Sponsored Programs - About Us

 

Sponsored Programs Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Office of Sponsored Programs fall into seven major categories:

1. Information and communication about all areas of research and sponsored programs
2. Proposal development
3. Internal awards for faculty and staff
4. Review and approval of all grant and contract proposals to outside funding agencies
5. Administration of the University's research policies
6. Post-award services
7. Support for the Western Kentucky University Research Foundation (WKURF)

 

Sponsored Programs Services

Identifying Faculty Interests

The Office of Sponsored Programs maintains a comprehensive computerized database of faculty research interests. This information allows us to better match the incoming program announcements with the interests and expertise of WKU faculty. Please send an e-mail message describing your research interests to proposal.development@wku.edu.

 

Disseminating Information about Sponsored Programs

Consult the staff in the Office of Sponsored Programs as early as possible in the process of planning your grant proposal. We receive a wide variety of information from funding sources and can assist you in obtaining program guidelines, application kits, award lists and tips on writing effective proposals. Notices of grant opportunities are distributed by our office to WKU faculty and staff. The more we know about your interests, the more effective we can be about keeping you informed.

 

Searching for Funding Sources

Computerized searches of databases of potential sources of funding are available to the WKU campus through the sponsorship of this office. We can assist you in making these searches, or you can try it yourself. If you need help with these searches, contact proposal.development@wku.edu

• Search for Funding Opportunities

 

 Liaison with External Agencies

The Office of Sponsored Programs can assist you in contacting the appropriate program director for your area of interests. We can help you arrange visits to agency offices in Washington, DC, and we serve as the campus liaison to the offices of federal, state and foundation funding agencies.

 

Grant Preparation & Administration Seminars

We offer a variety of seminars on preparing grant proposals and administering awards. Each semester a basic course in proposal development is offered, and mini-seminars focusing on specific topics are offered throughout the year (Grant Information on the Internet, Budget Development, Writing Competitive Proposals, Internal Grants at WKU, How to Administer Your Grant Funds). Register for upcoming seminars by calling the OSP main office at 745-4652.

 

Proposal Development

We can assist you in developing or revising a proposal for submission. It's never too early to begin planning for your next proposal submission. For additional information, see

• Steps in Developing a Proposal
• Writing a Proposal Narrative - the essential elements of a proposal

 

Budget Preparation

Developing a budget requires attention to policies and regulations of your potential sponsor as well as the internal policies governing sponsored programs at WKU. We can assist you in this endeavor by providing you with a sample budget and tips on developing a budget that realistically reflects the costs of your proposed project.

See our FAQs to find important information commonly needed for preparation of budgets. Included is information on the current rates for indirect costs, fringe benefits and travel

 

Coordination of the Internal Sign-off Procedure

Proposals submitted for external funding must first be approved through the University's transmittal process. For additional information contact proposal.development@wku.edu or consult the Submitting to the Sponsor page. 

Post-Award Assistance

The Office of Sponsored Programs negotiates and approves grant and contract awards, prepares charts of accounts, authorizes setting up a university account, informs PIs of terms and conditions of awards, negotiates and issues subawards from WKU grants to other institutions and organizations, approves all post-award budget modifications, negotiates funding extensions, manages research ethics (including intellectual property, copyright, human subjects, biosafety issues), and assists PIs with final closeout of their awards.

Follow-up Consultations

Notifications of declined proposals are sometimes received by this office and sometimes are sent directly to the project director. Please contact us when you receive any official correspondence related to a proposal you have submitted. Not only will it assist us in maintaining accurate records, but we can also provide a follow-up consultation when a proposal has been denied funding. We can assist you in obtaining (and interpreting) reviewers' comments and revising your proposal for resubmission.

 

 The OSP reports to the WKU Vice President for Research, Gordon C. Baylis, mailto:gordon.baylis@wku.edu 270-745-6733