Frequently Asked Questions

RGC is the coordinating office for external research funding. We assist faculty with research development, submitting proposals for funding, negotiating and accepting awards. Additionally, we are committed to providing research compliance support to faculty and ensuring they are adhering to all federal, state and institution guidelines.  

RGC provides one on one research development consultations that will allow you to discuss your idea, while we gather key words and phrases to conduct a funding search for you. To schedule a consultation, please contact our Manager of Research Development, Julie Moses, at mosesj4@nku.edu.

A grant is a type of financial assistance awarded for the conduct of research or other program as specified in an approved proposal. A grant, as opposed to a cooperative agreement, is used whenever the awarding office anticipates no substantial programmatic involvement with the recipient during the performance of the activities. Grants are normally awarded by sponsors whose purpose in supporting research is scientific, cultural or philanthropic. A contract is a mechanism for procurement of a product or service with specific obligations for both sponsor and recipient. Typically, a research topic and the methods for conducting the research are specified in detail by the sponsor, often in the Request for Proposal (RFP) which announces the funding opportunity. In general, there are greater performance expectations associated with contracts, including project milestones and detailed deliverables (e.g., reports). The arrangement is usually designed to benefit the sponsor by achieving an expected outcome or product.

NO

The easiest way to develop a budget is to work with RGC. Some items to consider for inclusion in your budget are:

• Salaries & Wages
• Fringe Benefits
• Equipment
• Travel
• Materials & Supplies
• Other direct Costs (including subrecipient and services agreements)
• Facilities & Administrative Costs

RGC will create and review your budget prior to submission to the Sponsor to ensure compliance with Sponsor, University and other requirements.

Fringe benefits are retirement and health insurance benefits associated with salaries. Medicaid and workers compensation are also included in fringe benefits. Fringe benefits are directly tied to your salary. Anytime salary is requested, fringe benefits need to be included also.

"F&A" stands for Facilities and Administrative, and the term is used interchangeably with "indirect costs" or "overhead." These terms are defined in the Uniform Guidance §200.56 as "those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved." In universities, F&A costs are incurred for general support and management of the mission-related research/teaching/service enterprise. They are sometimes referred to as "pooled costs" because they are accounted for and controlled centrally. Examples are library costs, utility costs, costs of operating and maintaining facilities, computers and laptops and the cost of general administration of the institution. The current negotiated F&A rate for NKU is 32.5%.

Cost sharing is the provision of internal university funds or third party funds in support of a project funded by a sponsor. Most sponsors do not require cost sharing; if it is not required, you should not provide cost sharing as part of your budget to the sponsor.

If the sponsor requires cost sharing, you can cost share in two ways - cash or in-kind. Cash cost sharing is in dollars. In-kind cost sharing is typically a provision of services.

A budget justification typically describes, in a narrative format, the manner in which one’s budget is calculated. This includes effort for the key personnel (in months or % time), their qualifications, what responsibilities they will have for the project, as well as any supplies, materials, equipment, consultant fees, and travel proposed in the grant. Typically, the more detailed the budget justification (e.g., line‐by‐ line expense breakdowns), the higher the proposal’s budget.

As soon as you contemplate submitting a proposal for funding you should alert the RGC office and your department chair. Provide any information that you have such as the RFP or Program Announcement. This will allow staff to both review the guidelines for any unusual requirements and to get you on the schedule.

Your Chair and Dean are required to sign off on the proposal so that they are aware of the research and sponsored activity taking place in their department and college; their signatures are obtained via the routing form. Additionally, the Chair and Dean are permitted to commit University resources to the proposal if required. Their signatures authorizing such commitments are necessary for the University's records.

The majority of all proposals submitted are submitted by the RGC staff on behalf of the PI and institution. There are a limited number of agencies that require the PI to do the actual submission. However, even for those submissions, the PI must first submit the proposal for review to RGC. Once reviewed, the PI will be notified that it is acceptable to submit the proposal.

Contact the RGC office immediately and forward us the contract.

Contact the RGC office immediately. All revised budgets or other agency-requested changes must be reviewed and approved by the RGC office before they are sent to the agency. It is best to allow the office to forward all requested changes to the agency.

All funders require different subcontract documents; please contact RGC for additional information.

If funding is granted, RGC will use this information to execute an official subcontract at the award stage. Please contact grants@nku.edu for inquiries or more information regarding outgoing subawards.

