Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
Welcome to BGSU's Office of Sponsored Programs and Research. We support BGSU faculty, staff and students in their search for external support for their research, scholarship and creative activities, and other university initiatives.
We oversee all pre-award activities and submit proposals and receive awards from all external sources on behalf of BGSU. We are proud to assist Bowling Green State University faculty in their world-class research efforts and creative activities.
As a reminder, we encourage PI’s to inform OSPR of their intent to apply for an external grant at the earliest possible time, however, PI’s must submit fully completed external grant applications to OSPR for review no later than 10 business days prior to the submission deadline. This timeframe will ensure full capability to provide a quality grant proposal submission.
- Intent to Submit Form – Principal Investigators (PI) should use this form to communicate all proposal submission requests to OSPR. This includes new, renewal, resubmission and supplemental submissions. Once OSPR receives and reviews the form, a staff member will be assigned to assist with the submission and the PI will be notified.
- Post-Award Modification Form – Principal Investigators (PI) should use this form to request modifications to active, funded projects. This form should be submitted to OSPR with sufficient time to allow for review, determination of action requested and, if needed, to secure sponsor approval in advance of the requested modifications. Some examples of modifications are no-cost extensions, scope of work changes, change in PI/Co-I, change in level of personnel support, subaward changes, etc.
The life cycle of a project
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research assists and coordinates the administrative activities related to:
- Proposal Development and Budgeting including the monitoring of cost-share requests and identifying sources of university commitment.
- University Review and Approval Process for external submissions including obtaining the final signature of the Vice President for Research & Economic Engagement—the official who is authorized to bind the institution to terms and conditions of grants and contracts.
- Development of contracts and subcontracts under collaborative grants and contracts.
Matching your research with a funding source
- Establish your research agenda as a long-term engagement and work toward attracting external support. Identify your specific program focus, set your criteria for funding, select a funding source that matches your need, and then write a proposal developing the narrative of your idea. If you have difficulty in identifying suitable program guidelines, our staff will be happy to assist you.
- If this is your first time submitting to an external agency, feel free to ask our staff to listen to your ideas and offer suggestions.
- The process of finding appropriate funding mechanisms is neither quick nor easy. It sometimes requires a period of familiarization with agency funding trends and timing cycles. Be realistic and expect that your agenda will be funded in phases over a period of time.
- Review the guidelines
Review the application guidelines for the funding opportunity. Our office will help you interpret those guidelines, answer questions on the application forms, determine the budget and explain agency procedures or compliance requirements. You and any co-investigator(s) are ultimately responsible for meeting any compliance requirements.
- Writing the narrative
The Principal Investigator and any Co-Investigators are responsible for developing the original idea into a narrative format. Proposal formats are generally laid out in the RFP or program announcement. READ THESE CAREFULLY. The surest way to be unsuccessful is to give a funding agency a proposal that does not target what they fund. Grant writing tips and general grant writing information. - Including Standard Data and Information
Most proposals require similar standard data and history of the institution. You will find this information at Background Information for Proposals and BGSU Facts and Metrics. - Preparing the budget
Think about what it takes financially to conduct your project. You must identify the budget items for which you will request support. BGSU’s Grant and Contract Specialists are ready to build the budget for your proposal. They will help you develop a budget and a budget narrative that will be supported by both the University and the agency. Contact our office early in your proposal development time frame.
OSPR can help when submitting a grant proposal
If you are making a request to an external agency for funding to support a sponsored program you are required to submit the request through the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research. The request must have the formal endorsement by the appropriate University officials. Our office will guide you through the endorsement and award processes. Most common forms needed to complete proposal.
Working with our university departments and officials
Our office will coordinate the proposal submission and work with other research administration offices to obtain appropriate commitments and authorizations.
Accepting grants or awards
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research handles all grant and contract awards to ensure proper acceptance.
Negotiating Agreements
Sponsored program and research agreements are negotiated between the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research and the external agency on your behalf. The terms of those agreements will be binding on all University participants in the project, including faculty, staff and students. It is never appropriate for you to negotiate the terms on behalf of the institution or to sign an agreement. There is only one authorized university representative for grant and contract activity: Vice President for Research.
Closeout of an award is the process by which the sponsor determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of an award have been completed by the grantee and the sponsor. While the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research will assist you as you begin to prepare to close-out your project, BGSU’s Grants Accounting Office handles the majority of the closing procedures to ensure proper authorizations. Our team will assist in all aspect related to the funding of research, creative, and scholarly activity. We encourage you to contact our team if you have any questions on the initial processes.
Updated: 04/24/2024 03:23PM