What is a grant?

A grant is an assistance instrument of which the primary purpose of which is to support the University in the pursuit of its mission. The sponsor has no substantial involvement in the conduct of the project.

What is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement is an assistance instrument used by federal agencies in cases where the agency anticipates being substantially involved with the awardee in the programmatic aspects of the work.

What is a gift and how is it different from a grant?

A gift is a contribution; an unconditional transfer of cash that is voluntary and non-reciprocal. It is different from a grant in that gift funds are unrestricted. Whereas, grant funds are restricted and must be used as described in the proposal. The ORSP does not monitor gifts. Please contact the Advancement Office regarding any questions about gifts.

What is a contract?

The primary purpose of a (sponsored) contract is to enable the sponsor to purchase services or goods from Concordia University. Contract performance is closely monitored by the sponsor and the ORSP to ensure that the objectives of the contract are met and the funds are spent appropriately.

What is a sub-award?

A sub-award is negotiated with a pass-through entity (the prime applicant) at the proposal stage. A sub-awardee is selected to carry out part of the Federal award received by the prime recipient. It should not be confused with a contract.

Do I need to involve the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs when applying for a grant?

Yes, all proposals must be approved and submitted by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

What is a PI?

The PI is the Principal Investigator; the person with subject matter expertise and the person responsible for the entire project.

What is the PI responsible for?

The PI is responsible for understanding the granting agency guidelines; including deadlines, writing the project narrative, providing budget information to the ORSP, providing any information needed to submit the proposal (i.e. resumes, letters of commitment, etc.). The PI is also responsible for starting the routing process. After the award, the PI is responsible for carrying out all project activities, approving expenses, writing interim and final reports, among other project-specific responsibilities.

What is the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs responsible for?

The ORSP is responsible for assisting the PI with proposal submission, including navigating the Cayuse system and approving the final budget. The ORSP also helps the PI with budget development, interpreting the guidelines, and may assist with editing. After the award, the ORSP assists with project review, monitoring budget expenditures, pre-audit, and conducting risk assessment of sub-awardees.

When should I submit my completed proposal documents to the ORSP?

The ORSP requires 48 hour lead time for all proposal submissions. This allows ORSP staff ample time to review and edit the proposal documents, complete the online forms, and ensure that it is routed for internal approvals.

Contact us

Tonya Bartoletti
Assistant Director
tonya.bartoletti@cuw.edu
262-243-2794