Grant FAQs

Have questions about navigating the grant lifecycle within the Division of Professional Studies? Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions organized by project stage—from identifying funding opportunities and building budgets to routing approvals and managing active awards.

FAQ sections (click to scroll down)

 

Finding Grant Opportunities / Eligibility

1. How do I find grant opportunities?

There are many avenues available to search for grant opportunities.  The most commonly used at UMBC are Grants.gov, Grant Forward, and Candid.

You can also schedule a one-on-one consultation with UMBC’s Office of Research Development for help exploring funding opportunities by emailing ord@umbc.edu.

2. I found a grant opportunity that doesn’t fit my program, but it might be relevant to another program. What should I do?

Share it in the Possible Grant Opportunities sheet!

💡It’s also a great, collaborative idea to ping a colleague you think might be interested.

3. How do I know if my program is eligible for a specific grant?

Eligibility varies depending on the funding entity.

An important thing to note is that UMBC is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so if the grant is only open to 501(c)(3)s, UMBC is not eligible.  In rare cases we can collaborate with the USM Foundation to accept funding exclusively for 501(c)(3)s.

Submitting the DPS Pre-Award Planning Form is the next step to determine eligibility.

4. How do I make sure no one else at UMBC is applying to the same grant?

Some grants indicate in the proposal that only one submission is allowed from an institution.  In that case, it is important to contact our OSP designee (currently Cameron McAdams) to get permission to be the “one” submission.

 

Grant Application Process

1. What is Kuali?

UMBC uses a proposal management system called Kuali.  This system has a workflow option so all proposal materials can be captured in one place and routed through all relevant stakeholders for approval.  It is also used to track budgets, assign Primary Investigator (PI) credit allocations, and gather data about the project like whether it will include restricted international activity or human subject research. Access to Kuali is restricted to those who have received training in the system.

Contact Trisha if you wish to become a Kuali user.

2. Who writes the grant proposal?

The Principal Investigator(s) writes the proposal. The DPS Business Team can assist with the budget portion of the proposal and will upload the completed proposal to Kuali.

For answers to commonly required information including Administrative Office, Fiscal Officer, EIN, Type of Org, Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS), etc., the Division of Research & Creative Achievement has compiled a list.

3. What is a Principal Investigator (PI)? And how do I become a certified PI?

A Principal Investigator (PI)  is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the award are met and the policies of the university are followed. A PI is responsible for:

  • Conducting and managing the technical research
  • Complying with all applicable state and university policies, procedures, and laws
  • Complying with all terms and conditions of a sponsored award
  • Managing project funds efficiently and effectively within approved budgets
  • Ensuring that the project is completed in a professional manner
  • Accepting fiscal responsibility on behalf of his/her department, administrative unit, and/or college in the case that the project is over extended or an unauthorized expenditure is disallowed by the auditors. In such cases the academic unit must cover the cost.

To become a PI, UMBC requires completion PI Research Administrative Training & Education (PIRATE). Once training is complete, the prospective PI can request to be set up as a PI in Kuali.

4. What are the key components of a Proposal?

A proposal commonly contains:

  • Abstract/Statement of Work (SOW)
  • Project Description
  • Budget
  • Budget Justification (also known as Budget Narrative) for all costs
  • Representations and Certifications
  • Compliance Data (i.e., IRB, IACUC, etc.)
  • Letters of Institutional Commitment & Support
  • Other items as needed/requested (Biosketches, Current & Pending Support, Data Management Plan, Mentoring Plan)

Review Documents Needed for Proposal Routing for further information (Box login required). For a comprehensive guide, review the Principal Investigator Proposal Handbook.

5. Can I submit a grant application on my own if I don’t need help writing it?

No, only UMBC’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) may submit a proposal on behalf of UMBC.

6. What is the timeline for submitting a proposal?

DPS Deadlines

DPS must meet the OSP deadlines (see Question 7).  As DPS does not have a designated pre-award/post-award specialist team like the Colleges, support for grant proposals must be meshed with other work priorities.  Engaging your colleagues about the proposal as early as possible is to your advantage.

Generally, you should submit the DPS Pre-Award Planning Form at least 10 business days prior to the OSP submission deadline.  The more complicated the proposal, the earlier you should notify others.  Plan on having all proposal materials finalized ready for submission at least two business days prior to the OSP submission deadline.

OSP Deadlines

The OSP requires the final proposal with all attachments to be in Kuali with a completed approval workflow by three business days prior to the funder’s submission deadline.

Once submitted via Kuali, OSP will frequently expect revisions to be made.  These revisions must be 100% complete by 9am on the funder’s submission deadline date.

Preferably, the PI will notify OSP as soon as they are aware of the intent to submit an application.  OSP maintains a 3-month planning calendar for this purpose.  An email or phone call to the appropriate grant administrator will reserve that person’s time so that they are available to assist with the application. OSP will meet all sponsor deadlines; however, those applications that are received too late for appropriate review may be withdrawn by UMBC if errors are found later.

  • Review “OSP Frequently Asked Questions” FAQ 6 for more information about deadlines.
  • See Timeline and Deadlines Overview for a chart to help you calculate deadline dates based on proposal deadline.

7. Who needs to approve my grant application before it’s submitted?

Proposals must be endorsed and approved by the Principal Investigator (PI), Department Chair, College Dean/Center Director, and the Office of Sponsored Programs (Manager or Director/Asst. Director) before final submission to the Sponsor.

