Frequently Asked Questions

The Brown School Office of Research Administration encourages you to take advantage of the many funding search opportunities available to you. This website will aid you in setting up personalized funding searches based on your specific research interests.

Washington University keeps the research community abreast of opportunities through our internal listserv called Research News. You can subscribe to Research News here.

You may also contact the Research Development Manager in the Office of Sponsored Research Services to assist with building custom funding searches

See Our Funding Opportunities Section for Additional Resources

The Brown School Office of Research Administration encourages you to keep staff informed of your current research interests so that we may notify you of corresponding opportunities we become aware of.

It is important to notify your Grant and Contract Coordinator (CGC) of your intentions to submit a proposal. An initial consultation pertaining to a proposal should take place a minimum of 6 – 8 weeks prior to submission deadline to ensure sufficient planning and timely submission of the proposal.

The CGC is your individual point of contact for all PRE and POST proposal submission requirements. They will assist you in reviewing proposal application requirements, completing any preliminary steps such as obtaining appropriate clearance or approvals, and preparing an appropriate timeline for the proposal process. The GCG assists in all aspects of budget preparation in accordance with project needs and in compliance with funding agency, Brown School, University and federal guidelines. The CGC works with University offices (i.e. Office of Sponsored Research Services, Sponsored Projects Accounting) to secure approval for submission of Brown School proposals, and finalizes the electronic submission process. Upon receipt of funding, the CGC works with the Principal Investigator and support staff on administration of the award, to include cost allowability, reporting, and closeout. They also work closely with the Brown School Business Office to ensure that the supports and resources required to effectively manage awards are in place.

Post Award Contact/PI Distribution List
Updated 07/2018

In most cases, the applicant is Washington University in St Louis. The Principal Investigator is the faculty member.

When the number of applications for a funding opportunity is limited, eligible candidates within Washington University are identified. If more than the allowable number of applicants wish to apply, the University reviews internal proposals and selects the candidate that is the most likely to succeed in the competition.  Work with your Contract & Grant Coordinator to identify and proceed in the event of internal competition.

When the University identifies or receives an invitation for a grant program that limits applications, a call for internal nominations is placed on the internal competitions website: wustl.edu.  The website contains information about eligibility, the deadline for submitting materials for the internal review of candidates, and the materials that must be submitted for internal review. Internal competitions may also be announced in Research News emails.

Refer to the call for proposals to find the appropriate forms for each submission. Your Contract & Grant Coordinator is available to assist you.

Generally speaking, a biosketch is required for all senior/key personnel and letters of support are required of any non-Washington University personnel and/or agencies that have agreed to provide services or support for the project. Please note that you must carefully read the guidelines for each proposal, as requirements for biosketches and letters of support can vary by application.

Senior/key personnel are defined as individuals who contribute in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of the project, whether or not salaries are requested. Consultants should be included in your proposal if they meet this definition.

A consultant is a particularly well qualified person who is retained as an individual to give professional advice or services for a fee, and who is not an employee of the organization that engages him/her. This term includes paid guest lecturers and speakers. It does not include advisory or other services rendered by firms or organizations. The individual cannot be a WU employee. To see the WU Consultant policy, click here. Please note that there are strict guidelines concerning consultant eligibility; check with your CGC for specifics.

Washington University Core Research Facilities and Resources (CRFRs) are defined as specialized data centers, laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment facilities and service units that offer shared assets to University investigators. Examples of core offerings include novel technologies, equipment, sample and data collections, informatics, analysis tools, consultation, evaluation, specialized technical training, and expertise.

Access may be restricted or prioritized for specific groups or open to all investigators. Cores often operate on a fee per service basis.

The WUSTL Core Research Facilities and Resources website helps investigators identify Washington University Core Facilities with services, expertise, or equipment that will enhance their research projects: research.wustl.edu/core-facilities/

A subaward transfers a portion of the sponsored award to another entity for the purpose of collaborative effort to complete a scope of work. A vendor provides a service for a fee, but does not contribute collaborative effort to the project. The subrecipient has responsibility for programmatic decisions and for adherence to applicable federal program compliance requirements.

These are costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives that cannot be attributed to any singular project.

Facilities and Administrative Components:

• Heat, light & A/C
• Building maintenance, operations and maintenance (utilities, custodial costs, non-capital improvements)
• Building depreciation
• Interest expenses (paid to external parties)
• Equipment depreciation
• Presidents, VP’s and Dean’s Offices
• Human Resources
• Payroll & Purchasing
• Research Administration & Accounting
• Department Administrators
• Library

The federally negotiated indirect rate for the Brown School is currently 55.5% (26% for off-campus activities).

NIH and other federal agencies have guidelines that restrict the amount of direct salary charged to their grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. That means that compensation for individuals under awards from the NIH cannot exceed a stipulated rate of pay per year or per academic appointment. Washington University is currently authorized to use Executive Level II of the Federal Executive Pay Scale as our Salary Cap.

