At Wabash College, multiple offices work collaboratively to support you and your project team in your grant application and grant-reporting efforts.
A Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Director (PD) is the individual with primary responsibility for the design, conduct, and reporting of a research project.
Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Investigators/Project Directors
- Develop the proposal narrative and project budget.
- Complete the Proposal Needs Checklist for External Applications and Significant Financial Conflict of Interest in Public Health Service- Funded Research Form to accompany a draft statement of work and budget to begin the internal review process.
- Participate in negotiation of the grant award or contract as appropriate.
- Participate in an initial grant meeting to (1) establish a formal project account at the Treasurer’s Office (2)plan and initiate campus notification of the award, (3) credit and acknowledge funder in all publicity and dissemination.
- Comply with Wabash College's appropriate policies and procedures including ethical conduct, financial conflict of interest, research misconduct, intellectual property, the use of human subjects in research, animal welfare, and subcontractor oversight.
- Comply with state and federal regulations and institutional policies and procedures including those related to human resource management, procurement, travel, and safety.
- Responsibly manage project funds, including expending funds within the project period and within designated budget categories.
- Request budget modifications and no-cost extensions through the Office of Sponsored Research.
- Complete and submit required reports according to award terms and conditions.
- Provide documentation of grant/contract expenditures and matching contributions to the Grants Office/Foundations, Corporations, and Government Relations in a timely manner.
The Grants Office helps faculty identify grant opportunities, submit proposals, and ensure non-financial compliance.
Responsibilities of the Grants Office
- Lead administrative contact for subawards and other third-party grants.
- Provide leadership, guidance, and necessary support for faculty development of research projects and in the preparation and submission of applications for funding.
- Help coordinate the grant application and administration approvals from the Treasurer's Office, academic departments, and college administration.
- Monitor and interpret for use at Wabash College all relevant regulations and practices associated with federal, state, local, and private funding sources.
- Provide troubleshooting assistance and intervention for all aspects of grant application and post-award administration, as described in the Grants Manual.
- Assist the PI/PD as necessary in preparing the proposal, with particular emphasis on technical aspects of the project, the budget (as it relates to the business unit's budget and faculty/staff effort), and with special attention to proposed protocols involving human subjects or the use of animals in research.
- Consult with the PI/PD as necessary to ensure that work on the sponsored project is progressing satisfactorily.
- For sponsored projects involving human subjects or the use of animals in research, coordinate oversight with the respective Internal Review Board to ensure compliance with governmental regulations and institutional and professional standards.
- To the extent necessary, assist the PI/PD in completing and submitting technical reports on time.
The Dean of the College authorizes all proposed budgets and activities and the submission of faculty research proposals. The Dean of the College is one of two Authorized Institutional Officials for the College.
- Encourage faculty and staff to seek external funding for research, curriculum development, training, and service projects.
- Serve as a mentor for junior faculty and faculty and staff members who have not had extensive experience in seeking and managing external funds.
- Assess departmental or unit personnel needs in light of grant and contract activity and approving faculty and staff effort proposed for the project.
- Assist the PI/PD in identifying source(s) of matching funds (cash and in-kind) if required by the sponsor.
- Approve the PI’s/PD’s request to the sponsoring agency via signature on the Proposal Needs Checklist for External Grants.
- As necessary, participate in negotiation of a grant or contract.
- In the event of audit exceptions, disallowances, or over-expenditures, seek the provision of funds from departmental, division or college sources (or securing them from some other source) to correct negative sponsored project account balance.
The Treasurer’s Office, in conjunction with the Grants Office and Dean of the College, authorizes sub-award and contractual agreements binding your grant-funded project to another institution. The Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer is one of two Authorized Institutional Officials for the College.
The Grants Management Specialist works with the PI/PD to ensure accurate financial administration of the grant and compliance with federal regulations.
- Prepare financial reporting to be submitted with technical reports.
- Assist the PI/PD as necessary in managing project funds.
- Monitor as necessary to ensure that funds are expended within the project period and that budget categories are not exclusively overspent.