Routing Checklists : UMMS Grant Proposal Checklist
The following checklist can be used to verify all information in a grant application. If all items have been addressed, there should not be any questions at the Medical School before approval.
- Application to Proposed Sponsor
- Direct Costs - All Sponsors
- Direct Costs - Subcontracts
- Budget Justification
- Indirect Costs(F&A)
- General Proposals (especially geared to NIH)
- University Proposal Approval Form (PAF)
- Signature Approvals
Application to Proposed Sponsor
- We use the eRPM routing system on campus. Signatures that must be obtained prior to routing a proposal to the Dean’s Office are that of the Pricipal Investigator (PI) and any subcontract sites. The eRPM system will automatically require the rest of the signatures.
Direct Costs - All Sponsors
- 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
Direct Costs: Subcontracts/Consortium/Contractual Agreements
- The entire amount to be subcontracted, including indirect costs at the subcontractor's rate, is included in our direct cost budget
- A budget (even if internal) for the subcontracted amount is obtained from the subcontract site.
The Budget Justification
- 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 U-M Standard Practice Guide
Indirect Costs (F&A)
- 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).
Budget Forms (mostly NIH, but may apply to other sponsors)
- The dates at the top are for the first year only, and the beginning date of the first budget period agrees with the date on the face page.
- On federal projects, 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. If you use the Clinical Pricing Tool, the costs do not go in patient care.
- 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
- Appropriate patient care has been excluded from indirect costs
- Tuition has 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
Face Pages (especially NIH)
- All items have been completed and are correct.
- The type, number, or name of program being applied for is listed as required
- Any budget amounts required agree with the budget amounts for the time period requested on the application budget
- The face page reflects the department of the primary appointment of the principal investigator under "Department" for NIH applications
- And Medical School under "Major Subdivision" for NIH applications
- The "type of application" section has been filled in. If a renewal/resubmission, the grant number has been included (for NIH this is 2 letters + 6 numbers)
- The approval date for the most recent indirect cost rate is included (3/1/2010)
- The breakdown of base amounts and indirect cost percents have been included, both for the first year, and all years requested.
University Proposal Approval Form (PAF in eRPM)
- All sections of the PAF have been completed and are correct.
- Sponsor and school deadlines have been included.
- A copy of the final proposal or administrative shell has been attached for review.
- 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
- PAF includes ALL YEARS of support requested
- PAF 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 source of funds are included
- The project/grant number or source listed for cost sharing is appropriate
- 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
- 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
- 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.
Signature Approvals
- The Project Director has signed for both responsibility and for Conflict of Interest assurance,
- The eRPM system will automatically route and require every Department and Deans Office that has faculty effort listed in the proposal has 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. You must obtain sign off outside the eRPM system and attach the approval.
- The eRPM system will route to a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) official to sign if they are currently supporting space applicable to the project and are listed on the PAF.
- Every space allocation has the signature approval of an individual AUTHORIZED TO COMMIT THAT SPACE – including the Chief Department Administrator for clinical space. (This may be accomplished by the CDA signing the PAF or attaching a document indicating approval.)
- All negotiations regarding space for the project have been negotiated through the office of the Senior Associate Dean for Research and are accounted for under the Additional Space section.
If you have any questions, please contact the Medical School Grants Office, msgrants@umich.edu