Faculty with academic year appointments may expend additional summer effort on one or more sponsored projects in the period beyond their appointment and earn additional compensation for those activities. The additional compensation provided to the individual is called Summer Research Salary (SRS). It is charged to sponsored funds during the months June, July and August. The Brown School requires that faculty secure Dean’s approval for summer research salary in excess of 2.5 months.

While reasonable personal time off may be taken during the summer, it is not appropriate to concentrate significant time off during a period for which the faculty member is receiving SRS. For example, taking a three‐week vacation during July when the faculty member is 100% funded by a sponsored fund would not be considered appropriate.

Generally speaking, complete proposals must be provided to your CGC a minimum of 5 – 10 business days prior to the agency deadline, depending on requirements and necessary approvals. This timeline ensures adequate time for finalization of formatting and applicable institutional approvals (e.g. preparing for electronic submission via grants.gov, routing for Office of Sponsored Research Services approval, etc.).  Please note that some funding opportunities vary in submission guidelines and procedures. It is important that you work closely with your CGC to determine specific approval processes, deadlines, and appropriate mechanism for proposal submissions.

OSRS is Washington University’s signing authority for sponsored projects. For submission to most federal agencies as well as some foundations, OSRS must sign off on the proposal. OSRS requests five business days to review and provide approval to ensure timely submission.

Always consult with your Contract & Grant Coordinator to determine what approvals will be required for your proposal. Generally speaking, the following clearances, approvals, and reviews are required:

•  PIs are required to have Dean’s approval if submitting a proposal for less than the negotiated federal indirect rate.
• PIs are expected to get clearance from the Dean and Corporate Foundation Relations if they are anticipating submitting to a corporation or a foundation. Please contact your CGC for information on whom to contact and what information is required in the request.
•  All proposals are subject to review by the Associate Dean for Research (ADR) for potential compliance issues and/or institutional commitments. The Office of Research Administration requires a copy of your proposal a minimum of ten days prior to the submission deadline for ADR review. You may make necessary edits to your proposal after the ADR review, however your finalized proposal must still be provided in a timely fashion to ensure submission prior to the agency deadline.

The Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) maintains the sole institutional authority to review, approve, require modifications too, or disapprove human research activities at the University. The HRPO office provides staff dedicated to helping investigators, administrative staff and students with questions about any issue related to IRB review. The office can be reached at (314) 747-6800 between 8am – 4pm daily. 

The Brown School Assistant Dean for Research Administration is also available to assist with IRB and human subjects questions.

CITI is a web based human research protections training program created by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. Current Washington University students and employees can access CITI with their WUSTL key, through the HRPO website. Non-Washington University research team members must contact the Brown School Assistant Dean for Research Administration to request a username and password.

IRB assurances documents can be signed by the Associate Dean for Research or the Assistant Dean for Research Administration. An abstract or additional information about your project may be required for review prior to signing.

The Washington University Institutional Review Board Policies and Procedures require that WU Principal Investigators/Project Directors are responsible for record retention of all research records, including signed consent forms, in their original form at least seven years beyond completion of the study. Additional retention may be required under State and Federal laws or at the request of the study sponsor. Protected Health Information must be stored with at least two safeguards (e.g. a locked cabinet in a locked office) in accordance with the WU HIPPA Policies and WU Security Measures Required to Comply with Privacy Policies.

Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) is the office at Washington University that is responsible for retaining copies of financial records for grants. For NIH grants (not contracts), SPA is required to keep copies for three years past the date that the final financial report was filed for a competitive segment. A Principal Investigator would therefore not be required to retain anything longer unless they need it for their own records. Please keep in mind that SPA does not typically have copies of the research plans or progress reports, as they are not reviewed by central administration. For non-NIH grants, please refer to the terms and conditions specific to the agency or foundation.

The Brown School Office of Research Administration will maintain electronic copies of your proposal submission and corresponding documents.

As a recipient of federal research funding, Washington University is required to maintain a system that allows faculty and staff to certify that salaries charged to sponsored projects are reasonable in relation to the actual work performed. The University’s office of Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) maintains the University’s web-based system, ePARS (electronic Personnel Activity Reporting System).

Each employee of Washington University who is involved in sponsored projects has an obligation to ensure compliance with sponsor and University requirements for managing sponsored funds.  Faculty and staff that work on sponsored projects will utilize ePARS to certify the effort percentages they contributed to those projects.

You will receive email notification and instructions for certifying effort via ePARS each applicable reporting period. Detailed system information and training materials are available on the ePARS website. 

For more information, please read the ePARS Reference Guide. 

Research Education and Information (REI) provides research-related educational programs, events, and learning tools in a number of areas for Washington University faculty and staff. For a schedule of upcoming educational events, please visit the Research Events Calendar.

You will also be notified of training opportunities offered at the Brown School through the Brown School Office of Research Administration, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Brown School Research Centers.

You can speak with the Assistant Dean for Research Administration or contact the Office of Technology Management.

If you are planning to transfer a grant, you should notify your Contract and Grant Coordinator immediately.