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104 Airport Drive Suite 2200, CB 1350
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1350
Phone: (919) 966-3411
Fax: (919) 962-5011 or (919) 962-3352
Email: resadminosr@unc.edu
RAMSeS Help desk: (919) 843-2594

IPF Help page for RAMSeS

This help page was designed to correspond to the various sections of the IPF. You may click on the title of a section listed below to view specific help instructions, or for a printable version of the complete help document click here (View Printable version).

A direct “help” line (843-2594) staffed by a knowledgeable information specialist is available for any technical problems.

Start New Proposal (General Information)
Investigators/Research Team
Budget
F&A Sharing (NEW 4/10/2007)
Conflict of Interest
Research Subjects
Subcontractors
Export Control
Intellectual Property
Benefits to NC
Location of Sponsored Activities
Application Abstract
Attachments
Approving Depts
Development Workspace

IMPORTANT:

Throughout the IPF you may see this magnifying glass icon which signifies a look-up field. Simply click the icon and a pop-up window will appear to allow you to search from relevant databases.

* Indicates this question must be answered before the page can be saved.

Start New Proposal (General Information)

*Funding Agency: Select in the pop-up window the Agency/Sponsor that will directly fund the research/project at UNC-CH. Generally speaking, this is the Agency/Sponsor whose name will be on the check to UNC-CH or to whom OSR will send invoices. If the Sponsor is not listed, select “Organization Not Listed” and you may type in the name of the Sponsor.
Funding Opportunity/Sponsor Application Number: (If applicable) enter the alphanumeric number provided by the Sponsor for this proposal.
Proposal Guideline URL: (If applicable) enter the web address of the guidelines/instructions associated with the Sponsor's application.
Prime Funding Agency: (If Applicable) the Prime Funding Agency applies when UNC-CH receives a subgrant or subcontract from an intermediate funding source. (e.g., NIH awards a grant to Duke and Duke awards a subgrant to UNC-CH. NIH is the Prime Funding Agency and Duke is the Funding Agency.)

General Proposal Information

*Project Name: This may be different than the "Project Title" and is used for tracking purposes.
*Initial Start Date: Please use the calendar to select an initial start date.
*Project End Date: Please use the calendar to select a project end date.
*Activity Type or Chess Code: Please select the most appropriate activity type from the drop down list (e.g., Research, Training, Clinical Trial). For additional information on CHESS codes at UNC, visit http://intranet.northcarolina.edu/docs/aa/research/sparc/G_CHESS_taxonomy.pdf
Proposal Type (Please select one):
- Amendment/Supplement: Select if requesting additional new dollars, extending period of performance or requesting a change in the scope of work on an existing award.
- New: Select if you are requesting new dollars NOT associated with an existing contract or grant.
- Non-Competing Continuation: Select if requesting release of dollars previously committed by sponsor/agency for an existing contract or grant.
- Renewal or Competing: Select if requesting new dollars for continuation of an existing award to establish a new budget period.
- Revised Request: Select if a previously submitted proposal is being reviewed for funding by the sponsor. The submission of a revised request would occur for the following reasons:
  1) Revised Personnel
  2) Revised Cost Share
  3) Revised Budget

If this proposal does not meet one of these proposal types, please contact the appropriate contract specialist to discuss the specific circumstances. (OSR Contact Finder link)

Award Type: Select the appropriate agreement.

*Will this proposal be submitted electronically to the Sponsor?: Indicate if this proposal is being submitted by some electronic method to the sponsor.

Select electronic method: Choose one of the following: Grants.gov, website, email, other.
Does the sponsor require a paper copy of this proposal or any part there of? Please indicate if any hard copy documentation is required to be submitted to the sponsor. If so, it will be necessary to bring such documents with bar-coded cover sheet to the appropriate administrative office (OSR, SPO, or OCT). (The PI and eIPF creator will receive an email directing them to provide the cover sheet and any hard-copy documents once the eIPF has been approved by all departments.)

