Roles and Responsibilities

Contacts RMG in advance for planned proposals. Provides RMG with Funding Opportunity Announcement information and project title, budget details and other relevant information.

Tracks upcoming sponsor deadlines.

For grants.gov submissions, initiates eSubmit entry. Uploads application package into eSubmit.

Refer to the “Grants.gov at Stanford” website >> for helpful guidance when preparing a proposals that utilize Grants.gov as the submission portal.

Refer to the following links on the DoResearch website for tips on how to complete the SF424(R&R) face page: 

Instructions for Completing SF424R&R  

Sample SF424(R&R) Form 

Broadly announces funding opportunities, addressing/interpreting major requirements, eligibility issues, etc. (this function is performed by the Funding Opportunities Administrator (currently Jeanne Heschele).

Notifies PI and department of internal requirements and internal deadlines.

Prepares and submits/mails pre-proposals and letters of intent. Forwards those requiring institutional signature to RMG.  Internal deadline policy applies.

Reviews and countersigns pre-proposals and letters of intent when required.

Works with PI/Dept on internal budget and PDRF when pre-proposal requires detailed budget and/or the PI commits effort.  (Waivers may also be required depending on the details of the pre-proposal.)

Prior to preparing proposal, check the Foundation Relations website to obtain clearance for restricted foundations>> . 

[Step 2]
Prepares waiver memo with guidance from RMG.  Provides draft to RMG for initial review.

[Step 3]
Provides Division Chief and Department Chair’s approval and signatures and forwards to RMG.

[Step 1]
Provides policy information/interpretation, suggests the appropriate type of waiver exception, points to resources/instructions available on the RMG PI Waiver webpage >>.

[Step 4]
Reviews waivers and recommends approvals to School Senior Associate Dean of Research and Stanford Dean of Research, if needed.

Based on discussions with PI and/or Dept. Administration, determines when a waiver is required; provides policy interpretation/explanation.

Prepares waiver to be routed with the PDRF. (Note: DFA’s electronic signature on PDRF serves as the approval of the provisions of the waiver.)

Includes budget information on effort and cost-sharing amounts.

Reviews/confirms sponsor policy on F&A costs and verifies non-profit status at the Guidestar website>>.

As needed, provides all relevant details such as animal care and other cost estimates, as well as quotes for specialized equipment, services and/or supplies.

Note about projects involving patient care:

PI/study coordinator enters study into the Spectrum Study Navigator >> .   When required, PI/study coordinator/Dept. completes the Clinical and Translational Research Planning (CTRP) Workbook available at the Spectrum Study Forms webpage >> (SUNET ID required). Consults with CT RPM on correct CPT codes and/or correct discounts for CTRP workbook as needed.

In collaboration with PI/Department, develops a draft of the project budget, requests all necessary details, e.g. animal care, patient care, etc.

Directs PI/study coordinator to SPECTRUM website to download CTRP workbook to budget patient care.

RPM partners with CT RPM to communicate patient care compliance requirements to PI/study coordinator/Dept and to review CTRP workbook as needed.

(Clinical Trial RPM department assignments >>):

Reviews and finalizes proposal budget for compliance with sponsor requirements and statutory pay limits.

Prepares sponsor budget form pages, paper or on-line.

Provides budgetary guidelines to subrecipients and reviews subrecipient’s budget forms for consistency with the instructions and sponsor guidelines.  Ensures that sub-budgets are correctly linking to the main budget.

Refer to other subrecipient requirements under “Subawards” below.

Note: RMG cannot prepare budget forms for subrecipients.

Composes the budget justification* in accordance with sponsor’s requirements (e.g. effort units, level of detail, breakdown categories, etc.)

*Definition: a categorical description/narrative of the proposed costs. The budget justification should address each of major cost categories (salaries, fringe benefits, equipment, travel, supplies, other direct costs and indirect costs), as well as any additional categories required by the sponsor.

