Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP)
Mission
The primary mission of the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) is to support the School of Public Health’s research endeavors. ORSP’s goal is to provide quality support to Georgia State’s exceptional faculty, act as a liaison with the Office of Sponsored Proposals and Awards (OSPA) and provide guidance and resources needed to facilitate sponsored research.
Pre-Award
The pre-award Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs) are responsible for collaborating with Principal Investigators (PIs) in the successful preparation of proposal submissions. This includes reviewing funding opportunity announcements and providing PIs detailed checklists with required files, formats, and deadlines. They will provide any templates we may have available, collaborate with PIs on budget drafts, draft budget justifications per the finalized budget, review all documents for compliance, initiate proposal routing through the Office of Sponsored Proposals and Awards (OSPA), etc.
Post-Award
The post-award Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs) are responsible for collaborating with Principal Investigators (PIs) on the successful navigation and administration of sponsored awards and accounts. This includes performing in-depth reviews of award documents, monitoring expenditures, assisting with progress reports, applying for no-cost extensions, or any other prior approvals necessary once the award is in progress. GCOs also provide monthly expenditure reports and coordinate with the PIs for any changes that might be necessary to the account to avoid overspending or inaccurate charges, such as changes in effort, personnel, purchases not originally accounted for in the budget, etc.
PIs may request situational guidance meetings to discuss projected burn rates or detailed analysis of their current projects. PIs must take the lead on managing their effort across sponsored projects.
Contact Information
Pre-Award – Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs)
Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences and Population Health Sciences
Selena McBride
College Research Officer
[email protected]
404-413-1348
Monica Hollman
Grants and Contracts Officer III
[email protected]
404-413-9313
Post-Award – Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs)
Melissa Duncan – Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences
Grants and Contracts Officer III
[email protected]
404-413-2348
Traci Streeter-Sherrell - Population Health Sciences
Grants and Contracts Officer II
[email protected]
404-413-1797
Pre/Post-Award – Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs)
Juarndai Lei Gagnon - Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development
Grants and Contracts Manager
[email protected]
404-413-1343
Pre-Award
The pre-award Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs) are responsible for collaborating with Principal Investigators (PIs) in the successful preparation of proposal submissions. This includes reviewing funding opportunity announcements and providing PIs detailed checklists with required files, formats, and deadlines. They will provide any templates we may have available, collaborate with PIs on budget drafts, draft budget justifications per the finalized budget, review all documents for compliance, initiate proposal routing through Office of Sponsored Proposals and Awards (OSPA), etc.
As soon as you know you are going to submit, please complete the Project Information Form (PIF).
Deadlines
ORSP requests a minimum of 2 business weeks notice* for proposal preparations; more is appreciated. Final versions of non-technical files (facilities, equipment, budget, subrecipient proposals, letters of support, etc.) are due 5 business days prior to the deadline. Final versions of technical files (abstract, aims, strategy, and references) are due 2 business days prior to the deadline.
All proposals provided within the timelines above will be given priority.
*If your proposal has subrecipients, please allow 3-4 business weeks notice minimum.
ORSP Proposal Deadline Summary:
Notify ORSP of planned submission at least 2 business weeks prior to the deadline (3-4 if subrecipients are involved).
Final non-technical documents (budget, facilities, bios, etc.) are due 5 business days prior to submission.
Final technical documents (abstract, aims, strategy, SOW, etc.) are due 2 business days prior to submission.
Proposal Process
- As soon as you know you will submit a proposal, complete the Project Information Form (PIF). If you are interested in a pre-review of your proposal prior to submission, see these guidelines.
- If your proposal does not have an RFP and/or hard deadline, send any sponsor correspondence and the anticipated date of submission.
- Once the assigned GCO has reviewed the solicitation and guidelines, they will provide you a list of required documents and send any templates (if available) to assist with proposal preparation.
- Budget details should be sent as soon as possible and can be included as part of the PIF.
- This includes: line item details (i.e. salary, graduate assistants, materials and supplies, etc.), the period of performance, and project title.
