Glossary
Definitions
A
Allocable Costs
Those allowable costs that actually benefit the grant or contract to which they are charged.
Allowable Costs
Those categories of costs that are allowable as a charge on a grant or contract, as determined by the terms and conditions of the award and/or appropriate cost principles.
Assistance Listing Numbers (formerly CFDA number)
Every federal assistance program, including grants, has an assigned Assistance Listing Number (ALN), usually listed in the solicitation. ALN replaces the term “CFDA” for numbers identifying federal programs providing assistance awards.
Audit
Formal and systematic review of financial transactions and documentation, accounting systems and procedures, and programmatic reporting by external or internal auditors. The most common external audit is the Single Audit (previously known as the A-133 audit) that is required by law for organizations with over $1 million in annual federal expenditures. In addition to standard and regular audits, federal agencies and the Office of the Inspector General may initiate audits of federal awards.
Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)
The officially designated and registered administrator from the nonfederal entity who approves, signs, and submits grant proposal applications on behalf of individuals in the applicant institution, organization, or entity.
Award
Funds provided by an external funding source for the support of a project. This term applies to grant awards and supplements, subawards, cooperative agreements, Intergovernmental agreements, and contracts.
Award Letter or Notice
Official written notification from a funding source indicating that a project will be funded, start and end dates, and the amount funded.
B
Basic Research
Research that is directed toward the increase of knowledge in science with the primary intent to have a better understanding of the subject, rather than a direct practical application. Biosketch Document required by many sponsors for inclusion in a proposal that includes resume or CV information on key personnel, often in a prescribed format. Typically includes information on degrees, academic achievements, positions held, grants received, professional interests, and
publications.
Budget
A list of anticipated project costs that represents the best estimate of the funds needed to support the work described in a grant or contract proposal. Also see Line Item Budget.
Budget Adjustment
The act of amending the budget by moving funds from one category or line item to another.
Budget Category
A portion of the budget designated for certain types of expenditures, typically represented by distinct cost line items, such as salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, materials and supplies, participant support, subawards or subcontracts, indirect costs, etc.
Budget Justification (also Budget Narrative)
The budget justification is a categorical description of the proposed costs. It explains staffing and supply/service consumption patterns, the methods used to estimate/calculate (including escalation or inflation factors), and other details, such as lists of items that make up the total costs for a category. The budget justification should address each major cost category (salaries, fringe benefits, equipment, travel, supplies, other direct costs, and indirect costs) as well as any additional categories required by the sponsor, providing additional detail for expenses within each budget category. and articulating the need for the items/expenses listed.
Budget Period
The interval of time, typically twelve months, into which the project period is divided for budgetary and funding purposes
C
Capital Equipment
Tangible personal property (including IT systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit cost equal to or greater than the capitalization level of $10,000 (including sales and/or use tax, freight, and installation). The capitalization level may be lower for some organizations based on their internal policies, in which case, the lower threshold should be used.
Carnegie Classification
A system for organizing the diverse set of degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. They were originally intended to be a tool for researchers to further their study of higher education.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Federal agency that is the nation’s leading science-based, data-driven service organization that protects the public’s health. Provides research funding related to health and disease.
Clinical Trial
Defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include a placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes.
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
An individual who is Senior Personnel on a grant and has secondary responsibility for the project beyond the Principal Investigator (PI). There may be multiple co-PIs on a single project.
Close Out
The act of completing all internal procedures and sponsor requirements to terminate or complete a grant award.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation.
Competing Renewal Proposal
Proposals (for ongoing projects) that must compete again if the term of the original award has expired.
Conflict of Interest
Situations in which employees use their positions for purposes that are, or give the appearance of being, motivated by a desire for private gain for themselves or others, such as those with whom they have family, business, or other ties.
Consortium Agreement
Group of collaborative investigators/institutions. The arrangement can be formalized with specified terms and conditions.
Contract
A mechanism for the procurement of a product or service with specific obligations for both the sponsor and recipient. For research contracts, typically, a research topic and the methods for conducting the research are specified in detail by the sponsor, although some sponsors award contracts in response to unsolicited proposals.
Contracting Officer
A sponsor’s designated individual who is officially responsible for the business management aspects of a particular contract. The contracting officer is responsible for all business management matters associated with the review, negotiation, award, and administration of a contract and interprets the associated administration policies, regulations, and provisions.
