Working with Sponsors: Federal Agencies

UM Research Relations with Sponsors:
Working with Federal Agencies

The federal government mandates that a central unit at the University administer the paperwork involved in the initiation of sponsored activities, provide the required certifications and representations on behalf of the University, receive and document awards, carry out the subsequent follow-up on the administration of the projects, approve budget adjustments and time extensions, and conduct the final project close-out. These administrative tasks require a professional staff with broad knowledge of the regulations of federal agencies and a support staff to maintain the extensive records required by federal sponsors.

The DRDA staff maintains extensive information about federal programs and their deadlines and has developed agency liaisons to assist faculty in making appropriate contacts. The DRDA staff reviews proposals, assists with formats, presentations, and budgets, reviews grants, negotiates agreements, and processes all awards to Financial Operations. DRDA staff provides mediation services between the University and federal sponsors at all stages of the sponsored activities.

Most extramural research funding from federal sponsors is dedicated to investigator-initiated activities. Only a small portion of the extramural budgets of federal agencies is earmarked for contracts. Current research interests of federal agencies are clearly articulated and readily accessible to investigators and the staff of DRDA. The application receipt and review process is coordinated through designated offices at each of the federal agencies. These agencies, in turn, rely on DRDA as the single point of contact for the dissemination of official information--from new funding opportunities to grant administration changes to renewal application reminders.

A few federal agencies, such as the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy, and DARPA, do operate on a contract basis. Extensive negotiations with these agencies may be required before a proposal can be finalized. The DRDA staff has primary responsibility for conducting these negotiations and is cognizant of the agency-specific procurement regulations and contract compliance provisions, including performance and other special requirements. The DRDA staff consults with faculty on technical matters and works closely with the project administrators throughout these negotiations.

Federal Demonstration Partnership

A primary objective of the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), is to "eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens on sponsored research and to enhance research productivity" by permitting certain changes to be made that formerly required sponsor approval. More on the FDP.