RSP Services
Searching for Funding Sources
Databases of potential sources of funding are available to the UNI campus through the sponsorship of this office. We can assist you in making these searches, or you can try it yourself.
Identifying Faculty Interests
Let us know what your particular areas of interest are. This information allows us to better match the incoming program announcements with the interests and expertise of UNI faculty and facilitates collaboration between scholars with similar interests or needed expertise. You may also consult the faculty profiles in ScholarWorks to identify others with interests similar to yours. All faculty and staff are encouraged to develop their own profiles in ScholarWorks.
Disseminating Information about Sponsored Programs
Consult the staff in the Office of Research and 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 UNI faculty and staff. The more we know about your interests, the more effective we can be about keeping you informed.
Liaison with External Agencies
The Office of Research and 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/or offer guidance on pre- and post-award interactions with program directors and funding agencies.
Training
We offer a variety of workshops on grant seeking, proposal development, specific grant programs, and grant management. Please refer to our Training and Events page periodically for new training programs or monitor Inside UNI for the announcements about upcoming training. Register for upcoming workshops by calling the RSP main office at 3-3217 or by emailing rsp@uni.edu.
Guidance on Proposal Development
We can guide you in developing or revising a proposal for submission. We also offer peer review of proposals or will help you identify peer reviewers with expertise specific to your grant content. It's never too early to begin planning for your next proposal submission.
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 UNI. We can assist you with budget templates that meet the formatting requirements for various sponsors and tips on developing a budget which realistically reflects the costs of your proposed project. You are required to have a budget review done prior to submission of a grant or contract proposal.
Authorization to Submit Proposals
Proposals submitted for external funding must first have a required budget review and be approved using the University's Proposal Routing and Approval Form (PRAF). The PRAF is used in routing all proposals for the required university approvals.
Research Ethics
RSP is responsible for supporting and monitoring research integrity at UNI. RSP staff are available to provide you information on human subjects, animal subjects, intellectual property and other research ethics questions. Forms and guidelines are posted on our website and periodic training is provided to keep faculty, staff, and students apprised of these various aspects of research ethics.
Research Support
Experienced research staff in RSP will help you plan and develop research projects, and advise you on project management, including center development. Additional resources to support research are available, including mentor identification, access to secondary data sets, and internal seed grants and support.
Post-Award Assistance
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs negotiates and approves grant and contract awards, prepares charts of accounts, authorizes setting up a university account, informs Principal Investigators (PIs) of terms and conditions of awards, negotiates and issues subawards from UNI grants to other institutions and organizations, approves all post-award budget modifications, negotiates funding extensions, 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.