Cooperative Agreement
An award similar to a grant, but in which the sponsor’s staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation, and anticipates having substantial involvement in project activities once the award has been made.
Copyright
An intangible, incorporeal right granted by statute to an author or originator of certain literary or artistic productions, where he/she is invested, for a limited period, with the sole and exclusive privilege of multiplying copies of the same and publishing and selling them. Works of authorship include literary, musical, or dramatic works, works of art, motion pictures or video tapes, audio recordings, or computer programs.
Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)
Federally mandated accounting standards intended to ensure uniformity in budgeting, accounting, and reporting project costs.
Cost-Reimbursement Type Contract/Grant
A contract/grant for which the sponsor pays for the full costs incurred in the conduct of the work up to an agreed-upon amount, after the grantee institution incurs the costs.
Cost Sharing
Cash or “in-kind” support contributed by the grantee to fulfill the objectives of the project. The amount of needed matching funds varies with the program. Example: A university receives a grant for a project estimated to have a total cost of $100,000. The sponsor agrees to pay 75% ($75,000) and the university agrees to pay 25% ($25,000). The $25,000 is the cost-sharing component. Also see Matching Funds.
Cost Transfer
The organizational process for moving funds that were charged to the incorrect account to the correct account.
Council on Governmental Relations (COGR)
An association of research universities, affiliated medical centers, and independent research institutes that serves as a national authority on federal policies and regulations affecting U.S. research institutions.
Current and Pending Support (CPS)
Document required for some proposal submissions that provides information on all current and pending externally-funded projects for a Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator.
D
Data Use Agreement (DUA)
A contractual agreement used for the transfer of non-public data that is subject to some restriction on its use, serves to outline terms and conditions of the transfer and addresses limitations on use of data, obligations to safeguard the data, liability for harm arising from use of the data, publication, and privacy rights that are associated with transfers of confidential or protected data.
Debarment
Exclusion of a person or party from doing business with the federal government, including receiving grants. The federal government maintains a list of debarred (and suspended) individuals and entities that can be searched at SAM.gov.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Primary federal funder for health and medical research.
Department of Defense (DoD)
Federal department that provides contracts and grants in defense-related areas. Includes Air Force, Army, ARPA, and Navy.
Department of Education (Dept of Ed)
Federal agency that provides grant funding to K-12, institutions of higher education, and other organizations for education-related research and projects.
Department of Energy (DOE)
Federal agency that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, including providing research funding in relevant fields.
Direct Costs
Expenses that can be itemized with a particular externally funded project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity, or that can be assigned to such activities relatively
easily with a high degree of accuracy (e.g., salaries, supplies, services, travel, equipment, etc.).
Disallowed Costs
Charges to a federal award that the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity determines to be unallowable, in accordance with the applicable federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the federal award. A finding may result in repayment to the funding source if reimbursement for expenditures has already occurred.
Dissemination
Strategies to let colleagues or organizations know about the results of a grant project. Examples include websites, publications, published articles, conference presentations, workshops, etc.
E
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)
Agency-specific grant regulations for grants from the US Department of Education. Consists of administrative regulations governing Department of Education grant programs found in parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations of 34 C.F.R.
Effort
The amount of time an employee is committed to and/or works specifically on a project. May be expressed in terms of FTE status, person-months, or as a percentage of a total of 100%.
Endowment
Principal or corpus of money maintained in a permanent fund to provide income for the general or restricted use of an organization.
Expanded Authorities
Operating authorities are provided to grantees by some federal agencies to execute certain administrative actions that grantees undertake on federally funded projects. This delegation allows for internal approval of administrative and spending actions, thus avoiding delays in project progress. Expanded authorities do not apply to contracts.
Experimental Evaluation Design
Evaluation methodology used to determine if a program or intervention is more effective than the current process. It involves randomly assigning participants to a treatment or control group.
Export Controls
Federal regulations that place restrictions on sharing certain types of information, technologies, or commodities internationally, either physically or electronically. Can apply to technologies and information related to research.
External Evaluator
Professional external or independent of the project, with the background and qualifications to conduct a quality evaluation based on the project requirements. Most external evaluators are contractors. However, some sponsors allow an evaluator to be independent, separate from the program, department, or location of the project. As such, an independent evaluator may be an employee of the same organization
F
Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A)
See Indirect Costs.
Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN)
A unique identifying number that is assigned to individual federal grants.
Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP)
A cooperative effort between a number of universities and federal agencies to increase research productivity by eliminating unnecessary administrative procedures and by streamlining and standardizing needed controls.
Federal Financial Assistance
Assistance that non-federal agencies receive or administer in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, non-cash contributions for donation of property, direct appropriations, food commodities, and other financial assistance.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 requires that the federal government maintain a single searchable, public database with information on financial assistance awards made by Federal agencies. Also requires recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards.
Federal Register
The Federal Register is the official gazette of the United States government. It provides official public announcements, legal notice of administrative rules and notices, and Presidential documents. Notices and announcements include proposed and final guidelines, instructions, and administrative regulations of federal funding opportunities.
Fiscal Year (FY)
The 12-month period businesses use for tax and accounting purposes. The most common fiscal year is 7/1/XX through 6/30/XX. Some organizations use a calendar year for fiscal purposes, 1/1/XX-12/31/XX. The Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) is 10/1/XX-9/30/XX. A fiscal year is identified by the calendar year in which it ends; e.g., FY 24 covers the period 7/1/23-6/30/24.
Fixed Price Contract/Grant
Agreement with a predetermined value for the goods and services provided. A fixed price provides for a price that is not subject to any adjustment on the basis of actual expense, leaving the contractor responsible for any cost risk.
Formative Evaluation
Project evaluation strategy focused on continuous improvement, with assessment conducted throughout the implementation of the project. Activities may include milestone indicators, advisory committee review, and interim assessment sampling, among others. Results are used to assess progress, identify potential or actual problems, and formulate and implement corrective action.
Formula Grants
Appropriations distributed by the Federal government for use in legislatively defined projects and/or for legislatively directed entities. The funds are awarded on the basis of a calculation made using a program-defined formula.
Fringe Benefits (also Employee-Related Expenses or ERE)
Employee benefits paid by the employer, typically including health and life insurance, retirement, unemployment compensation, and workers’ compensation, among others. Benefit packages and costs may change annually. Some organizations charge their actual benefit costs to grants, and others have federally negotiated benefit rates that they use for grants.
Funding Cycle
Range of time during which proposals are accepted, reviewed, and funds are awarded. If a sponsor has standing proposal review committees (or boards) that meet at specified times during the year, application deadlines are set to correspond with those meetings. For some sponsors, if proposals are received too late to be considered in the current funding cycle, they may be held over for the next review meeting (i.e., National Science Foundation’s Target Dates).
Funding Searches
Resources or tools that allow you to search for specific funding opportunities or to receive alerts of funding opportunities. Examples include Grants.gov, Pivot-RP, Hanover Funding alerts, InfoReady, Euna/eCivis, GrantStation, Candid Foundation Directory, and Instrumentl, among others.
G
Grant
A type of financial assistance awarded to an organization for the conduct of research or other
programs as specified in an approved proposal. A grant, as opposed to a cooperative
agreement, is used whenever the sponsor anticipates no substantial programmatic involvement with the recipient during the performance of the activities.
Grants.gov
The federal website on which federal agencies post funding opportunities for public access, and through which grant seekers can apply for many federal grants. Federal agencies may also post forecasted grant opportunities on the site.
Grants Officer
See Program Officer.
H
Human Subjects Research (HSR)
Activities that involve information about living individuals, upon whom a systematic investigation,
including research development, testing, and evaluation, is conducted to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.
I
Incremental Funding
A method of funding grants and contracts that provides specific spending limits below the total estimated costs. Each increment is, in essence, a funding action. These are often awarded on an annual basis.
Indirect Costs
Overhead and administrative costs that cannot be identified specifically with a particular program, project, or activity. They are costs that are incurred for several purposes, which are necessary to the operation of the institution or agency; for example, library resources, building maintenance, and general administration. Most colleges and universities use negotiated indirect rates approved by a cognizant federal agency for all federally funded projects. Organizations without a negotiated rate may elect to use the de minimis rate, which is currently 15% of modified total direct costs. May also be referred to as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs.