DPS Approval Process

  • Trisha Wells submits the proposal.
  • The PI approves the proposal.
  • Chris Steele approves the proposal.
  • OSP handles the remaining review/approval steps.

NOTE: At times, OSP will tell the PI to do the actual submission, but this should only happen with express written direction from OSP to do so.

  • Review “OSP Frequently Asked Questions”  FAQ 7 at the following link for more information about proposal approval routing.

8. What does pre-award mean?  Post-award?

Pre-award is shorthand for the proposal writing and submission process.  Post-award is the period of performance in the sponsored program agreement plus the time it takes at the end to finish reports and financial summaries.

 

Managing and Renewing Your Grant

1. What happens if I’m awarded the grant?

A Notice of Award (NOA) is a legal agreement between UMBC and the sponsor.  If the PI receives an award notification, the award notice and any agreements should be forwarded to OSP for review and acceptance.

UMBC’s Office of Contract and Grant Accounting (OCGA) will establish a project number in PeopleSoft for each award and enter the number into Kuali.  The PI should use the project number to charge expenses for the project.  The DPS Business Team will support you through all of these steps.

2. What kind of reports might need to be submitted and who is responsible for this?

The Sponsor will indicate the type(s) of reports requested.  Examples may include Annual Progress reports, Final Technical reports, Final Financial Reports and/or Invention/Patent/Property Reports.

Submitting required reports to Sponsors is a shared function between the PI/Unit, OSP, and OCGA, all dependent upon what type of report is being requested by the Sponsor.

  • Review “OSP Frequently Asked Questions”  FAQ 10 for more information about submitting reports.

3. Is renewing or continuing a grant into a new funding period the same as applying for a new one?

There are a few different options for renewing or continuing grants into new funding periods. The process depends on the type of renewal.

  • Multi-Year Award: Generally, multi-year grants are non-competing and only require the submission of a progress report, updated budget, and accomplishments to the funder.  These progress reports are written by the PI, sent to OCGA, and then are reviewed and submitted to the funder by OCGA.
  • New Funding Cycle: If your grant period is ending and you are applying for additional funding, this is considered a competing renewal. This generally requires a full proposal.
  • No-Cost Extension: A no-cost extension offers an additional period of time to complete the project and file reports, without additional funding.  Requests for extensions should be submitted far in advance of the original termination date of the project.  Procedures vary depending on the type of award and sponsor.

 

Budgeting

1. How do I build a budget for my grant proposal?

To build a budget, start by outlining the operational needs of the program, such as personnel, contractors, supplies, training, travel, and other fees.  The DPS Business Team can help provide accurate numbers for salaries and fringe benefits as needed.

2. What are indirect costs (or overhead) and do I need to include them in the budget?

Indirect costs (also known as “facilities and administrative” or “F&A” costs) are overhead expenses such as utilities, IT infrastructure, administrative, etc., that keep programs running but cannot be directly identified with a specific program.  Indirect costs should be included in the budget.  UMBC has federally negotiated F&A rates that have been pre-approved for use on grants, contracts, and other agreements with the federal government. These rates must be applied to all sponsored programs as part of our agreement with the federal government.  State agencies and private foundations may have caps on indirect costs that are lower than UMBC’s federally-negotiated rates.

3. What if I don’t think we should have to pay F&A?

If the sponsor has a written policy limiting the F&A they will pay, you can do an F&A waiver request to align with that policy.  Sponsored programs for which all the funds will be used for tuition/scholarships, are exempt from F&A.  Your situation may have some other unique attribute that makes an F&A waiver possible and, if so, submit the F&A waiver request with documentation as to why you believe a waiver is warranted.  Please note that UMBC must be very sparing in our F&A waivers to avoid the appearance of non-compliance with federal regulations on application of F&A.

4. The grant requires a match or cost-share. What does that mean and how do we pay for it?

A match or cost-share means that the funder requires UMBC to financially commit to a portion of the project’s costs.  Cost-sharing frequently involves salary related to the Principal Investigators or their staff, but may include non-salary items. In practice, this typically means that a UMBC employee is doing work (effort) for the grant but UMBC is paying their salary for the work.  Be very thoughtful about employee capacity to assume a cost share burden before moving forward.

 

Key Contacts

OSP Staff assigned to DPS

Cameron McAdams
Grants and Contracts Manager
cameron2@umbc.edu
410-455-3187

Julia Kuhlman
Grants and Contracts Specialist
jkuhlman@umbc.edu
410-455-1341

Division of Research & Creative Achievement – ORCA

Including staffing for ORCA, Office of Research Development (ORD), Office of Research Administrative Systems (ORAS), Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), Office of Research Protections & Compliance (ORPC), Office of Technology Development (OTD), Office of Earth & Space Research Administration (ESRA), and  Office of Center Administration & Management (OCAM).

Further Training and Resources

The Principal Investigator Proposal Handbook is a comprehensive guide.

There are multiple RCA & Affiliated myUMBC Groups you can join for updates and information.

Follow the Office of Sponsored Programs myUMBC group to stay informed about OSP activities.

The Division of Research & Creative Achievement has provided links to many training opportunities through various websites.

As UMBC websites may change, please alert Trisha if you catch a broken link or mis-link.