The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs is available to assist faculty and staff with every step of the proposal development process. Applicants should begin development well in advance of the deadline, in order to prepare a competitive proposal.
What is a Sponsored Program?
Sponsored Programs are projects supported by non-university (external) funds that are awarded as a result of an application submitted to a potential sponsor by the university on behalf of a faculty or staff member. Sponsored programs usually involve research, training, or service activities.
The Life Cycle of a Sponsored Program
Proposal Development
The initial stage when a Principal Investigator (PD/PI) identifies a funding opportunity and develops an outline of the scope of work and his/her approach on how to execute the work.
Proposal Submission
This is the period of proposal review and University approval (Cayuse SP), creation of sponsor required documents, submission of the application package, and any (pre-award) activities required before the notice of funding.
Award Acceptance
OSRP will negotiate and accept project awards (i.e. grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, subcontracts, etc.) on behalf of UNCP. OSRP will work with the Principal Investigator and Post Award to set up a project fund.
Grant vs Gift
Funding, particularly when received from a non-profit entity (i.e., foundation, corporate foundation, private organization, or corporation), is sometimes difficult to classify as a gift or grant.
In order to make the most accurate decision between what is a grant and what is a gift, all components of information related to the gift/sponsored project should be reviewed by the Principal Investigator (PI), the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) and/or the Office of Advancement.
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Is my funding a grant?
A grant (i.e., “sponsored program” funding, or “award”) is the transfer of money or property from a sponsor to an institution that may require performance of specific duties such as research, budget reports, progress reports, and return of unused funds. Any funding provided by U.S. Government agencies, at the federal, state, or local level, in support of UNCP activities is treated as a grant. Government funds are not treated as gifts. Funding from voluntary health organizations or associations, such as the American Cancer Society or American Heart Association, is usually treated as a grant and not a gift.
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Is my funding a gift?
A gift is the voluntary, non-reciprocal transfer of money or property from a donor to an institution. The donor may be an individual, a corporation or a non-profit organization. The donor does not expect anything of value in return other than recognition and does not exert control over expenditure of the funds. A gift may meet the interests of the donor and can be restricted or unrestricted. A restricted gift is a contribution designated for a specific purpose, program, or project. If the donor does not specify any restrictions, the gift is unrestricted and the institution allocates the funds according to its own discretion. Only the Advancement Office may accept gifts on behalf of the University.
To help determine if your project is a grant or a gift, please complete the Checklist for Determining Whether Funding is a Gift or Support for a Sponsored Project. If you answer 'Yes' to one or more of the questions, then the funding is a sponsored program and should be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.
Institutional Approval Requirement Using Cayuse SP
An investigator must enter the proposal information in the Cayuse SP grant management system and route it for UNCP intra-institutional approval before submission to the funding agency. Cayuse SP electronically routes the proposal to the investigator's chair, dean, and concludes with the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs for final approval before submission to the funding agency.
Please contact Trinity Murray, Sponsored Programs Specialist, (910) 775-4390 for assistance with using the Cayuse SP grant management system.