General
Proposals
Awards and Grants Administration

---

General

What are your office hours and where are you located?
Office hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
OSPR is located in the Parker Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor, 2258 Euclid Avenue

What is the contact information for your office?
OSPR's mailing address is:
Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Avenue, Parker Hannifin Hall, 3rd Floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2214
Telephone: 216-687-3630
Email: OSPR@csuohio.edu

Who are your staff members?

Barbara Bryant, Administrative Assistant, b.bryant@csuohio.edu216-687-3624

Beth Judy, Animal Care Facilitator Coordinator, b.judy@csuohio.edu 216-687-2071

M. Therese Kocevar, CRA, Compliance Analyst m.kocevar@csuohio.edu 216-687-4567

Christine Sell, CRA, Preaward Services Manager c.sell@csuohio.edu 216-687-3625

Caig M. Zullig, Grants Manager, c.zullig@csuohio.edu, 216-687-3675

Proposals

How can I find funding opportunities and deadlines?
Federal Funding Opportunities: http://www.grants.gov/
State, local and other funders' deadlines can be found either via the Web or by contacting
OSPR's Preaward Servies Manager, Christine Sell.

What assistance is available to help with proposal writing?

1. "Proposal Writer's Short Course," available at http://www.fdncenter.org/learn/ is an excellent, basic primer on grant writing.

2. "Grantwriting Suggestions" by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, available at http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html is also an excellent basic guide.
3. "CFDA Guide to Developing & Writing Grants Proposals" is available at http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32159_20070525.pdf

The OSPR staff can also provide individual and group training in proposal writing.

What CSU documentation do I need in order to submit a proposal?
The following information is required for CSU proposal submissions.

1	Original, completed and signed Proposal Transmittal Form
2	Original, completed and signed Conflict of Interest Form for PI and all Co-PIs
3	Budget
4	Budget Justification
5	Proposal or Project Abstract

How far in advance of the deadline does OSPR need the proposal?
OSPR requests at least five (5) working days prior to the submission deadline to review the proposal.

Who can help me with my proposal budget?

Contact Christine Sell at X3625 for assistance with early-stage budgeting.  Contact Craig Zullig at X3675 for full proposal review.

What are CSU's government districts?

Cleveland City Council:
Ward 13:                         Joe Cimperman
Ward 5:                            Phyllis Cleveland
Ward 7:                           TJ Dow

Ohio:
House, 10th District:   Eugene Miller
House, 11th District:   Sandra Williams
Senate, 21st District:  Shirley Smith

Federal:
House, 11th District:   Marcia L. Fudge

Senate:                          Sherrod Brown, George V. Voinovich

What is CSU's IRS Tax Identification Number (also called EIN)?
34-0966056

What is the University's Indirect Cost Rate (Facilities & Administrative Rate)?

Federal:         
On-Campus:  42% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Off-Campus:  24% of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
Federal Indirect Cost Rate Approval Date:  September 5, 2008

Other (i.e., State, Private, Industrial, Foundation) :
All Locations:  20% of Total Direct Costs (TDC).  The University can accept a lower rate if the sponsor has a consistently applied, published policy stating its indirect cost rate.

What is the Indirect Cost Base?

This is the direct dollar amount to which the Facilities & Administrative rate is applied.  When we refer to “TDC,” or Total Direct Cost, all costs are in the base.  When we refer to “MTDC,” or Modified Total Direct Cost, the base includes all costs with the exception of:

1. Any amount over the first $25,000 of each subcontract (subrecipient agreement) issued by Cleveland State University;
2. Nonexpendable equipment with an acquisition cost of $2,500 or greater and a useful life of more than one year;
3. Capital expenditures (buildings, alterations and renovations);
4. Patient care;
5. Tuition remission;
6. Rental/maintenance of off-site facilities;
7. Scholarships; and
8. Fellowships.

What are the University's fringe benefit rates?

Full-time Faculty & Staff
          Federal.................................................. 32.9%
          Non-Federal......................................... 34.0%
Part-time, including summer faculty.......... 19.7%
Students (Stipend & Hourly)........................ 05.5%

Who is the CSU official authorized to sign grant applications and awards (up to $499,999)?

Richard Steiner, PhD, Vice President for Research, Office of Research.

Who is the CSU official authorized to sign grant applications and awards for dollar amounts $500,000 and above?
Michael Schwartz, PhD, President

What is the difference between a Gift and a Grant?

Private funds supporting specific research projects may be categorized as gifts or grants depending upon the conditions of the award.  In general, a gift is awarded irrevocably by an individual or organization to the University without specific expectations and without contractual obligations imposed upon the University.  This means there is no specific work plan, reporting requirements, specific budget, or project dates.  A grant mechanism, however, binds the University to a specific task (scope of work or proposal), terms and conditions, project dates, budget, and reporting requirements.

When I have a proposal for a corporation or a foundation, do I work with OSPR or with the Division of University Advancement?

When the project can be defined as a grant, work through the OSPR.  Gifts and endowment proposals to foundations are handled by the Division of University Advancement.  When in doubt, please contact OSPR.


What are the "Coordinated Foundations" and how do I submit proposals to these foundations?

The five "Coordinated Foundations” are:

1. The Cleveland Foundation
2. The George Gund Foundation
3. The Kulas Foundation
4. The John P. Murphy Foundation
5. The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation

Proposal submission to these five foundations is coordinated by the Division of University Advancement which must review them before OSPR is involved.  OSPR will not review any proposals to these foundations without evidence of Advancement’s prior approval (which involves Presidential approval).  If you plan to submit a proposal to one of these foundations, please contact OSPR well in advance for guidance.

Awards and Grants Administration

What documentation is required to establish a grant account for my funded project?

An account can be established upon receipt of one item from Column A and all items from Column B.  The items in Column B, the “Proposal Packet,” with the exception of Items 6 & 7, should be on file in OSPR in advance of an Award being received.

Column A – Award Documentation

Column B - Required Documentation

1	An Award Letter from Sponsor	1	Original, Fully-Executed Proposal Transmittal Form (PTF)
2	A Fully-Executed Contract from Sponsor	2	Conflict of Interest Form
3	An NOA (Notice of Grant Award) from Sponsor	3	Budget
4	A Fully-Executed Subcontract from Sponsor	4	Budget Justification
5	Email or Memo Approval from Chair, Dean, or Director to establish an Underwrite Account	5	Narrative Proposal
		6	IRB/IACUC Approvals (as required)
		7	Budget Transfer Form for Cost-Share (as required)

What is the difference between “equipment” and “supplies?”

Equipment means an article of nonexpendable tangible property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $2,500 or more per unit.  Supplies are consumable and have an acquisition cost of less than $2,500 per unit.  Please note that equipment is not in the MTDC overhead base while supplies are.

How do I purchase equipment?

Any item defined as equipment must be purchased via a Purchase Requisition form.  Consult with the Department of Purchasing in advance of making any purchasing commitments.

Where can I find per diem and mileage rates?

Per diem and mileage rates can be found on the Travel Policy website,http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/controllers/ , under the Travel section.

How do I re-budget funds in my account?

In addition to internal review, a request to re-budget funds may require sponsor review and approval before it can be processed.  Such a request should be in writing, include a justification, and be submitted to OSPR with enough time for both reviews, as required.  Please contact Teri Kocevar in advance for guidance.

Where do I get Release Time and other CSU-internal sponsored program forms?

These are available at http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/spr/forms/.