Section 1. Organizational Structure and Support Services

Organizational Structure

Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) oversees the University of West Florida's efforts to attract extramural funding, administers pre- and post-award grants and contracts, and facilitates the transfer of new technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace.

RSP manages the University's external funding enterprise and assists faculty in all stages of the grant process, from identifying a potential sponsor to closing out a project. RSP was established by an act of the Florida Legislature (Chapter 63-534, Laws of Florida, 1963 and FS 1004.22) to stimulate an expanding and balanced research program throughout the institution in collaboration with and in support of the University's academic programs. The operations of the University related to sponsored research and programs are managed in a separate fund from the institution’s Educational and General (E&G) or Auxiliary fund activities. This separate fund is known as the Sponsored Research Trust (SRT) fund.

The Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) is an office within RSP. It was established in 2003 with a goal of enhancing the economic value of applied research at the University of West Florida and to contribute to economic development in the State of Florida. RSP works closely with OTL in management of the commercialization of inventions and discoveries arising from university research and in promoting an entrepreneurial spirit on the UWF campus.

RSP General Support Services

RSP provides the following services to support sponsored research activity:

• Maintains the RSP Web site to provide sponsored research information; policies and procedures; and sponsored research funding opportunities;
• Publishes a quarterly newsletter electronically on the RSP Publications page;
• Provides links to Grants.gov, agency application forms and guidelines;
• Handles inquiries regarding funding sources, deadlines, and application procedures;
• Assists with funding searches for faculty projects;
• Maintains database of faculty research expertise; and
• Distributes funding announcements from various government publications.

RSP supports and provides incentives for sponsored research activity by investing a portion of the University's Facility and Administrative (F&A, previously Indirect) costs, recovered from sponsors and earnings from licensed technologies in a variety of Internal Support Programs. For a current list of internal funding programs, applications, and eligibility guidelines, refer to the Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee (SCAC) Web pages or contact Cheryl Allen at (850) 857-6378.

RSP Pre-award Services (Pre-award)

RSP Pre-award Services is assigned to manage and assist with:

• proposal and budget preparation;
• completion of agency forms and interpretation of agency guidelines;
• submission (duplication and mailing or electronic submission) of proposals;
• requests for SRT matching funds;
• compliance with required certifications and assurances and other submission preparation guidelines such as monitoring human research participant and animal subject approvals;
• negotiating contracts, including interface with legal counsel, by reviewing and editing research agreements or contracts, modifications and amendments including no-cost extensions;
• project management and administration including serving as liaison with the funding agency, maintaining pre-award grant and contract files, acting as human resource liaison, managing and recommending approval of sponsored research purchasing exemption requests and procurement, requesting no cost extensions, assisting with audits, sub-award or subrecipient contracts, cost-effort reporting (Faculty Activity Reporting System [FARS] and Personnel Activity Reporting System [PARS]) and pre-award problem resolution; and
• project close out including final technical reporting, and in concert with Post-Award Services, financial reporting, property reporting, and fixed price contract residual distribution or deficit expenditure resolution. In concert with the OTL reports of development and management of intellectual property such as disclosure, preparation and application for patents, trademarks, or copyrights, and management of administration of rights and responsibilities related to such intellectual property ownership.

Pre-award Services also provides information to the University community to assist with other information and planning needs, such as revenue budget projections, human resource needs, and contract and grant statistics. From the proposal preparation stage to the project completion stage, Pre-award staff will assist faculty and staff with any research-related questions or problems.

RSP Post-award Administration (Post-award)

When an award is made and the project is set up for management in the University accounting system, Post-award reviews the contract terms and conditions, and establishes a grant/fund to record all project transactions. Post-award assistance includes:

• travel;
• equipment purchase and inventory management;
• invoicing, collections, and cash draw-downs;
• cost-effort reporting—(FARS and PARS)
• project close out including financial reporting preparation, distribution of fixed price residuals, if applicable, or documentation of deficit expenditures for final resolution;
• F&A Cost calculations and distributions; and
• preparation of financial statements and related reporting; account reconciliations, audits; and post-award problem resolution.