Faculty Services, founded in the fall of 2014, was created with the mission to grow and support the research enterprise by providing excellent, consistent proposal development and award management support for University faculty. This department, housed within the Office of the Vice President for Research consists of a team of expert research administrators who work directly with faculty. Faculty Services provides a single point of contact for proposal and/or award support. Our goal is to reduce faculty administrative burden allowing them more time to write proposals and work on funded projects. Faculty Services reduces the number of administrators required to complete a single transaction and reduces administrative tasks overall improving turnaround time and allowing more time to be devoted to complex and unique transactions.

Sponsored Program Services (SPS) assists faculty with the administration of sponsored program activities to reduce administrative burdens on researchers and department staff. Our goal is to help faculty win more grants and provide comprehensive pre- and post-award services, including:

• Budget development assistance and review
• Proposal review and submission
• Industry contract review and negotiation
• Guidance and consultation on grant-related questions
• Assistance with inter-campus award applications
• Set up of new grant and contract awards and related budgets in UConn’s accounting system
• Assistance with and processing of budget adjustments
• Final financial report preparation
• Proposal preparation and award management support through a shared service program (Faculty Services) to participating Schools and Colleges
• Research administration training, job aids, and support for staff and faculty

“The way we conduct research, engage our students, and prepare the next generation of scholars requires that we ensure the health and well-being of all involved. Strengthening and supporting a culture of safety is as important to our discovery enterprise as is peer review, publication, grant writing, mentoring, and educating; it is integral to the responsible conduct of research…Safety is a critical component of scholarly excellence…Good science is safe science.” APLU Council on Research (2016).

UConn is dedicated to promoting a culture of safety and provides resources and mechanisms to support researchers in conducting safe, responsible, and successful research activities:

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) provides comprehensive services in the fields of biological safety, chemical safety, occupational safety, radiation safety, and environmental health. EHS maintains and administers programs that combine training, consultation, control, and inspection to protect the health and safety of the University community and to ensure regulatory compliance and adherence to University policies and recognized standards.

Research Integrity & Compliance works to promote safety and regulatory compliance in research by maintaining faculty lead oversight committees.  The safety committees overseen by this office include:

• Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• Radiation Safety Committee
• Laser Safety Committee
• Chemical Hygiene Committee

The Innovation Partnership Building (IPB), an 113,700 square foot research building, officially opened its doors in 2018. The unique facility boasts state-of-the-art specialized equipment and instrumentation for nanofabrication, precision manufacturing, biomedical devices/sensor development, advanced modeling/simulation and material characterization.  The IPB serves a nexus of intellectual, physical and cyber assets intended to foster industry-academic partnerships for research, innovation technology commercialization and job growth for the State of Connecticut.

For more information visit techpark.uconn.edu

Once the proposal is reviewed by the Pre-Award Specialist and all required documents are in place, the proposal is forwarded to the University’s authorized representative for review, approval and signature.  The signed proposal is then forwarded back to the Pre-Award Specialist. Submission to the sponsor is handled as follows:

Hardcopy (paper) submissions

• Pre-Award Services returns all signed documents to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
• The principal investigator or department administrator submits the final approved proposal to the sponsor.
• The principal investigator or departmental administrator forwards a full copy of the submitted proposal to Pre-Award Services at preaward@uconn.edu.
• A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

Electronic submissions NOT required by the University’s institutional representative

• Pre-Award Services returns all signed documents to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
• The principal investigator or department administrator submits the final approved electronic proposal to the sponsor.
• The principal investigator and/or department administrator monitors the proposal submission through sponsor acceptance of the proposal for review. If there are errors requiring correction to the proposal or application, the principal investigator and/or department administrator makes the necessary corrections and contacts Pre-Award Services to review and approve.
• The principal investigator or departmental administrator forwards a full copy of the submitted proposal to PreAward Services at preaward@uconn.edu.
• A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

Electronic submissions required by the University’s institutional representative:

• Pre-Award Services submits the final approved electronic proposal to the sponsor.
• Pre-Award Services forwards all submission notifications and confirmations to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
• Pre-Award Services, the principal investigator and/or department administrator monitors the proposal submission through sponsor acceptance of the proposal for review. If there are errors requiring correction, the principal investigator and/or department administrator makes the necessary corrections and contacts Pre-Award Services to resubmit.
• A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

CURRENT VERSION

• FY 2027 SPS Budget Template V2.0
  Updates Small Grant Program threshold to $70,000; updates MTDC base for NIH ONLY to include $25,000 of each subaward

PREVIOUS VERSIONS

• FY 2027 SPS Budget Template V1.0
  Version FY27 1.0 updates sponsored program fringe benefit rates
• FY 2026 SPS Budget Template_V6.1

The proposal budget is the financial plan of action that reflects the costs required to perform the proposed work statement.  The following information has been prepared to help you develop your budget plan.  See our Budgeting and Costing Guide for current information on fringe benefits, graduate stipends, Facilities and Administration (F&A) rates (Indirect Costs) and other budgetary matters.

It is important to demonstrate that the budget proposed is reasonable.  A budget justification should be submitted in order to allow each budget item to be explained relative to the proposed research.  The specifics of the sponsoring agency’s budgetary guidelines should be followed carefully.  Budgets should be prepared for the entire proposed project. Both direct and F & A costs should be identified in the budget.

Research Integrity & Compliance Services (RICS)

Research Integrity & Compliance Services (RICS) oversees compliance requirements at the university related to research. Policies, procedures and guidelines are designed to support the responsible and ethical conduct of university research and to ensure adherence to all laws and regulations guiding research.  Major areas of compliance include:

• Animal Subjects/IACUC
• Human Subjects/IRB
• Institutional Biosafety (biohazards, DNA, Select Agents, Dual Use research)
• Research Ethics (COI, RCR, misconduct)
• Research Safety and Security (biosafety Data use
• Export Controls

For more information, please contact Research Integrity & Compliance Services

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

The University requires, at a minimum, an annual disclosure from all faculty members regarding outside activities and financial interests.  At the time of proposal submission, investigators must completed their online FCOI disclosures in the InfoEd External Interests Module. Some sponsors require FCOI disclosures at the proposal stage and the University will not submit proposals until such disclosures have been completed.

All subrecipients must certify, at the proposal stage, that its institution has implemented and enforced an FCOI policy compliant with the respective regulations or that they lack a compliant FCOI policy and will implement a policy prior to subaward issuance.  Additionally, the responsible personnel at the subrecipient must complete and submit the External Investigator Disclosure Form.

For more information, please contact Financial Conflict of Interest