Reminder: most sponsors adopt the just-in-time concept, i.e. animal subject >> and human subject >> approvals are required prior to the release of an award. 

Checks for consistency between the proposed research and the declared involvement of human and/or animal subjects.

[Step 2]
Reviews, completes, and electronically approves PDRF (PI).

Confirms and approves proposed commitments including but not limited to budget, space, effort, and cost sharing (DFA and Chair).

[Step 1]
Initiates PDRF and routes to PI includes all other relevant parties, as needed, depending on existing routing arrangements with departments.

The budget (draft or final) should be attached to the PDRF.  Actual salaries will be hidden when multiple departments are involved.

Notifies Conflict of Interest Administrator (Barbara Flynn, barbara.flynn@stanford.edu) of positive disclosure.

Note: COI Official follows up with RMG when the COI is resolved, mitigated or managed.  It is the COI Official’s responsibility to communicate all COI issues to the sponsor.

Provides RPM with names of subaward PIs and/or institutional officials' contact information.

Obtains statement of work, detailed budget and justification, subrecipient commitment form (OSR form 33**), and other required forms from each subrecipient institution.  

Subaward Resources
DoResearch webpage >>

**Subaward Forms
DoResearch webpage >>

Prepares all sponsor forms excluding signature pages, budget forms, checklists and representations & certifications if needed.

Prepares a budget justification.  For more guidance, please see the above budget justifications section >>.

Obtains required institutional letters of support from Chair, Dean, etc.

Completes signature pages, budget forms, including checklists, and representations & certifications, as required by sponsor.

Provides W-9s, SU Tax information, Rate Agreements, etc, when needed.

Provides the standard administrative cover letter if required by sponsor or requested by PI/Dept.  PI may wish to provide his/her own letter.

Prepares Biographical sketch.  Refer to the sponsor’s instructions for specific requirements as they may differ from sponsor to sponsor.

For more guidance refer to The Biosketch vignette on the Research Administrative How2 webpage >>, a short video covering key aspects of the biosketch.  One may also download a PDF file of a Sample Biosketch on the Biosketch section of the NIH K award resource webpage>>. (This biosketch template is the same for all NIH awards.)

Maintains complete Other Support information. When necessary, obtains Other Support information from all other participating faculty within Stanford or external to Stanford.

Note1:  RMG strongly advises PIs and their administrative staff to maintain a current and complete version of Other Support. Any changes in effort on active projects should be promptly communicated to RMG.  Significant effort reduction may require prior approval.  Please refer to post award section on prior approval requests >> and work with your RPM to obtain approval when needed.

Note 2: Other Support report in Spiders (Stanford’s proposal database) is available to departments. This report does not provide complete information as required by sponsors and thus can only serve as a starting point in preparation of the final document.  To obtain access to PRISM/SPIDERS, please complete the SPIDERS PRISM Access form >>  and return to RMG. Each department is responsible for ensuring that access is requested for the appropriate staff members.

Provides guidance regarding Other Support instructions; Communicate discrepancies and participates in resolution.

Submits complete and final* proposals to RMG in accordance with Stanford University's internal deadline policy >>.

* Complete and final proposal – definition/requirements:
1. Completed and fully approved PDRF, including all applicable sections for Other Faculty.
2. All applicable waivers.

Reviews and signs proposals as the Institutional Official on behalf of Stanford University.

Stanford Administrative Cover Letter:
Note: some sponsor’s terms and conditions are often not available at the time of application submission (or different from the ones stipulated by the notice of award); in those cases, RMG strongly advises to include a special conditions renegotiation clause in the transmittal letters submitted with the application.

Assembles, paginates, makes required number of copies and mails and/or submits proposals.

Note: RMG will not mail any documents to sponsors and/or collaborators.
Provides a copy of the complete and final application to RMG.

Tracks the progress of electronic applications through the validation process and confirms successful submission. For grants.gov submissions, RMG uploads the final version of the application to esubmit.