Indirect Cost Rate
The rate, expressed as a percentage of a base amount, established by negotiation with the cognizant federal agency. Organizations without a negotiated rate may elect to use the de minimis rate, which is currently 15% of modified total direct costs.
Informed Consent
Requirement for informing and obtaining consent from potential participants in grant-funded Human Subjects Research projects. “Informed” means knowing the project purpose, methodology, risks/benefits, data confidentiality, contact information about project leaders, and their right to withdraw. If a participant is under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must give consent.
In-Kind Costs
Contributions or assistance in a form other than money. Equipment, materials, or services of recognized value that are offered in lieu of cash.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
A committee responsible for reviewing and approving the use of animal subjects in all research projects. The IACUC serves as an institutional compliance committee and is responsible for reviewing reported instances of regulatory noncompliance related to the use of animal subjects in research.
Institutional Approvals
A process that ensures that all proposals submitted by the institution have gone through a consistent, formalized approval process.
Institutional Base Salary
The annual compensation a faculty member receives for their work at a university. It is set in the annual appointment letter and is used as the basis for the salary to be charged on federal awards. It does not include any payment to the faculty member for work beyond their base contract (i.e., additional compensation).
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
A committee responsible for reviewing projects that involve, but are not limited to, recombinant DNA, RNAi, pathogens, human materials, and other potentially infectious material, as well as transgenic animals.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Federally mandated board that is responsible for Human Subjects Research protection by reviewing, making determinations, and certifying exempt and nonexempt grant-funded projects and research studies.
Intellectual Property
A new creation, such as patentable inventions, written texts, computer software, new chemical compounds, artistic creations, new forms of plants or animals, or any copyrightable subject matter. Intellectual Property is granted legal protection, including patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
K
Key Personnel
Personnel considered to be of primary importance to the successful conduct of a research project. Sponsors may have differing definitions of Key Personnel.
L
Letter of Commitment
A letter from a collaborating organization that is included with a proposal. Includes specific commitments to the project rather than expressing general support for the project concept.
Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
A brief description, usually a few pages, of research plans and the estimated budget that is sometimes submitted to determine the interest of a particular sponsor prior to submission of a formal proposal. Also termed Pre-proposal or preliminary proposal.
Limited Submissions
A process or function that supports the coordinated selection of grant applications to be submitted when a funder limits the number of submissions from an institution.
Line Item Budget
A budget that itemizes the costs for all budgeted categories, such as personnel, travel, supplies, equipment, etc. Itemization may be required in varying degrees of detail.
Logic Model
Logic models are representations, usually as a graphic, of the expected outputs and outcomes resulting from proposed activities. They are often depicted in columns of inputs, activities, outputs, short- and long-term outcomes, and goals.
M
Matching Funds
Cash or “in-kind” support contributed by the grantee to fulfill the objectives of the project. The amount of needed matching funds varies with the program. See Cost Sharing.
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
Contract that governs the transfer of tangible biological and research materials between two organizations, when the recipient intends to use it for his or her own research purposes, defines rights, obligations, and restrictions of the provider and the recipient with respect to the materials and any derivatives, and any confidential information exchanged with the material.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
A nonbinding agreement between two or more parties outlining the terms and details of an understanding, including each party’s requirements and responsibilities.
Micro Purchase
Purchases of supplies or services that generally fall under the federal $10,000 threshold (as of 5/2023). These purchases can be made using simplified acquisition procedures without soliciting competitive price quotations. If an organization has a lower threshold for this type of purchasing, the lower threshold must be used.
Misconduct in Science Fabrication, plagiarism, falsification or destruction of data, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.
Modification
An award document that modifies any aspect of an existing award. Examples include carryover approvals, adding or deleting special terms and conditions, changes in funding levels, no-cost extensions, change of principal investigator, etc.
Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
An indirect cost base that includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $50,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.
N
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
An independent federal agency responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)
A non-profit professional society dedicated to advancing the profession of research administration through education and professional development programs, the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and the fostering of a diverse, collegial, and respected global community.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
An independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide, and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
An independent federal agency that funds humanities projects and research.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
A federal agency that is the largest funder of medical research. Their mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
An independent federal agency that supports science and engineering, including research. They are the largest national funder of basic science research.