*Is this a SNAP?: Please indicate if this proposal is being completed for a SNAP. For more information about SNAPs, working with NIH, and eRA Commons visit the OSR eRA Commons website.
*Award Admin Department (Lead Unit): Select the UNC-CH Department that has the responsibility to manage the contract or grant. This unit will receive all OSR post award information such as monthly financial statements.
Affiliated Center/Institute: Select other UNC-CH Centers/Institutes that will contribute space, personnel, or equipment to this project.
Sponsor Deadline: Enter the date by which the proposal must be received by the Agency/Sponsor. Generally, OSR, SPO, and OCT review proposals in the order in which they are received; however, consideration is given to the sponsor deadline. Proposals should be received by OSR, SPO, or OCT one to two weeks in advance of the sponsor deadline to ensure proper review and timely submission.
Previous UNC-CH Account Number (6 digits, no hyphen): If this proposal amends, supplements, renews or continues an existing project, provide the most recent UNC-CH account number. This information will assist in proposal review.
*Title of Project: Include the full title of the proposal which UNC-CH is submitting to the Funding Agency. This title should match the title on the cover letter and face page to the sponsor and the abstract.

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Investigators/Research Team

Provide the requested information about all individuals involved with this proposal. NOTE: The research team must include individuals named on the budget, as well as administrative contacts and investigators whose research protocols (human and animal) may be used on the project (if applicable). (See definitions below.)

Add Investigator Information: Simply click the look-up icon and a pop-up window will appear to allow you to search the UNC database by last name. If the individual cannot be found, select “Person Not Listed" at the bottom of the screen and a window will appear to allow you to add the individual manually. Please provide the person’s PID (if known), first name, last name, and click "Submit". For each research team member, enter the corresponding phone, email address, department, role (see below), and expected percentage of effort (see below). In addition, if an individual holds dual appointments and the wrong department was selected for this IPF, you may change the department.

Role:
- Lead Principal Investigator: Every proposal must have one (1) Lead Principal Investigator. This individual is responsible for the technical, regulatory and financial aspects of the project. Please verify that the person listed as the Lead PI is eligible to serve in accordance with the following UNC-CH policy: Only full-time permanent EPA employees are eligible to serve as Principal Investigators on sponsored research projects. Any exceptions require the approval of the department chair and the dean. For additional guidance on this policy, please contact the Office of Sponsored Research (phone 966-3411).
- Principal Investigator: This individual should only be selected if the Sponsor allows for multiple PIs, and must meet all of the criteria for a PI.
- Investigator: This individual is considered to be a primary contributor to the successful conduct of a research project.
- Fellow: This individual is a student, pre or postdoc applying for a fellowship or support for dissertation research whose mentor is the Lead Principal Investigator on this proposal.
- PostDoc: This individual has received a doctoral degree and serves on the research project.
- Administrative Contact: This individual has proposal edit rights, but is not named on the budget (e.g., department contract and grant manager).
- Other: This individual does not meet any of the above definitions.
% Effort: Use the “Click to view effort report” link to review the current committed effort (from payroll) for the selected individual. The report will show a graphical representation of the most recent committed effort to research projects. In addition, the report will list the various accounts and corresponding effort committed (including cost-share) with active links that provide additional details.

List of Investigators

The Lead Principal Investigator and all Principal Investigators will receive an electronic notification to certify their role on this project prior to submission to the Sponsor. (You may go back and “Remove” an individual who has been previously accepted.)

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Budget

Initial/Current Budget Period

Begin Date: The start date for the initial period/first year of the project. Click the graphic next to the field to select the date.
End Date: The completion date of the initial period/first year of the project.
Direct (no commas): The estimated Direct costs for the first budget year of the project.
F&A base (or Modified Total Direct Costs [MTDC]): consists of all salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel and subcontracts up to $25,000 of each subcontract (regardless of the period covered by the subcontract). F&A base shall exclude *equipment, capital expenditures, and charges for patient care and tuition remission, rental costs of off-site facilities, scholarships, and fellowships as well as the portion of each subcontract in excess of $25,000. (Reminder: Mandatory in-state tuition for eligible GRAs on research grants must be excluded from the F&A cost base for each budget year.) (*Equipment is defined as an item costing greater than $5,000)
F&A Rate: the F&A rate defaults to the current Organized Research rate, but may be changed by simply clicking “Change Rate”. More information on F&A rates is available on the following OSR web site: http://research.unc.edu/osr/fanda_agreement.pdf
F&A Amount: Click “Calculate Amt” to obtain the product of the F&A base and the F&A rate. If necessary, this field may now be editted manually. More information on F&A rates is available on the following OSR web site: http://research.unc.edu/osr/fanda_agreement.pdf
Initial Funds Req: This field may either be calculated by clicking “Calculate Total” or changed manually.

Total Period (Total Request)

Enter the corresponding information for the Total Period.

