I have underestimated the time needed to complete my grant project, miscalculated expenditures for several categories in my grant budget, have money left over at the end of the year, and/or want to pay for activities related to the funded project that occurred before the effective date of the grant, what should I do?

Yes, refer to the memo on expanded authorities granted in part 75 of EDGAR for further details. Also see Expanded Authorities Overview document (available in either Word or PDF format).