Needs Assessment
A systematic set of procedures that are used to determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and set priorities for future action. The process is used to determine the needs, or “gaps,” between a current and desired outcome and what needs to be accomplished to reach project and/or institutional goals.
Negotiation
The process through which a funder and a receiving organization agree on terms and conditions for the funding that is acceptable to both parties. Funders may request modifications of what was submitted in the original proposal.
New Award
An award not previously awarded or a renewal or continuation award that is treated as a new award by the sponsor and given a new award number.
No-Cost Extension
A formal request to the sponsor to extend the grant period for up to 12 months beyond the previously approved end date of the award. Projects use existing available funds as carry-over into the no-cost extension period. No additional funding is provided.
Non-Competing Continuation Proposal
A continuation proposal reports on progress made during a portion of the project period and requests continuation funding for the next portion of the project period. Continuation proposals do not compete with new project proposals and are not subjected to peer review beyond the initial project approval.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
An NDA, also known as a confidentiality agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties.
National Organization for Research Development (NORDP)
A professional community committed to excellence and innovation in research development. Research Development encompasses a set of strategic, catalytic, and capacity-building activities that advance research, especially in higher education. Research Development professionals help researchers become more successful communicators, grant writers, and advocates for their research.
O
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
OMB’s mission is to assist the President in meeting his policy, budget, management, and regulatory objectives and to fulfill the agency’s statutory responsibilities. They are responsible for issuing many regulations, including the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG).
P
Pass-through Entity
A non-Federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal program.
Pass-Through Funding
Funds issued by a federal agency to an organization (Pass-through entity) that are then transferred to other eligible organizations to carry out a portion of the project. The pass-through entity issues competitive or non-competitive subawards as dictated by the award terms and authorizing legislation.
Patent
A right granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, or a similar foreign agency, to an inventor to make, use, and sell the invention for a limited time.
Peer Review
A system using reviewers who have subject matter expertise in the relevant field. It is a form of objective review. Peer review is legislatively mandated in some programs and is administratively required in other programs.
Pre-proposal (also Letter of Intent)
A brief summary of proposed work sent to a funding agency to determine their interest in receiving a full proposal.
Prime Recipient
A non-Federal entity that expends Federal awards received directly from a Federal awarding agency to carry out a Federal program. Prime recipients may issue subawards and contracts as allowable by the prime award and are financially accountable for the use of funds provided for the performance of projects and activities.
Principal Investigator (PI)
The individual who has primary and legal responsibility for carrying out project activities, ensuring programmatic compliance and performance, and managing the budget. This term is often used interchangeably with Project Director (PD).
Prior Approval
The requirement for written documentation of permission to use project funds for purposes not in the approved budget or to change aspects of the program from those originally planned and approved. Prior approval must be obtained before the performance of the act that requires such approval under the terms of the agreement.
Program Officer
The funding source representative who has the task of monitoring the project, providing technical assistance to the project, approving major changes, and ensuring that the objectives are carried out within the framework of regulations.
Progress Report
See Reporting Requirements
Project Period
The total time for which support of a project has been programmatically approved. A project period may consist of one or more budget periods. Also see Budget Period.
Proposal
An application for funding that contains all information necessary to review the project, including the budget.
Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
Serves as the agency-specific grant policies and procedures for the National Science Foundation.
Public Health Service (PHS)
A collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services that manage public health, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Q
Quasi-Experimental Design
Evaluation methodology that aims to evaluate interventions but does not use randomization. Similar to randomized trials, quasi-experiments using subjects assigned to groups based on non-random criteria aim to demonstrate causality between an intervention and an outcome.
R
Reasonable Costs
Costs that a prudent person would find reasonable, i.e., not an inflated or unreasonable price.
Regulations
The contractual rules and procedures governing sponsored research projects.
Regulatory Noncompliance
Failure to adhere to regulations, policies, procedures, or special conditions related to the conduct of research.
Reporting Requirements
Documentation of programmatic and fiscal performance required by sponsors. Program reporting typically includes both qualitative and quantitative data, and fiscal reports require cost and spending information. Performance periods for required reporting are established by the sponsor.
Request for Proposals (RFP)
An announcement by an agency that it is accepting proposals to accomplish a specific objective. The RFP typically contains detailed instructions related to the written proposal. Also called a solicitation, Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO), Federal Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA), or Request for Grant Applications (RFGA).
