Training & Resources
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) offers a variety of tools and resources for research administrators to help faculty, staff, and students in their external funding endeavors. Training and resources comply with federal rules and regulations as well as Texas State’s policies and procedures.
Special note for Mac Users: When filling out a fillable PDF, you will need to sign and then Print to PDF before sending. If Mac users do not Print to PDF, the completed fields are not visible when opened on a Windows system.
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National Science Foundation (NSF)
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Resources for submitting an NSF application (Pre-Award)
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Pre-Award NSF Resources
- NSF Proposal Documents PI Checklist
- NSF CAREER Proposal Submission Review Checklist
NSF CAREER Proposal Synopsis of Solicitation Requirements
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) – Proposal Submission Logistics - NSF Broader Impacts Guiding Principles
- Allowable Costs
- Create your NIH or NSF Biosketch with SciENcv
- Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research (Coming soon)
- Research.gov proposal preparation first steps:
- If you do not have a research.gov account, register for an NSF ID
- Once this is complete, prepare a new proposal.
- When you have set up a new proposal, share the proposal with the SPO/AOR so the TXST Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is able to access, review, and submit the proposal. Our NSF ID is 000722687
- Additional guides are available on the research.gov website
NSF Youtube Channel
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PI Award Package
Coming Soon
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Resources for administering your NSF award (Post-Award)
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NSF Award Administration Guide
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Reporting Requirements
There are 4 types of reports for the National Science Foundation. Progress reports of NSF-supported projects are required. Only a Principal Investigator (PIs) and co-PIs can create, edit, and submit project reports. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) staff have read-only view of project reports.
Additional information and tips can be found at About Project Reports
Report Type Description Submission Requirements Annual Report Annual project reports are required for all standard and continuing grants and cooperative agreements. All submitted annual and final reports must be approved by an NSF Program Officer to meet the submission requirements. Interim Report Interim project reports are not required and are used to update the progress of a project any time during or before the award period expires Final Report Final reports are required for all standard and continuing grants, cooperative agreements, and fellowships. All submitted annual and final reports must be approved by an NSF Program Officer to meet the submission requirements. Project Outcomes Report The Project Outcomes Report is a report written for new and existing awards, specifically for the public, that provides insight into the outcomes of NSF-funded research. -
Award Closeout
Award Closeout is the process by which NSF determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the award have been completed. See also Chapter VI.D.3.c for additional information on no cost extensions. The close out amount will be based on the costs recorded at that time. See also Chapter VIII.E.5 for additional information on post closeout adjustments and final disbursements. Awards are administratively closed after the award is financially closed. In most cases, awards are administratively closed automatically based solely on the financial closeout of the award. There are certain cases, such as if the award includes a cost sharing requirement or Federally-owned equipment, where the administrative close is held until the award is reviewed by n NSF Official. The administrative closeout of the award is an NSF action. If additional documentation is required, NSF will contact the recipient. In addition to the financial and administrative closeout, all required project reports, including the Final Annual Project Report and Project Outcomes Report, must also be submitted to completely close the award, and after determination that any other administrative requirements in the award have been met. Awards will be financially closed out 120 days after their expiration date.
In accordance with 2 CFR §200.344(i), if the recipient does not submit all required reports within one year of the period of performance end date, NSF must report the recipient’s material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the award with the OMB-designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). NSF may also pursue other enforcement actions per 2 CFR §200.339.
In the event a final audit has not been performed prior to the closeout of the award, NSF reserves the right to recover funds after fully considering the recommendations on disallowed costs resulting from the final audit.
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Record Retention and Audit
- Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the NSF award must be retained by the recipient for a period of three years from award financial closeout described in Chapter VIII.E.3, except as noted in 2 CFR §200.334.
- It is the responsibility of recipients that are States, local governments, or non-profit organizations to arrange for the conduct of audits as required by 2 CFR §200, Subpart F. They shall provide copies of the reports of these audits to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (see 2 CFR §200.512(b)). Any Federal audit deemed necessary by NSF shall build upon the results of such audit(s).
- All awards issued by NSF meet the definition of Research and Development (R&D) at 2 CFR §200.1. As such, auditees should identify NSF awards as part of the R&D cluster on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The auditor should test NSF awards for compliance as instructed in Part V, Clusters of Programs. NSF recognizes that some awards may have another classification for purposes of indirect costs (F&A). The auditor is not required to report the disconnect (i.e., the award is classified as R&D for audit purposes but non-research for indirect cost rate (F&A) purposes), unless the auditee is charging indirect costs at a rate other than the rate(s) specified in the award document(s).