Cost Sharing or Cash Matching (initial/current budget period)

Does the proposal include funds or contributions in the form of cost sharing or cash matching? Please indicate whether this proposal commits UNC-CH, the Department/Institute, and/or a subcontractor to provide cost sharing or cash matching in support of this project.
- If yes, answer the following question: Please enter the expected cost share amount and the expected cost share account.
- If yes, check the appropriate type(s): Please check all that apply.
  - Agency Mandated: Cost sharing which is required either by Federal statute or established by Sponsor policy. The costs are documented and are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project objectives.
  - Voluntary (Mandatory if Awarded): Cost sharing which is not required by Federal statute or sponsor policy, or which is in excess of any such stated requirements and is volunteered to substantively demonstrate the collective university commitment to a project.
NOTE: All cost sharing must be documented in accordance with established criteria. The Lead Principal Investigator and his/her Department Chair must concur with and commit to any cost shared resources.

F&A: The PI elects to provide cost sharing by charging less than the full indirect cost rate applicable to the project. This type of cost sharing requires F&A rate reduction approval by OSR. The F&A Cost Policy is available online at http://research.unc.edu/osr/f&a_policy.pdf. F&A rate reduction request forms are available online at:

Sponsor is a for-profit entity (Rate Reduction Request form)

All other sponsors (Rate Reduction Request form)

In-Kind: Normally encountered in public service-oriented projects involving the contribution of services from outside the University. Such services might be donated by student tutors, private M.D.s, dentists, volunteers, etc., or consist of property donated by non-Federal third parties. Although the University does not pay for such services, these must be documented and should, at a minimum, entail a record of dates and time donated by the individual. IMPORTANT: FAILURE TO MEET OR ADEQUATELY DOCUMENT IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS COULD RESULT IN A PRO-RATA PORTION OF UNIVERSITY-INCURRED COST BEING DISALLOWED AND THE CREATION OF A SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEM.
Matching: Involves a University contribution of funds specifically appropriated for and allocated to the project. The allocation and billing of project cost is processed in accordance with the agreement such as 75% Federal and 25% non-Federal.
Salary Cap: A mandatory form of cost sharing whereby a sponsor (typically the NIH) limits the salary payable to a PI.
Other: Use this field to describe other types of Cost Sharing or Cash Matching.

Are you requesting the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development provide funds to support this proposal? Please indicate whether this proposal commits UNC-CH (not the Department/Institute) or a subcontractor to provide cost sharing or cash matching in support of this project.

Personnel/Space/Equipment

Do you need additional resources to do this project over and above what is requested in the proposal budget?
- If yes, check any that apply, and provide justification for each in the space provided. Also indicate if approvals from your (or other) department(s) have been obtained.

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F&A Sharing (NEW 4/10/2007)

This tab allows the eIPF creator to designate how F&A will be distributed between collaborating departments when the Lead Principal Investigator’s and a Co-Principal Investigator(s)’ home departments are not the same.

The shared F&A percentages will be pre-populated in accordance with the standard formula for the distribution of F&A recoveries outlined in the policy on Sharing of Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Cost Reimbursements in Collaborations (link to policy-PDF). This standard formula (see below) is not fixed (except for the 3.9% for the Dean or Vice Chancellor) and may be revised based on negotiations and agreement between departments; however, any accepted redistribution of the percentages must always total 19.5%.

3.9 % Dean or Vice Chancellor

5.2% Home Department(s) of Principal Investigator(s) and any Qualifying Co-Investigators

5.2% Unit where award is administered

5.2% Units(s) where work is actually performed (note: if the unit and F&A percentage is already listed above, enter the unit again and indicate zero F&A percent)

Note: At this time, the “F&A Sharing” tab on the IPF is strictly for documentation of departmental F&A recovery. All departments are strongly encouraged to revisit and review their internal processes for routing and approving eIPFs when the project involves a Lead PI and collaborating Co-PI(s) from different home departments. The OSR, SPO, and OCT will accept the distribution of F&A as submitted in the eIPF and not attempt to verify or change this information.

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Conflict of Interest

It is important for the PI to ensure that members of the Research Team are not involved in activities that may impose an actual or perceived conflict of interest as it would relate to the conduct of the research and/or a member's relationship with the Sponsor. If you think a conflict exists, see UNC-CH's Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Commitment.

