Roles and Responsibilities 

The RFSUNY/SBU proposal preparation and submission process requires significant contributions from the principal investigator, department/college, and OSP. Each party assumes essential roles and responsibilities to facilitate the individual application process and protect the overall, institutional interests.

• Co-Principal Investigator/Project Director

  Other person(s) primarily responsible for the scientific, technical, and administrative conduct of a project. In this secondary role to the PI, a Co-PI:

  • Provides leadership over a specific task of the project
  • Coordinates necessary approvals, if at other institution
  • Contributes to managing the project and any reporting requirements

  The appointment of Co-Principal Investigators does not supplant the need for one individual to be designated as “corresponding” investigator.

• Collaborator
   

  A person or entity typically volunteering some effort to conduct one minor task, measurement, or analysis. He or she is not compensated and is not involved in management or reporting if a project is funded. He or she may be asked by a sponsor for a letter explaining contribution to the project.

• Departmental Research Administrator (DRA)

  Responsible for the overall preparation, review and department approval of the proposal prior to routing it for submission:

  • Assures the availability of space and equipment
  • Reviews the proposal prior to submission to ensure compliance with sponsor solicitation and RF policy (PI status, subaward materials, and myResearch routing requirements)
  • Reviews the budget—verifies rates, unallowable costs, salary caps, cost sharing, under recovery, location and type of activity
  • Prepares or collects other administrative documents, such as bio sketches, other support, resources, and checklist
  • Obtains third-party documentation—including consultant letters, subaward proposals, scope of work, budget, and subaward institutional sign-off
  • Prepares documentation, as necessary, for RF requirements, including PI status, cost sharing, underrecovery, vacation, graduate student support, salary caps, and faculty effort, and Subaward vs. Procurement verification
  • Verifies and reviews for regulatory compliance as well as protocols and training— human subjects, animals, biohazards, export controls, responsible conduct of research, NSF postdoctoral mentoring plan, and conflict of interest disclosure(s)
  • Collects and enters electronically all components of the proposal as needed, into myResearch
  • Verifies required approvals obtained in myResearch
  • Provides department head’s approval of proposal content, including scope of work, and commitment of department space and other resources
  • Manages the routing and review of the proposal, including sign-offs by multiple PIs and Department Heads and Dean’s office—either electronically via myResearch or by hard copy – in sufficient time to meet OSP's 5 business day internal deadline
  • Informs OSP representative in advance that a proposal is being routed, along with any solicitation reference. Works with PI to request waiver from Dean of 5 business day internal deadline rule if necessary
  • Routes the internally approved proposal to OSP
  • Submits electronic renewals or non-competing continuations
  • Submits OSP-approved paper proposals and, if sponsor solicitation dictates, electronic proposal via sponsor website
  • Work with OSP to ensure proposal sent to sponsor is reflected in myResearch.
• School Administration (Dean’s Office)

   Reviews, advises, and approves proposals

  • Reviews requests for space and other resource commitments, such as cost sharing or funding of underrecoveries, required by the proposal

  • Assures PI status

  • Manages requests for waiver of 5 day internal deadline rules.

• Office of Sponsored Programs

  The primary mission of Sponsored Programs office (OSP)

  is to promote extramural funding of research and scholarly activity and to help you, either individually or as part of a group, by:

  • Reviewing, advising, providing  institutional endorsement, and submitting proposals
  • Providing administrative services such as review of proposal, budgets, and supporting documentation for compliance with sponsor solicitation, federal and RF policies
  • Protecting the campus from additional conflicts by making certain no unnecessary risks and liabilities are undertaken  
  • Ensuring proper stewardship of sponsored funds  
  • Creating mechanisms for accountability  
  • Developing procedures for the proper use of sponsored funds 
  • Interpreting sponsor’s rules  
  • Establishing compliance with public policies  
  • Filing assurances and certifications regarding regulatory compliance
  • Serving as the official liaison between the campus, the Research Foundation and the funding agency.