You should contact the Manager of Research Compliance, Anita Southwick, and ask for assistance. Information about human subject protocol submissions and review procedures can be found on the compliance page.

No, typically notification of the departure of any key personnel is required, as well as an explanation of how the work will be handled in lieu of the removal of this person. Additionally, if a replacement has already been found, a written request to replace the key personnel along with a copy of the CV of the new candidate and a justification of their skills must be included.

You should review the terms and conditions to determine the appropriate process for requesting changes to your award budget. Submit your re-budget request to RGC with justification of the proposed changes. RGC will forward the request to the sponsor and/or generate an amendment to the award.

You can ask the Sponsor to extend the period of performance. How you submit such a request depends on the Sponsor. There may also be separate requirements if you have previously requested an extension for the project. In all instances, you will need to provide a justification of why the extension is necessary (spending out the account is not a valid reason to extend a project). In some cases, the request is automatically approved.

No, major equipment cannot be purchased in the last year of a grant without special permission of the grants officer assuming the use of the equipment is associated with the work associated with the grant in question. Forward your request to your Grant Administrator.

CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES FOR GRANTS and GIFTS at NKU

For audit compliance and tax purposes, it is important that we classify grants, gifts and sponsorships correctly.  This checklist can be used to determine the correct classification and where the funds should be administered.

Classified as grant and administered by Office of Research, Grants and Contracts (RGC)

A project which meets any of the following criteria, is considered a “sponsored project”.  All funds meeting one of the following criteria for a grant will be managed by RGC

Sponsor requires specific deliverables (e.g., final technical or narrative report,
evaluation, technical assistance, and training). This does not include minimal
requirements generally related to required donor pledge payments and the
University's commitment to effectuate the donor's intent (i.e., stewardship).

□ The award is revocable for non-performance or if agency lacks continuing funds.

□  The sponsor is a federal, state, or local government agency or a national non-profit such as the American Cancer Society.

□  Sponsor generally, although not always, requires return of unexpended funds.

□  Award designates a sponsor employee (agent) as project technical monitor, as opposed to designating a contact person to improve communications.

□  Award contains intellectual property rights provisions and/or technology transfer.

□  Award restricts or monitors publications or use of results.

□  Award payments are contingent upon programmatic or fiscal reporting (e.g., specific milestones, invoices).

□ Award includes "boilerplate" terms and conditions imposed by the project sponsor or
negotiated with the sponsor by the University.

□  Award requires protection of sponsor and confidential information.

□  Award contains an itemized budget, which may require sponsor approval to modify and/or that is subject to the provisions of federal cost accounting standards.

□ Request for funding will be used to fulfill a matching or cost sharing commitment on another sponsored project or requires a matching, cost sharing or other financial commitment from the University.

□ The project is linked to other sponsored research projects or contracts being conducted by faculty/researchers.

□ Project involves the use of human subjects, vertebrate animals, radioisotopes on humans, radioactive materials, recombinant DNA, human body substances, etiologic agents or proprietary materials.

□ Project involves foreign collaborators or is subject to Export Control policies.

Classified as gift and administered by NKU Foundation

Activities supported by a donor that are generally not considered sponsored projects may include the following characteristics and shall be administered by Institutional Advancement. Check any that apply.

□  Gift supports an unrestricted purpose or such activities as endowments (e.g., endowed chairs, professorships), capital projects (e.g., construction or renovation,
equipment), or general research support.

□  Gift contains only minimal requirements, generally relating to required donor pledge payments and the University's commitment to effectuate the donor's intent (i.e., stewardship).

□  Gift requires only minimal reporting to the donor in the form of a general statement of how funds were used. Such confirmation may not be a technical or a formal financial report of any detail. However, if publications result, copies may be shared. In addition, confirmation of proper utilization of funds would be allowed such as in a "stewardship report" or “annual endowment report.” For example, if a company provided funds to help students build a solar-powered vehicle for a national student competition, the PI could report back how the students did in the competition, but not be required to provide detailed technical information including raw data.

□  Gifts are generally irrevocable.

□  Unrestricted grants are awards not identified by the sponsors as specifically being a gift or charitable contribution; however, these awards have no strings attached - no statement of work, no deliverables such as technical reports, no IP terms, etc.