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Competitive Grants Program - Questions and Answers
- How do you define matching funds?
- What documentation is required to show matching funds?
- Are faculty summer salaries an allowable expense?
- What ERE rates should be used?
- Who can be a Principal Investigator on a proposal?
- How are proposals evaluated?
- Why do I need to show interaction with a water center?
Q.How do you define matching funds?
A. Matching funds are dollars directed to support the proposed work from an outside agency - local, state, and federal government agencies, the private sector, NGO's, etc. Faculty time on a project is not considered to be a match. Donated time, equipment and supplies provided by an outside partner for a project are considered to be in-kind contributions.
Q. What documentation is required to show matching funds?
A. A letter from authorized personnel of the donor agency specifying the financial commitment to the project is required to be submitted with the proposal. The matching funds and source(s) should be listed in Section 1, Item 5 and on the budget form.
Q. Are faculty summer salaries an allowable expense?
A. TRIF funds are intended to enhance student opportunities, accomplished through graduate assistantships and paid student positions, for future workforce development. These student salary expenditures are the priority rather than faculty salary compensation, on project budgets. Also, ABOR guidelines specify that "TRIF funding may be used to pay salaries only for persons directly involved in projects or activities funded under this program that would otherwise not be funded through general fund appropriations" (general fund appropriations refers to state funds).
Q. What ERE rates should be used?
A. Use the provisional 2009 budget rates as follows:
| Class | Budgeting Rate (for FY2009 and later periods) |
|---|---|
| Faculty Regular | 29.5% |
| Faculty Clinical | 13.4% |
| Faculty Ancillary | 23.1% |
| Classified Staff | 44.6% |
| Temporary | 10.1% |
| Students | 3.8% |
| Graduate Assistants | 10.2% |
| Graduate Assistants Tuition | 28.2% |
| Federal (agriculture) | 29.2% |
Please bear in mind that these rates are to be used for budgeting purposes and only for periods after June 30, 2008. The rates shown above should be regarded as an approximation and are not necessarily the rates that will be in effect in fiscal 2009 or later years.
Q. Who can be a Principal Investigator on a proposal?
A. The general rule is that a principal investigator must be an employee of the University of Arizona . In the research context, employee means that, either:
- The University has issued and the individual has signed an annual notice of Appointment or Notice of Reappointment, whether or not the individual receives state funding or receives funding through the University from outside sources such as grants, contracts or other non-state sources of funding; or
- The individual a) has received a Notice of Association from the President of the University; and b) has a contractual relationship with an entity affiliated by contract with the University (for example, University Physicians Inc., Veterans Administration, Scottsdale Healthcare or others); and c) agrees to be bound by and subject to all policies and rules that apply to all UA employees related to their conduct of such projects; and d) has signed an agreement with the University in which the responsibilities for claims arising out of research activities and professional services are clearly delineated, which agreements shall be reviewed by the University Attorneys' Office prior to their execution; and e) has an appointment in a College in which such project(s) would be conducted most appropriately, which appointment does not violate any other policies, practices or agreements of that or any other College.
Q. How are proposals evaluated?
A. Each proposal receives two primary reviews and two secondary reviews by designated reviewers with expertise in the area of study. Proposals are evaluated according to the selection criteria listed in the Proposal Guidelines. The reviewers evaluate proposals then meet together on panels, to present, discuss, make final evaluations, and rank the proposals at hand. The WSP Executive Committee, comprised of the five Water Center Directors, meet with the review panel chairs to hear their recommendations, and the Committee subsequently makes the final award decisions.
Q. Why do I need to show interaction with a water center?
A. The five Water Centers, the Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing (ERC); the Center for Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA); the Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP); the Water Quality Center (WQC); and the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) were designated to coordinate the TRIF water program on campus. Building on established strengths is fundamental to the success of the program. Expanding the networks between departments and water centers increases the opportunities for cross-disciplinary interaction and resulting research innovation and solutions to real-world problems in the state.