Nancy, a similar issue comes up here from time to time.  E.g. one of our
colleges has access to a pot of money especially allocated by the legislature.
Faculty write and submit proposals which are read and ranked at the state
level--but, since they are 'internal' funds (we are part of a state system as
well), they have never been subject to the standard internal
procedures--signature by provost, budget review by me and controller, etc.  As
far as everyone is concerned, they are grants--but they are still immune from
our normal oversight.

It's a battle I decided early on not to fight.  Even if I had won--which was
not a lock, by any means--I would have lost a great deal in credibility in that
college.  I decided that giving in gracefully was much better: instead of being
perceived as the odious guardian of the gate, I was perceived as a bureaucrat
who could actually be helpful.

So what does all this come to?  A grant is whatever the folks involved want to
call it, I guess.  In your case, I would let the faculty and the business
office fight it out and maintain my air of helpful neutrality throughout.

Regards, Bill Campbell
Director, Grants & Research
University of Wisconsin-River Falls

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