Research Administration (RA)
An organization function that provides administrative and management support for proposal development, award management, and compliance.
Research Development (RD)
An organizational function or department that supports assessment of research strengths, building coalitions, building relationships with funding agencies, and building teams and collaborations.
Research Enterprise
The interconnected resources, policies, procedures, and personnel at an organization that lead to securing and managing external funding. Also referred to as the Research Enterprise Ecosystem.
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)
Professional and compliance expectations around ethical behavior in research, including expectations around authorship, data management, mentoring, peer review, and similar professional standards. Violations of RECR include plagiarism, data fabrication, and data falsification. Many sponsors have training requirements for Principal Investigators and Senior Personnel on RECR. May also be called Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).
Revised Proposal
A modified and resubmitted request for funding for a project that was previously not funded, either because it was denied by the sponsor or withdrawn by the Principal Investigator.
S
Scope of Work (SOW)
The description of the work to be performed and completed on a research project.
Seed Funding
Funding, typically in a smaller amount, that an organization invests to help a Principal Investigator to begin a project, often to collect preliminary data. The expectation is that the seed funding will lead to larger applications for external funding.
Senior Personnel
Personnel who are responsible for the scientific or technical direction of the project.
Society of Research Administrators International (SRA International)
A global research management society providing education, professional development, and the latest comprehensive information about research management to professionals.
Sponsor
The organization or entity that funds a research project. Also called funders and funding agencies.
Subaward
A subaward is a contract agreement with a subrecipient to complete a portion of the sponsored project’s scope of work. A subrecipient is responsible for adhering to the terms and conditions of the subaward, including those flowed down from the sponsor, and is accountable to the prime recipient for administrative oversight of the subaward agreement. These are also sometimes referred to as subcontracts and subagreements.
Subrecipient
An organization that receives a subaward.
Subrecipient Monitoring
Expectations of a pass-through entity to monitor and evaluate the performance and compliance of subrecipients, outlined in the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG).
Summative Evaluation
Summative evaluation is a type of evaluation that is conducted at the end of a program or project, with the goal of assessing its overall effectiveness. The “end” of a program or activity may be the completion of a program unit or a program time interval, in addition to being a final evaluation. Summative assessments include both quantitative and qualitative data as indicators to determine whether project goals and objectives were accomplished.
Suspension
Temporary exclusion of a person or party from doing business with the federal government, including receiving grants. The federal government maintains a list of suspended (and debarred) individuals and entities that can be searched at SAM.gov.
T
Teaming Agreement
An agreement between two or more parties to participate in a research project or teaching activity.
Time and Effort Certification
Reporting certification required by Federal regulations for all employees working on federally sponsored projects/grants. Referred to as “Time and Effort” reporting, the effort reported for the period serves to substantiate the salaries and wages charged to federal grants.
Total Direct Costs (TDC)
The total of all allowable direct costs of a project. Does not include indirect costs.
Total Project Costs
The total allowable direct and indirect costs to carry out an approved project or activity.
U
Unallowable Costs
Unallowable costs are specific categories of costs that cannot be charged, directly or indirectly, to federally sponsored agreements in accordance with Federal regulations. Individual federal agencies or programs may define costs that are unallowable in addition to those in the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG).
Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG)
The Uniform Grant Guidance is a “government-wide framework for grants management” and an authoritative set of rules and requirements for Federal awards that synthesizes and supersedes guidance from earlier OMB circulars. These regulations are found in 2 CFR Part 200 and replace OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-89, A-102, A-110, A-122, A-133, and A-50 as of December 24, 2014.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
A unique number assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) that register to do business with the federal government. These replaced the DUNS numbers previously used for this purpose.
Unsolicited Proposal
Proposals submitted to a sponsor that are not in response to an RFP, RFA, or program announcement.
V
Voluntary Committed Cost Sharing
When a proposing institution volunteers and commits to bear a specific portion of a project’s costs when it is not required. When such costs are committed, they must be monitored and documented on project reports. Some funders, most notably the National Science Foundation, do not allow voluntary committed cost sharing.
No terms currently available for W–Z.
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Contact Information
Please feel free to contact us or fill out the form.
For general questions, please contact:
Dr. Oralia De Los Reyes
- 210-576-3244
- oralia.delosreyes@hacu.net
