Glossary of Terms
abstract - that section of the proposal, which provides a brief summary of the proposed
project, emphasizing its major objectives and procedures.
appropriation - the sum of money that the Congress decides should be devoted to a
specific purpose in a given fiscal year. (usually much less than the
authorization).
authorization - the amount of money that could be spent for a program that has been
legislated.
bidders/offerors conference - a meeting between representatives of institutions
interested in responding to a request for proposal (RFP), and agency
representatives, who provide background information about the RFP,
and answer questions.
budget - a management plan for a project, expressed in financial terms.
categorical grants - funds restricted to a certain category of interests, such as
child-care, or services for the handicapped.
continuation funding - a non-competing request for additional funding.
contract - the instrument for support an activity that is initiated by the funder such as
a government agency or a foundation. The activity performs a specified
service or will yield a particular end or product for the sponsor. The funding
agency exercises considerable direction and control over the performance and
timing of the work.
cooperative agreements - undertakings in which research and training projects are jointly
administered by the funding agency, and the recipient institution. The
institution has less discretion over the scope and direction of work than in a
grant, and more than in a contract.
cost-sharing - the difference between the amount of funding needed to complete a
sponsored project, and what the sponsor is willing to provide. Cost-sharing
can be either in direct costs, or indirect costs.
deadline - a fixed date by which a proposal must be either sent or received by the
sponsoring agency. (cf. target date) Instructions regarding deadlines should
be read carefully. Some agencies require a proposal to be postmarked by a
certain date, while others mandate that a proposal must be in hand by a given
date.
direct costs - costs that are easily identified and charged to a specific project. These may
include such items as salaries and wages, travel, equipment, and supplies.
federal acquisition regulations (FAR) - procurement regulations which govern the terms
and conditions of federal contracts (not grants). These regulations are subject
to negotiation as certain provisions in a contract may not be compatible with
university practices.
grant - the instrument for providing support for an activity initiated by the applicant,
that falls within the guidelines and priorities of the funding agencies.
indirect costs - costs incurred for common or joint objectives which cannot, therefore, be
readily identified with a specific project. Typical indirect costs include library
expenses, depreciation, plant operation and maintenance, and administration.
matching funds - funding contributed by the recipient institution that is mandated by the
sponsor to match its contribution in support of a project. Matching
fund requirements can often involve multiples of the amount provided, that is
the awardee must provide two or three times - or more - of the amount
awarded.
planning grant - funds allocated to support planning, and developing the means for
carrying out the project. Often a planning grant will include the resources
necessary to write a proposal for funding the project itself.
principal investigator - the person who has overall responsibility for carrying out the
project. There can only be one principal investigator, but there can be several
co-principal investigators.
renewal - a competing continuation request for funding. Renewals generally include
new work based on the results of the existing grant and are subject to
peer review.
resubmission- an effort to secure funding for a proposal that has been revised in response
to critical comments from reviewers.
solicited proposal - submitted in response to a request by a sponsor for a specific
research or educational project. Often solicited proposals are found in
Requests for Proposals (RFP). A Request for Application is a solicitation
for investigators who are interested in working with the
agency to collaborate with the funding agency to design and carry out a
specific project.
supplement - a request to a sponsor for additional funds for an existing project to cover
unanticipated expenses.
target date - the date by which an agency must receive a proposal in order for it
to be reviewed for a given funding cycle. If the proposal fails to arrive
at the agency by the target date, it is moved for consideration to the next
funding cycle. In contrast, an proposal which fails to meet an agency
deadline, receives no further consideration.
under-recovery - the difference between what the University should obtain in indirect
if the appropriate rate is applied, and what it actually will receive from the
sponsoring agency.
unsolicited proposal - a submission based on the subjects of interest to investigators in
the field rather than to the agency.
wired - an informal process in which RFPs nominally open to competitive bidding
are targeted for a specific bidder.
|
