<.  My experience is that sponsors
 <  see us (in preaward) as clerkish intermediariesand that
 <  their preference is to talk with the researcher, who can
 <  discuss technical issues, etc.  How do you fell about that?
 < Spanky

I think it depends on the sponsor.  Most federal agencies don't seem to have
a problem working with a research administrator.  I think the exception
might be the Department of Education.  Does anyone else have problems with
them?  We have noticed that if we order an application and a faculty member
orders the same application at the same time, the faculty member's copy will
arrive about a week before ours.  We usually have things addressed to
"Special Order, Office of Research and Creative Activities", but I'm
thinking of changing it.  Does anyone else have any problem getting
Department of Ed announcements quickly?  Has anyone found a solution?

I am sorry about the tangent... back to the question.  I usually call the
sponsors for the faculty, at least to order information.  The exception is
if they are interested in a small to medium foundation and then I only
suggest that they might want to call for the reason Spanky mentioned.  If
they'd rather have me call, I'm happy to do it.  My position, though, as
Funding Information Officer, makes information gathering for the faculty my
prime responsibility.  I can understand how hard it must be for people who
are doing all of preaward or both pre and post.

Jacquie Krones
Arizona State University