We process over 500 proposals a year, and although we are extremely successful in getting these out, the "last minute" proposals can create major headaches. I doubt that prior approval would be effective unless you were unwilling to process proposals that didn't receive prior approval, and that would certainly cause screaming fits on our campus.
We have tried to use a massive education campaign, encouraging prospective PIs to run their budget by our budget people early in the process. The carrot is the fact that the PIs can then let the budget people figure out fringes, IDC rates (we have several), etc. and the PI can concentrate on the technical part.
The success rate of this campaign has been directly proportional to how new the PI is. The new people are glad for the help. The senior people are less open to this. Some with bad habits, some think we should just get out of their way.
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Sally Eckert-Tilotta, PhD, Assistant to the Director
Office of Research and Program Development
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND 58202
email: xxxxxx@mail.und.nodak.edu
tel: 701-777-2049
fax: 701-777-2504
>>> Alex Thompson <xxxxxx@MAILGATE.ARMSTRONG.EDU> 05/04 7:43 PM >>>
We're having 'the usual' problems with proposals coming in the day they need to be mailed with any number of things wrong with them. Our policy has always been to bend over backwards to accommodate but sometimes it's impossible.
It's been proposed that we begin an approval process for proposals BEFORE they are written, rather than afterwards -- the idea being that obtaining approval to write a proposal at least means that the R&SP office, the budget folks, the department heads etc. all know in advance, can get involved and and head off some of the problems before it's too late. Does anyone else have an up-front approval process? If so, does it work? How does it work? What are the pitfalls?
Thanks!
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Alexandra Thompson
Armstrong Atlantic State University
11935 Abercorn Ext
Savannah GA 31419-1997
(912) 921-5803 voice
(912) 921-2335 fax
email: xxxxxx@mailgate.armstrong.edu
