Sponsored Programs 101

The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs is available to assist faculty and staff with every step of the proposal development process. Applicants should begin development well in advance of the deadline, in order to prepare a competitive proposal.

What is a Sponsored Program?

Sponsored Programs are projects supported by non-university (external) funds that are awarded as a result of an application submitted to a potential sponsor by the university on behalf of a faculty or staff member. Sponsored programs usually involve research, training, or service activities.

The Life Cycle of a Sponsored Program

The Life Cycle of a Sponsored Program
Jigsaw puzzle
Proposal Development

The initial stage when a Principal Investigator (PD/PI) identifies a funding opportunity and develops an outline of the scope of work and his/her approach on how to execute the work.

Checklist
Proposal Submission

This is the period of proposal review and University approval (Cayuse SP), creation of sponsor required documents, submission of the application package, and any (pre-award) activities required before the notice of funding.

Meeting
Award Acceptance

OSRP will negotiate and accept project awards (i.e. grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, subcontracts, etc.) on behalf of UNCP. OSRP will work with the Principal Investigator and Post Award to set up a project fund. 

Grant vs Gift

Funding, particularly when received from a non-profit entity (i.e., foundation, corporate foundation, private organization, or corporation), is sometimes difficult to classify as a gift or grant.

In order to make the most accurate decision between what is a grant and what is a gift, all components of information related to the gift/sponsored project should be reviewed by the Principal Investigator (PI), the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) and/or the Office of Advancement.

To help determine if your project is a grant or a gift, please complete the Checklist for Determining Whether Funding is a Gift or Support for a Sponsored Project.  If you answer 'Yes' to one or more of the questions, then the funding is a sponsored program and should be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.

Institutional Approval Requirement Using Cayuse SP

An investigator must enter the proposal information in the Cayuse SP grant management system and route it for UNCP intra-institutional approval before submission to the funding agency.  Cayuse SP electronically routes the proposal to the investigator's chair, dean, and concludes with the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs for final approval before submission to the funding agency.

Please contact Sherry Hunt, Coordinator of Grants Development, (910) 775-4249 for assistance with using the Cayuse SP grant management system.