- If you have any questions, please call, email, or meet with your GCO.
- If you’re working with other GSU units, the indirect split should be provided for routing purposes.
Once the budget is finalized, the GCO will send you a draft budget justification, tailored to your budget, for review and completion. This file will include our standard rate and paragraph blurbs with highlighted sections for you to complete specific to your project. - Five business days prior to the deadline, all non-technical files should have been received. The GCO will compile all finalized documents into the official proposal package and route the draft application, final budget, and final subrecipient proposals (if applicable) through the Research Portal.
- This will require all investigators to complete the SFI and approve the routing.
- Two business days prior to the deadline, all technical files should have been received. The GCO will add these to the nearly final draft and send you a full version of the application for final review and approval. This will also be added to the Research Portal and routed to OSPA for final review and approval. OSPA will wait to submit until PI final approval has been received.
PI/GCO/OSPA Responsibilities
Budget Development
ORSP will maintain the official version of the proposal budget. The PIF contains an optional section available to provide budget details to your assigned GCO. You can choose any method or template to provide initial details to the GCO. Below is the School of Public Health’s official budget template. All budget details will be input into a master copy of this template, maintained by the GCO to ensure calculations are accurate.
Download the SPH Official Budget Template
Please feel free to utilize the Simplified Budget Template and also within the PIF to start the budget process with your assigned GCO. They will transfer the items to the official template of record.
OSPA Budget Development Guidance and Template
Georgia State University’s interpretation of Uniform Guidance Budgeting Allowability is available here.
URSA Resources
The University Research Services and Administration (URSA) office maintains various resources to faculty submitting proposals.
Funding Opportunities
Proposal Resources
Research Technology Resources
Tech Commercialization Resources
Core Facilities Language
Post-Award
The post-award Grants and Contracts Officers (GCOs) are responsible for collaborating with Principal Investigators (PIs) on the successful navigation and administration of sponsored awards and accounts. This includes performing in-depth reviews of award documents, monitoring expenditures, assisting with progress reports, applying for no-cost extensions, or any other prior approvals necessary once the award is in progress. GCOs also provide monthly expenditure reports and coordinate with the PIs for any changes that might be necessary to the account to avoid overspending or inaccurate charges, such as changes in effort, personnel, purchases not originally accounted for in the budget, etc.
PIs may request situational guidance meetings to discuss projected burn rates or detailed analysis of their current projects. PIs must take the lead on managing their effort across sponsored projects.
Notice of Award Process Pre-Execution
- Once you receive notification that your proposal has been awarded, notify the ORSP central box [email protected].
- If you receive the award directly, forward this to ORSP for processing through OSPA.
- If you did not submit a proposal, notify your assigned Pre-Award GCO, so the appropriate forms can be routed in order to accept the award.
- If any changes are necessary from the proposal budget to the award budget, ORSP will work with you on the revisions.
- Send the assigned GCO any compliance protocols applicable (IRB, IACUC, etc.)
- OSPA will negotiate and fully execute the award.
Post-Execution Initial Setup
- OSPA will distribute a copy of the fully executed award, along with the assigned speedtype for spending.
- Review the award and notify your assigned post-award GCO of any issues with the documents.
- Pay particular attention to the effort listed on the award budget and notify the GCO immediately of any changes.
- The GCO will review the award and account to ensure the budget was setup appropriately.
- The GCO will initiate your effort to begin charging to the newly assigned speedtype for the period and percentage listed on the award budget.
- If subrecipients are included, the GCO will initiate this request with OSPA to draft the agreement.
- The award is now fully setup.
Ongoing Management
- It is recommended that you develop an effort tracking tool for all of your project personnel, as well as for the effort where you may be collaborating on a project you are not leading.
- ORSP has developed a simplified effort tracking tool that can be utilized and adapted to fit your needs.
- Your assigned post-award GCO will send you monthly expenditure reviews that will include your project drilldown reports listing account balances.
