RelatedLinks
QuickLinks
Data and Reports
Forms
Industry Collaboration
ORAA
Printer FriendlyFrequently Asked Questions
PREPARING TO APPLY FOR FUNDING
Who is eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI)?
I am applying for NSF grant, how do I get a NSF
FastLane account?
I am applying for a NIH grant, how do I get a NIH
Commons Account?
Do I need to register with Grants.gov?
How can I learn more about developing a proposal
and UM's policies and procedures?
Who is my Contract Administrator?
PREPARING A PROPOSAL
What is the DUNS number, University Address, Congressional
District, etc?
What are the current Facilities and Administrative (F&A)
rates?
What are the compensation rates for Graduate Research Assistants?
What are the fringe benefit rates for employees?
What is involved in subcontracting?
POLICIES THAT MAY IMPACT YOUR RESEARCH
Where do I find the policies that impact
research at the University of Maryland?
What is cost sharing and how do I deal with it?
My funder has publication restrictions. Is this
allowable?
How can I determine if I may have a conflict of interest
or a conflict of commitment?
ROUTING A PROPOSAL
When does a proposal need to be routed to ORAA?
Where can I find the Internal Routing Form and instructions?
TRANSFERRING AN AWARD
Can an award be transferred between departments?
Can an award be transferred between institutions?
MANAGING AN AWARD
How do I begin research prior to the award date?
How do I find out how much money is left on my grant?
Don’t see your question? Ask your Contract Administrator.
Questions for future FAQs can be submitted to: oraaonline@umresearch.umd.edu.
PREPARE TO APPLY:
Who is eligible to be a Principal Investigator(PI)?
All tenured/tenure-track faculty and research scientists can be Principle
Investigators. Employees or appointees affiliated with the University
of Maryland (i.e. adjunct faculty, graduate assistants, and postdoctoral
associates) may be PIs with the endorsement of the department chairperson
and dean. All PIs and Co-PIs must be listed on, and endorse, the internal
routing form.
I am applying for NSF grant, how do
I get a NSF FastLane account?
Register online at https://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/nsfreg/ . Log
in with your university directory ID and password to access the form,
complete all mandatory fields, and electronically submit the form to
ORAA. A representative from ORAA will create your account and send you
an e-mail with your account information. Registration requests are completed
Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm. Please allow one business day
for your account to be created.
I am applying for a NIH grant, how do I get a
NIH Commons Account?
Register online at https://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/nihreg/. Log
in with your university directory ID and password to access the form,
complete all mandatory fields, and electronically submit the form to
ORAA. A representative from ORAA will create your account and send you
an e-mail with your account information. Registration requests are completed
Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm. Please allow one business day
for your account to be created.
Do I need to register with Grants.gov?
No, the University of Maryland is registered as an organization in Grants.gov.
PIs and other project personnel do not need accounts in Grants.gov.
ORAA will submit all Grants.gov application packages on behalf of the
university and track the status of submissions through Grants.gov.
How can I learn more about developing
a proposal and UM’s policies and procedures?
The Proposal Handbook provides an overview of the policies and procedures
that apply to research at the University of Maryland. This handbook
is available at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/proposal/handbook.html
Who is my Contract Administrator (CA)?
Each department is assigned a Contract Administrator in ORAA. To determine
your Contract Administrator’s name and contact information, use
the ORAA directory, available at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/about/directory_unit.html
PREPARING A PROPOSAL
What is the DUNS number, ORAA’s Address, Congressional
District, etc?
This information, and other information that is commonly requested on
proposal documents, can be found in the Quick Reference Guide, http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/qref-site.html.
What are the current Facilities and Administrative
(F&A) Rates?
50% MTDC(on-campus rate)
26% MTDC (*off-campus remote)
27.5 MTDC (**off-campus adjacent)
*The off-campus "remote rate" applies to activities performed
outside the commuting area of College Park.
**The off-campus "adjacent" rate applies to activities performed
within the commuting area (50 miles) of College Park.
How do I apply the F&A rates?
Information about applying F&A rates can be found in the Application
of F&A Rates for Sponsored Projects document here: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/Application_of_FA.pdf.
The current F&A memo that outlines the F&A rates is available
here: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/F&A_02Mar2007.pdf.
What are the compensation rates for Graduate
Research Assistants?
The stipend levels for Graduate Assistants and Fellows for FY 2008,
is available at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/stipends.html
What are the fringe benefit rates for
employees?
UMCP does not have a "fringe benefit rate" and Grant/Contract
accounts will be charged actual amounts. More information can be found
at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/benefits_emp.html.
What are the current start and ending
dates for a 9.5-Month Appointment and what are the rules on summer research
compensation for faculty who are so appointed?
The 9.5-Month Appointment runs from Aug 17 - May 31, each academic year.
Faculty on such appointments are restricted to earning 2.5 months of
additional compensation (up to 26.3% of their 9.5-month salary) from
grants and contracts that flow through the University, subject to the
limitations of the sponsoring agencies (e.g.: NSF's two-ninths rule).
Should I identify my Collaborator from another
institution as a Co-Principal Investigator on the proposal cover page?
