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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.



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  • National Science Foundation (NSF)

    • Resources for submitting an NSF application (Pre-Award)

    • Resources for administering your NSF award (Post-Award)

      • 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 TypeDescriptionSubmission Requirements
        Annual ReportAnnual 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 ReportInterim 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 ReportFinal 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 ReportThe 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 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.

        1. 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.
        2. 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).
        3. 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).

Training

  • 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

  • Life Cycle of the Award Series

    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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.
  • 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 here

    February 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.