- The GCO will notify you of any potential concerns that could lead to overspending the account and will ask you to verify your effort being charged.
- You will be required to confirm your effort.
- If you need to request a no-cost extension, official budget revision, or any other post-award action, please complete a Project Information Form (PIF), which will be assigned to a GCO to initiate these requests with the sponsor or OSPA, as necessary.
PI/GCO/OSPA Responsibilities
Post-Awards
Proposal Budget & Development
Project Information Form (PIF) – Request Assistance from ORSP (Web Form)
Fillable PDF Version – Project Information Form (PIF)*This is the ‘paper’ form version for extenuating circumstances when the web-based form is unable to be completed. When applicable, please download and save the form before completing in order for all attachments to function properly.
SPH Budget Template *Review instructions on first tab of template.
Simplified Budget Template for PIF
OSPA Budget Development Guidance and Template
SPH Generic Budget Justification Template
NSF Letter of Collaboration Template
NSF Current and Pending Template
Generic Subrecipient Checklist
Human Subjects Information Form – Part 1
Human Subjects Information Form - Part 2
OSPA’s F&A Waiver Request Form
The University Research Services and Administration (URSA) office maintains various resources to faculty submitting proposals:
Funding Opportunities
Proposal Resources
Research Technology Resources
Tech Commercialization Resources
Core Facilities Language
General Topics
- University Research Services and Administration (URSA) refers to the umbrella unit for all research administration at Georgia State University.
- Office of Sponsored Proposals and Awards (OSPA) refers to Georgia State University's central research administration office. They are responsible for approving all proposal submissions and fully executing resulting awards.
- The School of Public Health's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (SPH ORSP) refers to the college/departmental research administration office. They are responsible for working with PIs to prepare proposals for submission, ensure compliance, liaison with central offices, and financial administration and closeout of awards.
- Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) refers to the signing official for the University authorized to bind the institution.
- Grants and Contracts Officer (GCO) refers to the individual assigned to guide you through the research administration/compliance portions of your proposals and awards.
Sponsored Awards should be made to:
Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 3999, Atlanta, GA 30302-3999
DUNS: 83-732-2494
Tax ID/EIN No.: 58-1845423
Performance Site should be listed as:
Georgia State University
30 Courtland Street, Atlanta, GA 30303-2535
DUNS: 07-3425951
Tax ID/EIN No.: 58-6002050
- Faculty holding full-time tenure track and full-time non-tenure track positions and staff holding full-time, non-temporary positions (“permanent full-time”).
- An individual who is employed by the University but not on a permanent full time basis (e.g., temporary contract, adjunct faculty, postdoctoral fellows, faculty holding positions that are less than full-time) is eligible to serve only if one of the following conditions is met:
- A permanent full-time faculty or staff member is named as Co-Principal Investigator/Co-Project Director and accepts responsibility for ensuring that the Sponsored Project’s requirements are met;
- The Chair or Director of the department through which the work will be conducted accepts responsibility for ensuring that the Sponsored Project’s requirements are met at the time the grant proposal is submitted.
- A student, if allowable by the sponsor, provided a permanent full-time faculty or staff member is named as Co-Principal Investigator/CoProject Director or mentor and accepts responsibility for ensuring that the Sponsored Project’s requirements are met.
Exceptions to this policy can be made and require approval of the appropriate Department Chair, College Dean, and the Vice President for Research & Economic Development.
This can be found on Georgia State University's fact sheet.
Proposal Development & Budget Preparation
Yes, but adjustments would need to be made if overlapping awards resulted in over commitments or other sponsor commitments not able to be met. Please work with your assigned post-award GCO to ensure all commitments are appropriate and accurately charged.
Yes, Georgia State University maintains a monthly list that can be found here.
- There are many resources available on this website. URSA also maintains this resource page.
- You can find facilities language for Core facilities at Georgia State University here.
- Purchased Services are goods and services needed to conduct the research proposed. They are not responsible for any programmatic decisions and they do not contribute to the results. This is part of their normal business operations available to any purchaser.