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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Pre-Award
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NIH Resources
- NIH Required Documents (R01, R03, & R21) PI Checklist
- Budget Justification Template
- Additional Narrative Justification
- Statement of Intent to Establish a Consortium Agreement template
- Examples of Project Leadership Plans for Multiple Pi Grant Applications
- Create your NIH or NSF Biosketch with SciENcv
- Understanding the New NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy – Part 1
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NIH ASSIST
NIH ASSIST first steps
NIH ASSIST is the preferred portal for use in submitting your NIH application. At a minimum, the PI is required to be registered in eRA Commons to initiate the proposal in ASSIST. Please use the guidance and resources below to guide you through the process.
- If you do not have an eRA Commons account (USERID), please let contact your PreAward Coordinator to create one. A system generated email will come to you from eRA commons providing you with a USERID and asking that you establish a password.
- Once you have completed your eRA Commons registration, initiate an application with the guidelines available at Preparing Your Application Using ASSIST and How to Initiate an Application in ASSIST (NIH youtube).
- Please email your PreAward Coordinator once you have initiated your application in ASSIST for review and confirmation of linkage with Texas State University.
- OSP will enter institutional information, review the documents, and confirm the budget. The PI however is required to complete the portal questionnaires, enter the budget detail, and upload the remaining required documents in the specified format and naming convention into ASSIST 3 business days prior to the sponsor due date. OSP will provide a preview for final review and PI approval, and OSP will submit the proposal.
- Additional guides are available on the Apply to NIH website.
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Post-Award
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NIH Peer Review Process
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Award Management – All About Costs: A Post-Award Primer
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Summary of Actions Requiring NIH Prior Approval
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Reporting Requirements
Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)
The RPPR is used by recipients to submit progress reports to NIH on their grant awards. There are three types of RPPRs, all of which use the NIH RPPR Instruction Guide.
- Annual RPPR : Use to describe a grant’s scientific progress, identify significant changes, report on personnel, and describe plans for the subsequent budget period or year.
- Final RPPR : Use as part of the grant closeout process to submit project outcomes in addition to the information submitted on the annual RPPR, except budget and plans for the upcoming year.
- Interim RPPR : Use when submitting a renewal (Type 2) application. If the Type 2 is not funded, the Interim RPPR will serve as the Final RPPR for the project. If the Type 2 is funded, the Interim RPPR will serve as the annual RPPR for the final year of the previous competitive segment. The data elements collected on the Interim RPPR are the same as for the Final RPPR, including project outcomes.
Report Type Description Submission Requirements Progress Report - RPPR NIH requires the submission of RPPRs at least annually as part of the non-competing continuation award process. Key components of the RPPR include:
- Accomplishments
- Products
- Participants and Other Collaborating Organizations
- Impact
- Changes/Problems (Annual)
- Budgetary Information (Annual)
- Project Outcomes (Final/Interim Only)
Invention Report The recipient organization must report all inventions to the awarding agency. Recipients must also use Interagency Edison (iEdison) to comply with Bayh-Dole Act and related IP reporting requirements. Final Invention Statement Required when a grant is completed and the competing segment is not funded. Called a Final Invention Statement and Certification (HHS 568) - Must be submitted within 120 days of closeout
- Can be submitted via eRA Commons along without closeout materials
Financial Reporting Federal Financial Report, submitted via the SF425 Form -
Award Closeout
NIH Awards processed for close out at after the project period end date includes the submission of the following reports to the sponsor. Close out reports are due within 120 days of the end of the grant.
- Final FFR Expenditure data (except for Fellowships)
- Final Progress Report (except for Fellowships)
- Final Invention Statement and Certification (except for Training grants, Fellowships, C06, R13, R25, S10)
- Final population tracking data, when applicable
- Termination Notice – Applicable only to Fellowship and Training grants.
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Training
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Internal Budget Training – April 2, 2024
Title:Mastery of Internal Budget Development: Enhancing Accuracy and Efficiency
Objective: This training session is designed to provide comprehensive understanding and practical skills in using the internal budget development spreadsheet. It aims to standardize and improve the accuracy of budget estimates.
Overview:
- Spreadsheet Capabilities: Designed for up to 6 years of project duration, featuring auto-calculated budget information with locked formula cells to prevent unintended alterations.
- Budget Categories: Incorporates typical federal sponsor budget categories, ensuring compliance and standardization.
- Intended Users: Open to all faculty and staff involved in budget preparation, particularly useful for research administrators and college research coordinators.
Key Features:
- Lockable Formulas: To avoid inadvertent changes and ensure consistent calculations.
