This “how-to” manual is intended to be your primary resource for managing your grant or contract.  It provides nuts-and-bolts guidance on how to be a responsible and effective steward of both the sponsor and University funds and provides important contact information should you have any questions regarding your award.

Any grant that requires a signature by a college official or any commitment from the college must go through an internal endorsement procedure using the Grant Internal Routing Form that requires the signatures of the faculty member writing the grant, the department chair, associate dean, the Director of Research, and the Provost. A signature is needed from Vanguard’s Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for all federal and state grant proposals. Grant proposals that have not gone through the above institutional review will not be approved for submitter.

Indirect costs represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified with a particular grant, contract, or project activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization and the conduct of activities it performs. In theory, costs like heat, light, accounting and personnel might be charged directly if little meters could record minutes in a cross-cutting manner. Practical difficulties preclude such an approach. Therefore, cost allocation plans or indirect cost rates are used to distribute those costs to benefiting revenue sources.

(IACUC) is a committee responsible for ensuring that the animal housing, care and use in research labs meets Federal standards and guidelines. The IACUC meets to review policy changes and to review research proposals including animals.

(IRB) is responsible for the protection of human participants in research conducted by faculty, staff and students at Vanguard University. All members of the Vanguard community who engage in activities that are classified as research involving human participants must submit their research proposals to the IRB for review and approval prior to beginning the research. The IRB assures compliance with Federal and State regulations and University policies. For more information, please click here. 

If students are named in the budget, use at least minimum wage as a base for calculations and consult the Grants Manual for up-to-date fringe rates. To ensure proper GLs and documentation is used in reporting purposes, all student hiring should be conducted by the GRASP Office. Please fill out the student worker hiring form for each student worker you wish to hire. Then, please email the Grant Specialist regarding next steps in student hiring. 

In accordance with policy on Disclosure of Financial Interests Related to Projects Sponsored by PHS, NSF, or other Agency Adopting the Federal Requirements, the Principal Investigator and all other investigators must disclose their personal significant financial interests (and those of their spouse/registered domestic partner and/or dependent children) related to their institutional responsibilities. This includes the Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators, Senior and Key Personnel, and any other individual who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research funded by the Public Health Service (PHS), National Science Foundation (NSF), or other sponsors that have adopted the federal requirements for financial disclosure.

The GRASP Office regularly distributes funding opportunities to Vanguard faculty and staff. To view a list of current opportunities please click here. 

To brainstorm opportunities that align with your research interests, please contact the GRASP Office.