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Research Subjects

Human Subjects (direct link to OHRE)

Using the magnifying glass will allow you to identify all human subject protocols for every member of the research team listed on the Investigator/Research Team section. Select the relevant protocol(s) that are associated with this proposal. The remaining yes/no questions are necessary for IRBs to accurately link research proposals with approved protocol(s).

If the proposal involves human subjects and no submission to the IRB has been made, indicate:

JIT: (Just in Time processing) the review package will be submitted for IRB review once UNC-CH is notified that funding/award is imminent.
Not Submitted

Animal Subjects (direct link to OACU)

Using the magnifying glass will allow you to identify all animal protocols for every member of the research team listed on the Investigator/Research Team section. Select the relevant protocol(s) that are associated with this proposal. The remaining yes/no questions are necessary for the IACUC to accurately link research proposals with approved protocol(s).

If the proposal involves animal subjects and no submission to the IACUC has been made, indicate:

JIT: (Just in Time processing) the review package will be submitted for IACUC review once UNC-CH is notified that funding/award is imminent.
Not Submitted

Research Materials (direct link to DEHS)

Special UNC-CH clearances may be required if these research materials are used in the sponsored research. Please contact DEHS for guidance dehs@unc.edu

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Subcontractors

If subcontractors are included as part of the proposal, list the subcontractor names and provide the requested information below.

1) Statement of Work
2) Budget
3) Budget Justification
4) If NIH, 398 and 2590 face page, budget pages for initial and out-years, budget justification, checklist, and UNC Subcontract Commitment Letter.
5) If NIH is not the Sponsor Agency, a UNC Subcontract Commitment Letter.

Additional information that may be required is 1) the negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, 2) Representations and Certifications.

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Export Control

Export Control web sites have been created to assist with determining whether compliance issues exist. The OSR will assist PIs in assessing the application of such regulations, but primary compliance responsibility will rest with the Lead Principal Investigator of the research. If you have any questions about export control regulations, please contact Dr. Jim Peterson (phone-966-2542) or visit one of the Export Control web sites:

http://research.unc.edu/osr/policies/export_control.php
http://www.unc.edu/depts/legal/newlinks.html

Lead Principal Investigators shall determine with OSR input that:

any research effected by the Export Control Act complies with its regulations and reporting requirements far enough in advance to obtain an export license, should one be required
any change in the scope or addition of new staff may require a re-determination

* Do you anticipate sending/transporting anything or receiving anything from outside of the US?
This applies to both actually exporting or importing equipment or other items or hand-carrying items into or outside of the country.
* Do you anticipate any travel outside the US associated with this project?

This applies to any member of the research team.

* Will you send your research results to a foreign country or foreign national?
This applies to unpublished documentation. The term "foreign national" is defined as a person (natural person as well as a corporation, business, association, partnership, society, trust, or any other entity, organization, or group, including government entities) who is not a lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. an individual who has not been lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with the immigration laws or who is not a protected individual. (A "foreign national" is a person that has not been issued a "green card" by the U.S. government, or who possesses only a student visa)
* Is any member of the research team a foreign national? See above for definition.

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Intellectual Property

Management of intellectual property has significant overlap with management of sponsored research. Contractual terms in sponsored research agreements and licensing or material transfer agreements can sometimes conflict. Your answers to these questions will help us speed communication and avoid problems that may delay your project.

For additional information regarding any of the Intellectual Property questions, please contact the Office of Technology Development (OTD) at otd@unc.edu or you may visit Commonly Asked Questions and Answers About Patents & Licensing.

Disclosure: Disclosure refers to the submission of a Report of Invention (ROI) to the Office of Technology Development. An ROI may lead to the filing of a patent application and may further lead to commercial licensing of the invention, regardless of whether a patent application was filed. An ROI may be submitted electronically at http://cfx3.research.unc.edu/eotd/

Patent: A patent is a Federal grant based on an invention, which gives the holder the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention. A patent application gives notice that such rights may arise in the future, however, the right to exclude others begins only when the patent is issued.

Sponsored research projects may contemplate further development of UNC inventions claimed in a patent or patent application, or patented inventions owned by outside parties may be relevant to the project. Such situations require that OSR take care to address these issues appropriately in the sponsored research agreement.

Transfer Agreement: A transfer agreement can be a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), academic or research use license, or any other written agreement under which the UNC researcher has obtained the limited right to use something owned by another entity. UNC researchers also share materials with outside parties under an MTA or other forms of research use licenses.

