Services We Offer
- Assisting faculty members in identifying funding sources and preparing proposals;
- Maintaining a grants and contracts database and generating regular reports on sponsored programs;
- Reviewing and approving all grants and contracts proposals submitted to outside funding agencies;
- Assisting project directors and principal investigators in the financial administration of their grants and contracts;
- Authorizing establishment of accounts for accepted awards;
- Reviewing, interpreting, and disseminating policies of outside private and governmental funding agencies;
- Negotiating grant and contract awards for the University with outside funding agencies;
- Negotiating and preparing subcontracts from University awards to other institutions and organizations;
- Interpreting and implementing University policies related to grants and contracts;
- Providing administrative oversight to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which administers the UW-L Human Subjects Review process; and
- Supervising Grant Development Specialist who works with faculty and staff to plan projects and write proposals which include UW-L and the School District of La Crosse in collaborative efforts.
The Proposal Process
THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OR PROJECT DIRECTOR:
- Prepares the proposal (e.g., the problem statement, anticipated outcomes, the methodology);
- Discusses the project with the appropriate department chair and dean (or division officer) and the Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer before the final draft is prepared;
- Must submit a final budget to the Office of Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities before submission to funding agency; (The Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Office can provide direct aid in forming the project budget.)
- Must submit an internal Grant Transmittal Form. The form must be completely filled out with the signatures of the Principal Investigator, Department Chair, and Dean, before submission to the Office of Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities for final approval. At a minimum, the transmittal form must be accompanied by project summary and the budget that is to be submitted to the funding agency; and
- Must submit, when using animal or human subjects in their research protocols, proposals to either the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) for special review protocols. This special review may be filed either before or after submission of the proposal unless the sponsoring agency has specific requirements.
The Awards Process
The Office of Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities assists the Principal Investigator/Project Director in negotiations, formal acceptance of awards, and the establishment of a project budget. Project administration is a shared responsibility (see below).
NEGOTIATIONS
When necessary, the Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer - in close consultation with the Project Director, Department Chair, Dean, and others - will negotiate with the funding agency. Issues which may be discussed include budget, personnel, cost-sharing and other terms and/or conditions of the award.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A BUDGET
Upon notification of an award by the granting agency, the Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer, in consultation with the Project Director, will verify the itemized budget. A uniquely numbered account and title for the project (Fund 144 for a Federal Grant; Fund 133 a non-federal award) will be established by the Business Services Office.
PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
The Principal Investigator, along with the Department Chair, Dean, and central administration, is responsible for directing the funded project and bears fiscal responsibility.
General Services
You may call the Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer for assistance at any point in the application and/or award process. It is strongly suggested that you call as early as possible in the process for assistance in any or all of the following categories: sponsored research, policy and procedure interpretation, proposal preparation advice and review, budgeting, and compliance concerns.
The Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer also serves as a member of the Faculty Research and Grants Committee and the UW-La Crosse Foundation Grants Review Committee.
For more details on writing proposals, please see Proposal Content and Budget.
Help With Human Subjects Review
The Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer provides administrative oversight to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Subjects, its Executive Committee, and its chair. The IRB's function is to review research protocols for the use of human subjects in research (funded or non-funded) proposed by faculty, staff, and students of UW-L.
Other functions of the Sponsored Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities Officer, relative to human subject review, include providing certification of approval to sponsors and advising investigators and departments on policies and procedures. A guide and necessary forms for submission of proposals to the IRB are available online.
IRB Guidelines and Forms
- IRB Operating Guidelines and Organizational Policies
- IRB Attachment A - Application for University IRB Review
- IRB Attachment B IRB - Determination Form (for Federal Funding Agencies)
- IRB Attachment C - UW-L IRB Progress Report Form
- A Researcher’s Guide for Submission of Protocols
- Human Subjects Research—Computer Based Training (CBT) tutorial
- UW-L IRB Members
- IRB Meetings Calendar
