Grants FAQ

Research Administration Org Chart

Pre-Award Grants Staff Members are available to help faculty find funding opportunities, develop a grant budget, prepare proposal applications, comply with sponsor and University guidelines, obtain approvals, work with OSPA for proposal review and submission.

Post-Award Grants Staff Members are available to work with OSPA to set up the award, monitor expenses to adhere to University policies and comply with awarding agency rules and regulations, document cost share, effort reporting and invoicing.

Grant Fact Sheet – Institutional information, individuals authorized to sign documents on behalf of the University, facilities and administration rates (F&A, indirect costs), human subjects and animal use assurances, travel and meal reimbursement rates, fringe benefit rates, graduate student support rates, audit reports.

Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit the grant myself?/Can I sign this contract myself?

  • No.  CVM faculty and staff are not authorized to conduct business on behalf of The Curators of the University of Missouri.  Business officers in the MU Office of Sponsored Programs (OSPA) are the only individuals who are authorized to sign legal agreements for which the University is liable.

Who will assist with my grant application and when should I contact them?

  • Contact your pre-award administrator as soon as possible.  They can help identify the appropriate funding opportunity, provide timelines and checklists for proposal development and submission, facilitate budget development and approvals, and work with OSPA for successful review and submission of your proposal.
  • Pre-award contacts:
    • Sherri Oliver (SOliver@Missouri.edu) – Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Pathobiology, Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
    • Tommy Thompson (ThompsonT@Missouri.edu) – Biomedical Sciences
    • Liang Xu (XuLiang@Missouri.edu) – Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center
    • Julia Rodriguez or Steve Friedman (RodriguezJ@Missouri.edu or FriedmanSC@Missouri.edu) – Bond Life Sciences Center

How long does it take to write a grant?

  • A good rule of thumb is 3-6 months. The exact amount of time depends on many factors.   How many hours per week will you devote to writing?  How much time does the funding agency provide between release of the opportunity announcement until the deadline for submission?  Do you have collaborators with defined roles?  Do you already have previous drafts of at least some of the proposal sections?  Do you plan to have colleagues read and edit your proposal prior to submission?
  • As you near the sponsor deadline, remember that your pre-award administrator requires time to obtain approvals on the budget (additional time if subcontracts are involved) and check and assemble the application package.
  • Once the proposal is complete, OSPA requires five business days to review the proposal and submit to the sponsor.
  • It is a good idea to allow an additional two business days in case there are submission errors that need to be addressed
  • Last minute proposals run the risk of failed submission.

What are some good tips for grant writing?

What is Shared Credit?

  • Shared Credit illustrates the intellectual contribution on a project.
  • Shared Credit distribution is used to calculate the portion of the research incentive funds (RIF) that are returned to the department/investigators
  • Shared Credit is also used to populate reporting data in MyVita and the MU annual report on research expenditures.

What is Cost Share?

  • Cost Share is the portion of a project or program cost not covered by the sponsor.
  • Cost Share is sometimes required by the sponsor (mandatory).
  • Voluntary Cost Share (specific commitments written in the proposal) is discouraged because it must be tracked and is subject to audit.
  • Only allowable costs may be cost shared

What happens when my grant is funded?

  • OSPA will approve the budget and set up the account according to the proposed budget
  • OSPA will issue a Grant Award Summary (GAS) to the Principal Investigator
  • The GAS provides a MoCode to be used for spending the funds on allowable expenses

Who will help me manage my award?

  • Your post-award administrator will assist with setting up salary lines and will help ensure that all transactions are allowable and properly recorded.  You will be provided with a monthly report of expenses which you must review and approve.
  • Post-award contacts:
    • Anne Chegwidden (ChegwiddenA@Missouri.edu) – Veterinary Pathobiology
    • Tommy Thompson (ThompsonT@Missouri.edu) – Biomedical Sciences
    • Kirk Thompson (ThompsonKir@Missouri.edu) – Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

What happens at the end of my award?

  • Approximately 90 days prior to the end date, your post-award administrator will work with you to begin to zero the account.
  • At 60 days prior to the end date, OSPA will send a notification that the award will end.
  • The principal investigator will certify that the expenses on the project were allowable, allocable and reasonable
  • All investigators will verify that their effort on the grant matches the salary expenses posted.

What is ORCID?

  • ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognized.
  • You must register to obtain your own ORCID ID number.