Office Functions

The office is divided into two main areas: 1) pre-award (funding source  identification, proposal preparation and submission, etc.) and 2. post-award  (sponsored funds administration). Within these two divisions we offer the  following general types of services:

  Pre-Award:

  • RSPO web page 
  • Bi-monthly Newsletter 
  • Identification of funding sources 
  • Proposal and budget development 
  • Proposal review and editorial assistance 
  • Proposal submission 

  Post-Award:

  • Account establishment 
  • Assistance with sponsor guidelines/requirements 
  • Payroll 
  • Purchasing 
  • Time and effort reporting 

 

Pre-Award

1. Assistance with the identification of funding sources:

  • Bi-annual Research and Sponsored Programs Newsletter 
  • Weekly research section in the Potsdam Reporter 
  • Office resource library 
  • Weekly review of program announcements (copies of appropriate materials   forwarded to faculty/staff who make their interest(s) known) 
  • SPIN (Sponsored Programs Information Network) searches and training 
  • COS (Community of Science) searches

 

2. Assistance with proposal preparation and development

When a match is found between a faculty member's interest and the program of  a potential sponsor, the Office will secure the guidelines and application  materials from the sponsor. While writing the proposal is the responsibility  of the faculty member, the Research and Sponsored Programs Office will help  with the budget preparation, will edit and critique the proposal and will  ensure that the requirements of the sponsor and the university are met.

Once a faculty member decides to prepare a grant proposal, it is important  that the Research and Sponsored Programs Office be informed of that fact and  that it be kept apprised of progress in developing the proposal. This will  promote coordination among faculty with related interests, will ensure the  proposal is being developed in line with current sponsor guidelines, will  facilitate securing campus approvals for submission of the proposal to the  sponsor, and will result in a competitive proposal meeting the sponsor's  deadline. 

 

Post-Award

Once an award has been made, the Research and Sponsored Programs Office  provides the administrative services necessary to carry out the project.  Personnel services include payroll, the maintenance of time and effort  records. Other services include account establishment, purchasing, the  monitoring of expenditures and provision of account information.

RSPO tracks the required technical and financial reporting to the sponsor  and maintains conformity with the project administration policies of the  various sponsors and the Research Foundation.

Guidance on specific issues is always available.