Grants Processing Policy (UNC-Chapel Hill)

Introduction
Guidelines (Office of the President, Administrative Policy, Chapter 500.4(R))
Constituent Institution requirements and responsibilities
Faculty and staff requirements and responsibilities
Important reminder

Introduction

The Office of the President states in The University of North Carolina Administrative Policy Manual, Chapter 500.4 (R) "Regulations on Administrating Sponsored Programs" the general requirements and responsibilities of constituent institutions as it pertains to the administration of sponsored programs. A few key points from the policy are listed below for quick reference. The policy can be found under the Office of the President’s home page:

All faculty and staff involved in preparing or processing grant proposals should familiarize themselves with these requirements.

Guidelines (UNCPM 500.4.4):

Generally, two basic features define sponsored programs:

they are separately supported in whole or in part by external sponsors, and
they are executed under the terms of agreement between the University and sponsors.

General criteria that must be considered in the development of sponsored programs include:

Adequate budgetary support, both direct and indirect (F&A), is to be provided by the sponsor or other appropriate sources. No unauthorized obligations are to be assumed by the University.
Sponsored programs must be compatible with the overall mission of the University.
Sponsored programs must be consistent with federal and state laws and University policies.

Constituent Institution (UNC-CH) Requirements and Responsibilities (UNCPM 500.4.6):

Report sponsored programs submission, award and expenditure data to the Office of the President.
Ensure sponsored programs are conducted and funds are used in a manner consistent with federal and state laws and University policies.
Ensure sponsored programs funds reside in a designated University account.
Ensure a statement of work and budget exists explaining the purpose and use of each sponsored program's funds.
Ensure only those with delegated authority enter into agreements that commit the University to provide for the delivery of goods or services.
Ensure prior approval from the Office of the President is obtained for the following:
- Commitment to continue an activity, retain personnel, provide cash matching/cost sharing funds, or provide capital improvements or equipment beyond the expiration of sponsored support or in excess of institutional resource levels.
- Creation of a new organizational unit within the institution or the University.
- Creation of a new degree program

Faculty and Staff Requirements and Responsibilities (UNCPM 500.4.7):

Each faculty or staff member involved with sponsored programs will:

Submit all requests for support of sponsored programs through the appropriate institutional office for review and approval prior to submission to the sponsor.
Adhere to all federal and state laws and university policies.
Conduct sponsored program activities in accordance with the highest ethical standards.

To comply with these requirements, ALL grant or contract proposals - including electronic proposal submissions and proposals that do not require a university signature by the sponsoring agency - must be approved through university channels before submission to sponsors. The Internal Processing Form is used to collect the required information and approvals.

Important Reminder:

As applicable, lab safety plan, human subjects and animal subjects approvals should be current. Exceptions to human and animal approvals include the NIH "just-in-time" for new and competing renewals or "pending" for new submissions to other granting agencies (unless otherwise stipulated by the granting source).

Provided by the Office of Sponsored Research and the Sponsored Programs Office/SOM.