- Comprehensive Budget Categories: Covering all standard federal sponsor requirements.
- Supplementary Information: Definitions and guidelines for budget categories, including participant costs and equipment classification.
- Dynamic Tables: For cost-of-living adjustments, annual effort hours, FTE percentages, and monthly salary projections with annual increases.
- Specialized Calculators: Dedicated tabs for calculating travel costs, effort hours, months of effort, and FTE.
- Cost Share Budgeting: Parallel format to the detailed budget sheet, with added fields for account numbers for cost-shared funds.
Training Content:
- Hands-On Walkthrough: Detailed exploration of each budget category and its calculation methodology.
- Practical Applications: Examples to illustrate how to effectively use the spreadsheet.
- Interactive Q&A Session: Opportunity for attendees to ask specific questions.
Benefits:
- Enhanced Accuracy: Ensures the development of precise and reliable budget estimates.
- Standardization: Creates a uniform approach to budgeting across the university.
- Time Efficiency: Reduces the time spent on budget preparation and revisions.
- Resource for Proposal Development: A valuable tool for faculty and staff in preparing grant proposals.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
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Life Cycle of the Award Series
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Proposal Development - three 90 minutes Sessions
The Proposal Development video webinar is a three part series that covers the essentials of proposal development from inception through submission. Part I begins with proposal planning and review of the project and the application requirements. Part II continues with a session on the budget and justification and is completed with a session on preparation and submission. Part III will include discussion of proposal planning, logistics, financial and compliance considerations. There will be full series dedicated to budgeting later in the Life Cycle series. The panel will provide guidance for the proposal lifecycle. While some of the material will be basic and introductory, there will be additional details that will benefit experienced learners and will provide ample opportunities for discussion and training at institutions.
- Part 1 – proposal planning, review of the project, and application requirements – February 1, 2024
- Part 1 - Q&A – February 27, 2024
- Part 2 – budget and justification – February 22, 2024
- Part 2 - Q&A – March 25, 2024
- Part 3 – proposal planning, logistics, financial and compliance considerations – March 21, 2024
- Part 3 - Q&A – April 15, 2024
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Award Monitoring/Award Management - two 60 minutes sessions
The Award Monitoring & Award Management webinars focus on award management strategies and techniques for both the central and departmental research administrator tasked with financial oversight of sponsored awards. This workshop will focus on what to look for during award initiation and award close out, as well as discuss strategies for how the research administrator can best support the PI during the period of performance to maximize award spending, while effectively managing risk. Furthermore, this online workshop will review some perennial hot topics such as cost transfers, subaward monitoring, cost sharing and effective and efficient award close outs.
- Award Monitoring & Award Management Part 1 – April 18, 2024
- Part 1 (Award) Q&A Session - May 13, 2024
- Award Monitoring & Award Management Part II – May 16, 2024
- Part II (Award) Q&A Session – June 10, 2024
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Pre-Award/Budgeting – three 90-minutes sessions
Are you ready to start building your sponsored project or idea, but don't know what and how much to ask for? If preparing a budget for your grant or contract is daunting for you, come learn the basic elements of how to draft a project budget with confidence. An effective budget can be a productive tool in driving towards your goals for the entire life of the project. We also need to ensure that we have the funds needed to complete the project successfully and do not to leave resources on the table. This 3 part session will walk through the development of a project budget including: what costs need to be covered, categorization of budget costs by differing sponsors, utilizing the appropriate rates as required and more.
- Basic Components of a project budget
- How to estimate the realistic cost of a project
- What other documents you may need to submit your proposal
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Compliance – 3-hour workshop
The webinars feature discussion of a variety of compliance topics essential to the knowledge of every research administrator. This three-hour workshop will cover the basics of institutional committee review for biosafety, human research participants, and animal research, as well as export compliance, conflict of interest, and research misconduct. True-life examples will highlight the importance of knowing where to find expertise and resources at your institution and beyond, creating a “compliance network".
- Basics of institutional committee review for biosafety, human research participants, and animal research.
- Compliance, conflict of interest, and research misconduct are also covered.
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Research Administrator Network (RAN)
The Research Administrator Network (RAN) at Texas State University is community-driven organization. Its members serve each other through networking, professional development, and information exchange to enhance the university’s Run to R1.
March 6, 2024: RAN Speed Networking 1 pm – 2:30pm at LBJ Student Center Room 3-9.1
Register hereFebruary 8, 2024: RAN Kick-off Luncheon at Star Park 11:30 – 1:00pm
February 1, 2024: The first training in the Certificate in Research Administration is released through Success Factors.