COERA Overview of Services

We are your connection to the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), Discovery 2 Impact (D2I), and Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors (OVPR). We will assist you in submitting sponsored project proposals, coordinating award documentation, and providing post-award administration alongside the central and department staff. We provide workshops for faculty and graduate students that develop grant preparation skills and grant compliance and advise faculty in all research administration topics. If you are experiencing or have been contacted for an audit, please notify COERA staff immediately so that we may assist and coordinate.

Proposal Preparation:

Assist faculty members, students, and other researchers with the preparation and submission of sponsored project proposals to a sponsoring agency, company, or foundation. This process includes:

• Research the submission process for each application, including rules, regulations, and requirements for each sponsor, as well as the individual program announcement. Communicate with the sponsor if questions about the rules/guidelines arise.

• Meet/confer with the researcher to establish budget planning and proposal docs for proposal submission. Create a detailed proposal budget and budget justification. If a subaward is proposed, communicate with the subaward organization in order to to procure the requisite documents, budget, and assurances.

• Review proposal documentation for RFP required formatting and content inclusion including biosketches, research portions, and other sponsor-required documents.

• Prepare the grant application via the sponsor specific electronic submission portal and create, translate, or coordinate upload of the requisite documents.

• Create an electronic UTRMS Funding Proposal (FP) and coordinate with OSP regarding the proposal approvals. Act as an advocate for the Principal Investigator throughout the submission process.

• Coordinate with the researcher to prepare “Just-in-Time” or any other required pre-award documentation additions or changes as requested by a sponsor.

Award Setup and Management:

Serve as primary contact for sponsored project awarding process, which includes:

• Adapt award documentation to pre-award changes as necessary, transition proposal documentation to award stage. Prepare revised award budgets, SOWs, or award documentation based on actual award terms, if necessary. Establish official award documentation for continued project guidance.

• Review grant agreements and suggest necessary changes during contract negotiation for smoother transition with OSP award negotiation.

• Submit UTRMS Funded Agreement (FA) records and work with OSP award negotiators to coordinate the facilitation of funded proposals or contracts to ensure execution, proper post-award paperwork submission, credit requests, and account set-up.

• Submit UTRMS records and coordinate subaward contracting and/or additional OSP mandated contractual agreements related to the award.

• Aid researchers with all award agreement maintenance needs that arise throughout a project, including award interpretation, continuation funding processes, supplemental funding applications, progress reports, and all cost share planning.

Post-Award and Account Management:

Serve as primary contact and lead for COERA sponsored project post-award maintenance:

• Upon account set-up, reconcile award budget with the account spending authority.

• Assist faculty and departmental staff with sponsored account budget issues such as insufficient funds and accounting errors. Act as a liaison between department/faculty and OSP Post-award. Perform budget transfers on sponsored research accounts.

• Provide ad hoc expense and projected spending reports to assist PIs in planned project work and budget allowability.

• Provide detailed cost allowability and allocability support and determination assistance for PI and department. Maintain sponsored accounts compliance with internal (UT) and external (sponsor, state, federal) policies and procedures. Ensure compliance with internal and external policies and procedures including institutional, sponsor-specific, and Uniform Guidance - CFR-200.

• Process post-award amendments (including no-cost extensions and/or extensions with additional funds), post-award credit authorizations, and “spend available” requests.

• Work with OSP Post-award to rectify sponsor invoicing and/or receivables issues, as well as provide invoice and financial reporting guidance.

• Assist in coordinating any audits involving COE sponsored research accounts. 

Serve as primary contact and planner for COERA served sponsored project appointments, which includes:

• Maintain knowledge regarding Workday functionality and HR policies and procedures as it relates to research appointments. Establish and adapt internal procedures to accommodate.

• Create templates and reports to facilitate appointment processing (i.e. appointment costing spreadsheets)

• Review and advise on project key personnel award effort requirements

• Coordinate with PI and project teams regarding appointment planning across all sponsored projects

Serve as primary contact and planner for all COE sponsored project transactions auditing and certification, which includes:

• Review all salary and tuition transactions for the effort period and pre-certify effort reports.

• Contact and meet with each COE PI to communicate detailed and specific instructions on effort certification.

• Track, review, and report project cost share for post-award reporting.

• Track and report invoice expenditure detail as requested.

• Provide pre-spending guidance for allowability and allocability of non-personnel expenses.