Grants and Contracts

How soon do I need to have my proposal completed prior to the sponsor deadline?

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Administration (OSPRA) has established the following deadlines for having proposals in their office:

5 business days* prior to the sponsor deadline if the deadline falls on the 1st or 15th of the month (for most NIH proposal mechanisms, these standard deadline dates have changed to the 5th and 16th of the month).
3 business days* prior to the sponsor deadline if the deadline falls on a date other than the 1st or 15th of the month.
10 business days* prior to the sponsor deadline for proposals being submitted through Grants.gov.

(OSPRA is currently recommending the additional time to review and submit Grants.gov proposals due to possible delays in the validation process involved in the electronic submission.)

*Please allow one additional business day for the proposal to be processed through the department.

What is Grants.gov?

Grants.gov is the new electronic proposal submission system that is being implemented for federal agencies. NIH has transitioned most of their proposal mechanisms (including the R01, R03 and R21 mechanisms) to the Grants.gov system. Only OSPRA has the authority to submit a proposal through Grants.gov. Principal investigators are to continue to work with the department to prepare proposals to be processed through OSPRA. The Grants.gov proposal is to be uploaded to OSPRA's NetFiles file sharing system so that they can retrieve it and submit it to the Grants.gov system. Grants.gov guidelines can be found at www.grants.gov. The NIH Grants.gov Application Guide is also available online.

How do I obtain an NIH eRA Commons or an NSF FastLane account for electronic proposal submission?

You should send an email message to OSPRA at gcoaward@uillinois.edu, and supply the following information:

NSF FastLane account:
- First and Last Name
- UIN* (9-digit number on the University i-card)
- E-mail address (OSPRA prefers the University e-mail address)
- Phone Number
- Fax Number
- Department Name
- Highest Degree Conferred and Year Conferred
NIH eRA Commons account:
- First and Last Name
- E-mail address (OSPRA prefers the University e-mail address)
- Date of Birth
- UIN* (9-digit number on the University i-card)

*If you do not have a UIN, please supply your social security number to OSPRA at 333-2187 (do not send the SSN via e-mail).

How do I obtain a first-year extension on my NIH award?

The first-year extension on an NIH award can be approved by the University if the grant was awarded under FDP (Federal Demonstration Partnership) and it was a modular budget. If it was not a modular budget, it was probably not awarded under FDP and will require agency approval.

How do I obtain a first-year extension on my NSF award?

The first-year extension on an NSF award is done in FastLane and requires NSF approval.

What are the requirements for approvals on extensions after the first year on NIH/NSF awards?

Requests for an extension after the first year require approval from the agency. A formal letter is required. This letter should include what portion of the project is not completed and what is needed to complete the project. A projected dollar amount should also be included. It needs to be signed by the University Official (Grants and Contracts).

What is the approval process for purchasing large equipment on an NIH Grant?

The University has the authority to approve equipment between $25,000 and $50,000 if the grant was awarded under FDP and was a modular budget. Any equipment over $25,000 must be approved by NIH.

Keys

How do I obtain keys for the building?

Betty Heggemeier in Room 327 in the Psychology Building is the person to see for keys. A $10.00 deposit is required and this is returned (via direct deposit) when all keys are returned. Your faculty sponsor sends Betty an email authorizing you to have keys and letting Betty know what keys you are to be given. Betty will then respond to all email addresses in this original email when the appropriate keys are ready. (Hours for key distribution are: Mon, Wed and Friday 8:30 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00; Tuesday and Thursday 10:30 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00.)

What do I do if I've lost my keys?

There are four places to contact to see if your keys have been turned in:

Betty Heggemeier in Room 327 (333-3398),
Reita Dalton in the shop (333-7912),
Dana Loschen, Receptionist, third floor (333-0631), or
Campus Police (333-1216).

Reimbursements

What documentation is needed to be reimbursed for meals?

The following items are needed in order to be reimbursed for meals:

Original receipt listing the food and drinks ordered and showing method of payment (VISA, MC, cash)
List of the individuals that attended the meal and their title/status
Account number to be charged
Name of the restaurant needs to be on the receipt (if the receipt doesn't include the name, please write the name on it)
If alcohol was purchased, the amount needs to be listed separately (or on a separate receipt)

What are the reimbursement rates when I take a job candidate out for a meal?

The Psychology Department will reimburse for meals with job candidates (and other outside speakers) at the following rates: The reimbursement rate for breakfast is $15 per person, excluding tax and tip. The reimbursement rate for lunch is $20 per person, excluding tax and tip. The reimbursement rate for dinner is $45 per person (for food) and $10 per person (for alcohol), excluding tax and tip. For meals with job candidates, please limit the number of attendees to 4-5 people, including the job candidate.

Bring your receipts to Terry Davis; she will need separate totals for food and for alcohol, because alcohol purchases can not be charged to State funds. As always, you are welcome to spend more if you want to, but you won't get reimbursed for anything over these limits. Also, please feel free to spend (much) less, because meal reimbursements come out of our general operating funds. Thus, the dessert you eat today may reduce your ability to photocopy tomorrow...

What documentation is required for travel reimbursements?

A travel pre-approval form is the first step. Please see the information on travel reimbursements.

How do I pay human subjects*?

A Program Advance will need to be taken out. Turn the completed form in to Margie Link. She will fill out the appropriate campus form and place it in your mailbox. You will take this form to Room 100B Henry Administration Building (Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) The University requires that all Program Advances be closed out twice a year - at December 31 and June 30. If a Program Advance is still needed, you may open another one (upon faculty approval).

*Nonresident Alien human subjects must be issued a check for participation as a human subject.

Can I shop at Sam's for lab items, etc.?

No, individuals cannot use their own memberships to shop at Sam's and then turn in receipts for reimbursement from the University.

Can I be reimbursed for postage stamps purchased to mail out surveys?

No, postage stamps to be used for University Business can be ordered through Central Stores. Margie Link can assist with this.

Can the P-Card be used to purchase gift cards to give to human subjects?

No, a Program Advance will need to be taken out and the appropriate documentation turned in. Gift cards are considered "cash" payments to human subjects.

What do I do with my P-Card receipt?

P-Card receipts are turned in to Betty or to Margie within two days of the purchase. Include the account number to be charged and information about the purchase. These transactions are reconciled daily and the Business Office has a small window in which to reconcile them.