UMMS Grant Proposal Checklist

The following checklist can be used to verify all information in a grant application. If all boxes can be checked, there should not be any questions at the Medical School before approval.

• All required principal investigator and departmental signature approvals have been obtained

• All math is correct
• Whenever figures are quoted in more than one place, they agree
• If salary equal to effort on the project is required, an increase is built into the first year budget to allow for salary increases which are expected to occur between the time the application is submitted and the time it is expected to be awarded

• The entire amount to be subcontracted, including indirect costs at the subcontractor's rate, is included in our direct cost budget
• A budget is included for the subcontracted amount

• The role of all persons listed in the budget is described
• All amounts stated in the justification, or further breakdowns of amounts on the budget, agree with the amounts on the budget itself
• All increases/decreases in years subsequent to the first year are explained fully, so that a reviewer will be able to arrive at the same figures as are in the budget for each year
• Any statements as to University "policy" are true according to the UM Standard Practice Guide

• Indirect costs have been included at the maximum rate allowed by the sponsor. The rate has been applied to the entire direct costs amount unless sponsor regulations specifically exempt particular charges. If a non-profit sponsor does not have a published rate, 20% may be an appropriate amount to use. Check with Medical School for most appropriate rate for a particular project (msgrants@umich.edu).

• The dates at the top are for the first year only, and the beginning date agrees with the date on the face page.
• The equipment category includes only items which are equipment by definition  ($5,000 and useful life >2 years).
• Patient care includes only Hospitals' charges for inpatient or outpatient care that has built in overhead charges.
• Consortium/subcontracts include only funds which we will subcontract to another institution. Indirect costs are included at that institution's federal negotiated rate. A separate, budget is included for each subcontract.

• The indirect cost figure has been calculated at the current negotiated rate.
• Computing charges which will be billed through the University's Computing Center are calculated at the separate Computing Center rate
• On a federal project:
  • Equipment items have been excluded before calculating indirect costs
  • Alterations and renovations have been excluded before calculating indirect costs
  • Appropiate patient care has been excluded from indirect costs
  • Tuition has been excluded from indirect costs
  • Appropriate animal care charges related to ULAM have been excluded from indirect costs
  • Only the first $25,000 of each subcontract is included when calculating indirect costs. If the application is a non-competing renewal or supplement of a grant/contract which has included (and met the minimum $25,000) subcontract to the agency in past funding, the entire amount of the subcontract to that agency is excluded

The NIH 398 Face Page

• All items have been completed and are correct.
• As appropriate, number 2 is checked "yes" and the type of program included
• The amounts in item 7a-b agree with the budget amounts for the first year requested on the application page 4 & the checklist page or in modular format, the amount listed
• The amounts in items 8a-b agree with the budget direct cost amounts for all years requested and the indirect cost listed on the checklist page
• The face page reflects theprimary appointment of the principal investigator under "Department"
• And Medical School under "Major Subdivision"

• The "type of application" section has been filled in. If a renewal/resubmission, the grant number has been included
• The approval date for the most recent indirect cost rate is included  (6/28/02)
• The breakdown of base amounts and indirect cost percents have been included, both for the first year, and all years requested.
• Smokefree workplace has been checked YES.

• All sections of the PAF have been completed and are correct.
• If the application continues an existing project, the most recent account number of the grant/contract is included under "Continuation, Project/Grant No."
• An Administrative Contact has been listed to answer questions associated with the application
• ALL faculty and research track individuals listed with effort on the project are included, along with unique name, department/unit, and organization code and NO fellows, house officers, research associates, or P & A staff are listed
• ePAF includes ALL YEARS of support requested
• ePAF includes budget figures for ALL YEARS of support requested and, in the Sponsor section, the amounts agree with the amounts in the application itself
• All explicit commitments included anywhere in the application materials (including cover letters) which will not be paid by grant/contract funds, are itemized. This is considered mandatory cost sharing. Included under "Line Item" is name, department and effort percent or other commitment.
• Indirect costs have been calculated at the funding agency's rate
• For each item of cost sharing, the dollar amount, the department project/grant number, and the signature of an authorized signer ON THAT SOURCE, are included
• The project/grant number used for cost sharing is appropriate

• The Project Director has signed for both responsibility (pg 3) and for Conflict of Interest assurance (pg 2)
• Every Department that has faculty effort listed in the proposal has signed
• Deans of all schools of departments involved, other than the Medical School, have signed
• The Associate Chief of Staff for Research of Veterans Administration Hospital (VAH) has signed if VAH is currently supporting salaries applicable to effort on the project; a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) official has signed if they are currently supporting space applicable to the project
• Activities: ALL ITEMS are checked either "yes" or "no" and agree with information presented in the proposal. If "yes", all information required in the second column has been filled in
• Human Subjects Committee and Animal Use Committee approvals are current
• The Project Director has read and signed the Conflict of Interest statement. S/he takes the responsibility of responding for all participating faculty.
• Space: All the space required in order to conduct the project, as stated in the facilities section of the application, has been included with the room number, building, and building zip
• Every space allocation has the signature approval of an individual AUTHORIZED TO COMMIT THAT SPACE
• All negotiations regarding space for the project have been negotiated through the office of the Associate Dean for Research and are accounted for in Item 9
• Notes: Special circumstances or procedures have been noted. Voluntary cost sharing commitments are documented here.  If completing a modular application for NIH, all exclusions have been listed by item, by year.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GRANTS OFFICE

In the event that no instructions are included, after our review we will send the proposal to DRDA by messenger.

Please let us know the following information as appropriate:
The application must be:

• received by sponsor on ____________  OR  postmarked no later than _____________
• The project director listed on the PAF has a faculty research track appointment in the Medical School
• A copy of the entire application is included for the Dean's files
• A signature of the DEAN is required by the sponsor on page ______________

• Send to the Division for Research Development and Administration (DRDA) via their messenger pickup or
• Call the following person for hand carrying of the application to DRDA

                Name ____________________________
                Phone # __________________________

If you have any questions, please contact the Medical School Grants Office, msgrants@umich.edu