Ordinarily Co-PI's from collaborating institutions should not be listed
on the sponsor's cover page, whether there's a subcontracting relationship
or not. The rationale is that these individuals are not affiliated with
the University. However, there are times when the sponsor might require
inclusion of Co-PI's from another institution on the cover page. In
those instances, the fact that they are from another institution should
be made clear by a notation. For example:
Co-PI: Dr. Roberta Smith (Collaborator, University of xxxxxxx.)
When the sponsor requires an electronic submission that does not allow
for such notations on the cover page (e.g. NSF's FastLane), the collaborating/subcontracting
institution should then be indicated in the appropriate section (as
specified by the agency) of the electronically submitted proposal. If
you are uncertain into which section this information should be inserted,
please contact oraaonline for clarification.
What is involved in subcontracting?
There are a number of procedures to be followed by ORAA in the preparation
and administration of University-issued sponsored project subcontracts.
These subcontracts are issued by ORAA when a contract from a prime sponsor
incorporates work to be performed by a subcontractor. Access the subcontract
manual here:http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/Subcontract_Manual.html.
POLICIES THAT MAY IMPACT YOUR RESEARCH
Where do I find the policies that impact
research at the University of Maryland?
There are a number of policies that can impact your research. Research
related policies can be found at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/research.html.
If you have questions about specific policies, contact your Contract
Administrator.
Do I need IRB approval?
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) must review research involving
human subjects. The purpose of the review is to help assure the protection
of the rights and welfare of human subjects. More information about
the IRB, including the policies and procedures, can be found at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/IRB/index.htm.
What is cost sharing and how do I deal
with it?
Cost sharing is the commitment of University of Maryland’s resources
to a sponsored project. Cost sharing should be included in the proposal
only when required. More information, including the Cost Sharing Policy,
can be found at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/administrator/cost.html.
My funder has publication restrictions
– is this allowable?
No. It is the policy of the University of Maryland System that instruction,
research, and services will be accomplished openly and without prohibitions
on the publication and dissemination of the results of academic and
research activities. For more information, you can consult the University
System of Maryland Policy on Classified and Proprietary Work available
at: http://www.usmh.usmd.edu/regents/bylaws/SectionIV/IV220.html.
If you have questions about your publication rights, please contact
your Contract Administrator in ORAA.
How can I determine if I may have a conflict
of interest or a conflict of commitment?
The fundamentals of policy and procedure are described in the University’s
Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policies (http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/ii310a.htm)
and Procedures (http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/ii310b.html).
Your unit head, having the primary administrative responsibility for
identifying and managing potential conflicts of interest or commitment,
and knowing your specific situation, is the best resource. The University’s
Conflict of Interest Committee is also a resource to help faculty and
staff in these areas.
ROUTING THE PROPOSAL:
How do I route a proposal?
A proposal must have the endorsement of campus officials and therefore
requires signatures of department chairperson, college dean and authorized
University official, which is delegated to the Office of Research Administration
and Advancement. Prior to submission to a sponsor, PI's or designee
must obtain signatures of all PI's, Co-PI's, Department Chairpersons
and College Dean prior to forwarding it to ORAA for review and signature.
The Internal Routing Form for the University of Maryland is available
at: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/forms/umoraa.html#9.
When does a proposal need to be routed
to ORAA?
The original proposal and two copies and the completed and signed routing
form should be routed to ORAA at least 6 business days before the deadline.
Proposals that are more complicated take more time to review, and should
be routed earlier than 6 days.
Where can I find the Internal Routing
Form and instructions?
The Internal Routing Form and line-by-line instructions can be downloaded
from: http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/forms/umoraa.html#9. If you
have questions as you complete the form, contact your CA.
How do I route a Grants.gov proposal?
Grants.gov proposals are submitted electronically, however, paper copies
of the proposal still need to be routed. Only two paper copies of the
proposal need to be routed with the completed routing form. These hard
copies and the completed routing form should be to ORAA at least 6 business
days before the deadline. The final electronic package should be uploaded
to ORAA at least 48 hours before the deadline. The electronic package
can be uploaded to http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/upload.
*Note: Applications being submitted to NIH and NSF via Grants.gov require additional time for review. The paper copies, completed routing form, and final electronic package should all be to ORAA at least 6 business days before the deadline.
TRANSFERRING AN AWARD:
Can an award be transferred
between departments?
Yes. Written requests for departmental transfers require the PI's, both
department's chairpersons and deans signatures. This requirement ensures
acknowledgement by all involved parties.
Can an award be transferred between
institutions?
Yes. Awards are granted to the Institution and not the individual PI.
In order for an award to be transferred from one institution to another,
the agency, Department Chair, and the sponsored projects office (ex.
ORAA) must be notified.
MANAGING AN AWARD:
How do I begin research prior to the award date?
An Advance Account Number Authorization (AANA) form must be completed
and submitted to ORAA. This form must bear the signatures of the PI
and the Department Chair/Director.
The AANA forms can be found at:
http://www.umresearch.umd.edu/ORAA/forms/umoraa.html#1.
How do I find out how much money is left
on my grant?
Authorized users can access this information via FRSWeb with their Directory
ID and password. This system is located at http://frsweb.umd.edu.