Should the sponsored research proposal contemplate using materials, data, or software obtained under such an agreement, OSR must take care to avoid conflicting obligations between the transfer agreement and the sponsor of the proposed research.

License: A license is a written agreement whereby the owner of property grants limited rights in that property to another. A commercial license for tangible property (material) or intellectual property typically grants the right to make, use or sell the property.

If a UNC invention is licensed to a commercial entity and is also to be used or further developed in the proposed research, OSR must take care to avoid granting rights in that invention to the sponsor.

Is this proposal an SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research Program)?

SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs.

Is this proposal an STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer Program)?

STTR is an important small business program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions. STTR's most important role is to foster the innovation necessary to meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges in the 21st century.

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Benefits to North Carolina

All sponsored programs provide benefits in the sense of institutional support, employment, training of students, and the economic multiplier effect (e.g., university, employee, student, and visitor spending). However, this question addresses projects that emphasize benefits to North Carolina citizens beyond the immediate university community. Please check all that apply to this project.

Will this project:

* Affect Economic Development in North Carolina?
* Provide Community Service in North Carolina?
* Address the General Education, Health, or Welfare of North Carolina Citizens?
* Involve research with an Institute or Center within UNC-CH?
- (Click here for a listing of Centers and Institutes at UNC-CH)

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Location of Sponsored Activities

On-Campus Locations:

This is a free text field. Enter specific campus location(s) where research will be conducted. Please be as precise as possible.

Out-of-State Locations:

In the drop down box, select the state(s) in which sponsored activities will occur. More than one state can be selected or all states can be selected.

NC County Locations:

In the drop down box, select the county(ies) in which sponsored activities will occur. More than one county can be selected or all counties can be selected.

Out-of-Country Locations:

Please select the name(s) of the country(ies) where sponsored activities will occur.

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Application Abstract

Please select a CIP code (Science Code) that describes the type of research contained in this proposal: The CIP is a taxonomic coding scheme that contains titles and descriptions of primarily postsecondary instructional programs. It was developed to facilitate NCES’s collection and reporting of postsecondary degree completions by major field of study using standard classifications that capture the majority of reportable program activity.
For additional information on Science Codes please visit the National Center for Education Statistics web site
* I give permission to include this abstract in the Research Abstracts Database (RAD): Please indicate whether or not this abstract may be published in RAD.

This abstract will be used for the UNC-CH Research Abstracts Database (RAD). RAD is a database designed to match faculty researchers with potential collaborators and funding resources and to help identify expertise and areas of research interests on the UNC-CH campus. The abstract should be plainly written and in sufficient detail to summarize: (1) the purpose(s) or problem(s), (2) the hypothesis(es) or objective(s), and (3) the method(s) of the project(s).

All abstracts in the database will be available to the public. If this abstract contains ANY University or sponsor proprietary information, such as description of a potentially patentable invention (i.e., a new and useful process, machine, article of manufacturing, composition of manufacture, or related improvements), you MUST check "No" below and if you have not already done so, you should contact the Office of Technology Development (OTD) at 966-3929 for invention management assistance.

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Attachments

You may add as many attachments as necessary. These attachments will be viewable to all the IPF approvers across campus that are listed on the "Approving Departments" tab. You may edit and/or remove an attachment before it is submitted. Once submitted, however, attachments may only be viewed. Within the RAMSeS system, these documents will be labeled 'IPF' indicating that they were uploaded during the submission of the IPF

Additional proposal documents may be uploaded after the IPF has been submitted and assigned for viewing by the following roles: IPF Creator, Lead PI Only, Admin Award Dept IPF Approver, Lead PI Appt. Dept IPF Approver, Certifying Invstigator(s), Research Team, or All IPF Parties. Any document uploaded after the IPF is submitted will be automatically viewable by the Admin Office as well as OSR, OCT, and SPO. Such documents may include JIT a copy of the IRB or IACUC approval documents. Within the RAMSeS system, these documents will be labeled 'Post Approval' indicationg that they were uploaded after the IPF was submitted.

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Approving Departments

Please review the “List of Approving Departments” at the bottom of this screen. Note: the Award Department is always listed first and cannot be changed or removed. The additional departments listed are those that must approve the eIPF (view Notifications). The routing order for these departments can be made sequential or concurrent by changing the number in the drop down box. You may add other departments by clicking the magnifying glass icon and choosing from the alphabetical list. You can only remove a department with a “Remove” field next to the role.