- Consultants typically provide review and analysis, usually short-term, as opposed to an ongoing relationship. They provide expertise needed to conduct the research proposed, but they do not influence the direction of the research, nor are they responsible for any programmatic decisions.
- A Subrecipient is responsible for programmatic decisions and conducts a portion of the research proposed. They are subject to the same terms and conditions as the prime awardee and are typically Co-Investigators.
As soon as you know you’re ready to submit a proposal, complete the Project Information Form (PIF). This will be assigned to a Grants and Contracts Officer, who will review the solicitation and provide details on submission requirements and deadlines.
URSA maintains the following website, which links to all research safety regulations and instructions for compliance approvals. URSA Compliance Page
- Yes, please provide official documentation from the sponsor (funding announcement, institution’s formal policy) indicating the reduced rate.
- If no official documentation is available (only correspondence notes the reduction), a formal F&A waiver request will need to be submitted and approved prior to submission. Please work with your assigned GCO. F&A Waiver Request Form
Review all sections to ensure they are answered appropriately to your project, complete SFI, and approve.
Your base salary will be listed at the cap and your effort will be applied to this base. Separately, a cost share budget will be generated for the amount of your salary over the cap to ensure this is tracked appropriately with the award.
Georgia State University's federally negotiated F&A rate agreement is calculated on Modified Total Direct Costs, which excludes participant support, capital equipment, and subrecipient amounts over $25,000.
This varies by proposal submission and complexity, but in general, five business days prior to the deadline for final non-technical files and two business days prior to the deadline for final technical files. Please review SPH’s Proposal Deadline Policy and utilize our timeline simulator found on the pre-award page.
If 50% or more of the project and effort will take place off-campus.
Cost sharing is primarily appropriate in the following instances:
- The sponsor requires cost share as a condition for submitting the proposal and receiving the award.
- More effort is planned for a project than the budget allows. All possible effort should be budgeted whenever possible; the remainder would need to be documented as cost share. This should be rare and avoided when possible.”
Exceptions are reviewed on a case by case basis. Please refer to SPH’s Cost Share Process.
Award Setup
No, Georgia State University has delegated signature authority to specific individuals and they are the only personnel able to bind the University.
- Forward the award to the [email protected]. ORSP will work with OSPA, or assign you to a Pre-Award GCO who will work with OSPA, to process the agreement and obtain a spending account number for your project.
- Please ensure you’ve applied for and obtained any compliance protocols necessary to begin your research.
If you have official documentation of an incoming award, please work with your assigned post-award GCO to have an advanced account setup. Please note this is subject to various approvals and all costs applied to an advanced account are incurred at the risk of SPH and may be denied due to certain risk factors. These are reviewed on a case by case basis.
Award & Financial Management
Yes, please reach out to [email protected] for any training inquiries
These vary by sponsor. It’s best to work with your post-award GCO to ensure the terms of the award regarding NCE requests are followed. All NCE requests should be documented and tracked in our research portal, which is handled by the GCO. Please complete the Project Information Form (PIF) to request assistance.
Monthly expenditure reports are sent for each project by your assigned post-award GCO. If any issues are noticed or adjustments are needed to the account, please notify the GCO immediately so the appropriate cost transfers can be applied timely.
When an award is fully executed and the speedtype is assigned, the post-award GCO initiates your effort to begin incurring on the project based on the period of performance and budgeted effort.
- If any changes to this awarded effort are needed, the GCO should be notified immediately.
Subrecipients
The PI is responsible for maintaining frequent communication with the subrecipient on progress. The PI reviews all subrecipient invoices to ensure amounts are consistent with the progress and costs are allowable.
Once the prime award is executed, the GCO will request the subrecipient agreement to be initiated. OSPA will negotiate and execute this agreement. Funds will be encumbered on GSU's project budget to ensure the subrecipient line is not overdrawn at any point.
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School of Public Health
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