Frequently Asked Questions

grant admin infrastructure implementation

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Who is eligible to submit proposals through ORSP?
How far in advance of the proposal deadline should I contact ORSP?
Are ORSP and SFSU registered with Grants.gov for electronic proposal submissions?
Whom do I contact about my budget?
What is SFSU's multi-year Facilities and Administrative (indirect cost) rate agreement?
Do I need to contact the Dean or Chair of my department?
When does my budget have to be completed?
When does the narrative of my proposal have to be completed?
Can I receive help editing my proposal?
How will I know if my grant gets funded?
What happens next when my grant gets funded?

Who is eligible to submit proposals through ORSP?

Only tenured/tenure-track faculty members and MPP Directors are eligible to submit proposals for extra-mural funding through ORSP.

How far in advance of the proposal deadline should I contact ORSP?

Please contact ORSP as soon as you know you are going to submit a proposal. You must notify ORSP AT LEAST 3 weeks before your deadline, so that we can ensure we will have the staffing resources available to work with you (For all Grants.gov submissions, and additional week is required). Your first step is to complete our on-line PI Checklist, which provides the information we will need to complete your budget. If you have any questions about filling out this form, please contact Jackie White, PreAward Manager (whitej@sfsu.edu or 338-3578).

Are ORSP and SFSU registered with Grants.gov for electronic proposal submissions?

Yes, ORSP and SFSU are fully registered with Grants.gov.

Whom do I contact about my budget?

After you submit the PI Checklist, you will be contacted by the Proposal Preparation Specialist who will complete your budget.

What is SFSU's multi-year Facilities and Administrative (indirect cost) rate agreement?

San Francisco State University has a multi-year Facilities and Administrative (indirect cost) rate agreement with the federal government. This agreement specifies the F&A cost rates to be applied to awards from federal and non-federal sponsors. The agreement is dated November 3, 2005, and is effective through June 30, 2010.

The rates specified in the agreement are as follows:

The rate for on-campus research is 53.0%; for on-campus instruction, 53.6%; for other on-campus sponsored activities, 28.6%.

The rate for off-campus research, instruction, or other sponsored activities is 26.0 percent.

Exceptions to these rates occur when a funding agency places a cap on the F&A rate. In this case, ORSP must have written guidelines from the funding agency stating that there is a limit on F&A costs.

If you would like to discuss any variance from the above rates, you must speak directly with Enrique Riveros-Schäfer, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (eriveros@sfsu.edu or 415-338-1511).

Read SFSU Indirect Cost Agreement (pdf format)

Do I need to contact the Dean or Chair of my department?

We strongly advise that you contact both. If there is any costsharing or costmatching required in your grant, you will need approval from the Dean. In addition, release time must also be approved by your Dean.

When does my budget have to be completed?

Budgets should be completed one week before the submission deadline. At this time, we should also have all supporting documents, such as biosketches, C.V.s, resources, etc.

When does the narrative of my proposal have to be completed?

The narrative should be submitted in final form to the Proposal Preparation Specialist no later than two days before the submission deadline.

Can I receive help editing my proposal?

Barbara Ustanko is the Proposals Editor at ORSP. Her services include providing feedback on proposal drafts and copyediting proposals for clarity and persuasiveness. She may also assist with compiling appropriate background statistics, developing charts and tables, and drafting supplemental materials such as letters of support and memoranda of understanding, depending on your specific needs and the amount of lead time available.

How will I know if my grant is funded?

It is most common for granting agencies to contact the Principal Investigator. The National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation have online systems that notify the P.I. and our office. Some granting agencies do not notify ORSP, so you should contact Charlene Cervantes (cervantc@sfsu.edu or 338-1840) when you receive notification of funding. Many agencies will also send reviewers' comments to you. We would appreciate receiving a copy of those comments for our files. These copies will also help us to assist you if you decide to resubmit an amended proposal.

What happens next when my grant is funded?

You will be connected to a Grants Administrator to work with who will set up an account for you. This person will be your contact for accounting and personnel information. (See post-award staff.)

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