We are your connection to the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), Office of Industry Engagement (OIE), and Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors (VPR). We will assist you in submitting research proposals through OSP/OIE, coordinating award documentation, and providing post-award administration in conjunction with OSP-Postaward. We provide workshops for faculty and graduate students that develop grant preparation skills and grant compliance and advise faculty in all research administration topics. If you are experiencing or have been contacted for an audit, please notify COERA staff immediately so that we may assist and coordinate.

Proposal:

Assist faculty members, students, and other researchers with the preparation and submission of grant and contract proposals to a sponsoring agency, company, or foundation. This process includes:

• Research the submission process for each application, including rules, regulations, and requirements for each sponsor, as well as the individual program announcement. Communicate with the sponsor if questions about the rules/guidelines arise.
• Meet/confer with the researcher to establish budget planning and proposal docs for proposal submission. Create a detailed proposal budget and budget justification. If a subaward is proposed, communicate with the subaward organization in order to to procure the requisite documents, budget, and assurances.
• Review proposal documentation for RFP required formatting and content inclusion including biosketches, research portions, and other sponsor-required documents.
• Prepare the grant application via the electronic submission portal for each sponsor and create, translate, or coordinate upload of the requisite documents.
• Create an electronic OSP Proposal Review Form and coordinate with OSP regarding the proposal approvals. Act as an advocate for the Principal Investigator throughout the submission process.
• Coordinate with the researcher to prepare “Just-in-Time” documents for NIH submissions, pre-award documentation changes for IES submissions, or any required pre-award documentation as requested by a sponsor.

Award:

Serve as primary contact for sponsored project awarding process, which includes:

• Adapt award documentation to pre-award changes as necessary, transition proposal documentation to award stage. Prepare revised budgets, SOWs, or award documentation based on actual award terms, if necessary.
• Review grant agreements and suggest necessary changes during contract negotiation for smoother transition with OSP award negotiation.
• Work with OSP award negotiators to coordinate the facilitation of funded proposals or contracts to ensure execution, proper post-award paperwork submission, credit requests, and account set-up.
• Prepare and coordinate subawards and additional OSP mandated contractual agreements under the award.
• Aid researchers with all award agreement maintenance needs that arise throughout a project, including award interpretation, continuation funding processes, supplemental funding applications, progress reports, and all cost share planning.

Post-Award:

Serve as primary contact and lead for COERA sponsored project post-award maintenance:

• Upon account set-up, reconcile the proposal budget with the awarded spending authority.
• Assist faculty and departmental staff with sponsored account budget issues such as insufficient funds and accounting errors. Act as a liaison between department/faculty and OSP Postaward. Perform budget transfers on sponsored research accounts.
• Provide detailed cost allowability and allocability support and determination assistance for PI and department. Maintain sponsored accounts compliance with internal (UT) and external (sponsor, state, federal) policies and procedures. Ensure compliance with internal and external policies and procedures including institutional, sponsor-specific, Federal OMB Circular policies, and Uniform Guidance - CFR-200.
• Process post-award amendments (including no-cost extensions and/or extensions with additional funds), post-award credit authorizations, and “spend available” requests.
• Work with OSP Postaward to rectify sponsor invoicing and/or receivables issues, as well as provide invoice and financial reporting guidance. Provide necessary cost- share information and invoice expenditure detail as requested by OSP Postaward.
• Coordinate any audits involving COE sponsored research accounts. 

Serve as primary contact and planner for COERA served sponsored project appointments, which includes:

• Attend Workday training and keep up-to-date on training and system updates
• Maintain knowledge regarding HR policies and procedures around appointments and establish internal procedures to accommodate
• Create templates to facilitate appointment processing (i.e. appointment spreadsheets)
• Review and advise on award budget and key personnel award effort requirements
• Coordinate with PI in face-to-face meetings and multiple follow-up emails for appointment planning across all sponsored projects

Serve as primary contact and planner for all COE sponsored project transactions auditing and certification, which includes:

• Review all salary and tuition transactions for the effort period and pre-confirm reports.
• Review, analyze, and calculate project cost share for post-award reporting.
• Contact each COE PI with detailed and specific instructions on salary confirmation.
• Meet with PIs by request for salary confirmation acknowledgement.
• Provide pre-spending guidance for allowability and allocability of non-personnel expenses.