Research Services -Pre-Award Support for UT-ORII Faculty
Research Services at UT-ORII supports faculty throughout the Pre-Award stage of sponsored projects. Our goal is to offer high-level, personalized support during proposal development, preparation and submission.
Our services include:
- Consultations on potential funding opportunities
- Review of requests for proposals (RFPs) and solicitations
- Budget creation and refinement
- Coordination of internal and external collaborations, including subrecipients
- Proposal editing for clarity and flow
- Application preparation through electronic submission systems
- Finalization of proposals for internal approvals and submission to the Division of Research Administration (DRA)
Proposal Lifecycle at UT-ORII & the University of Tennessee
Proposal Lifecycle explained
Find Funding
| Faculty seeking external funding are encouraged to use University of Tennessee resources to maximize their chances of success. PIVOT is available to UT-ORII faculty for identifying and matching funding opportunities. This tool is strongly recommended for finding nonprofit, private, state and federal funding opportunities. The Research Development office within UT Knoxville’s Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development (ORIED) also offers support, including: – Collaboration and networking – Proposal review – Faculty development programs To connect with Research Development, please contact Raquel Rust in Research Services for guidance based on your specific needs. |
Proposal Development
| At this stage, investigators begin writing their proposals and assembling required documents for submission. UT-ORII Research Services provides full pre-award support to help ensure proposals meet university and sponsor requirements. Faculty should review key elements of the opportunity, including: – Institutional or investigator submission limits – Cost share requirements – Inclusion of subrecipients |
Route and Submit Proposal
| Once the proposal is complete, UT-ORII Research Services works with the investigator to compile, route and submit it through the Division of Research Administration (DRA) to the sponsor. After submission, sponsors may request additional materials such as: – A revised budget – Updated current and pending support – Compliance documentation UT-ORII coordinates submission of these materials through DRA/ORIED as needed. |
Award Receipt & Negotiation
| When a sponsor notifies UT of an award, DRA, and the named principal investigator (PI) work together to formally accept. When UT-ORII faculty serve as the Principal Investigator, UT-ORII staff will work to support the various stages, including: – Negotiating and signing the award agreement – Revising the budget if the award amount is different from the proposal – Updating compliance documents, including current and pending support – Securing all necessary approvals |
Account Setup
| Once the award is fully executed and compliance requirements are met, ORIED establishes the project account. The account reflects the official budget and project period as stated in the award documents. All named units in the project will receive separate but linked accounts to support their portion of the research. |
Manage Project
| This is the longest phase of the lifecycle. Investigators conduct research while UT-ORII staff and ORIED’s post-award office Financial Management & Compliance monitor expenditures. – Set up subrecipient agreements – Submit financial reports Investigators are responsible for submitting programmatic reports per the terms of the award. |
Closeout
| Closeout begins after the project ends and all deliverables have been submitted. Activities include: – Submitting final technical and programmatic reports (by the PI) – Ensuring all invoices are paid and accounts are settled – Submitting final financial reports (by ORIED), which run parallel to the investigator’s reports |
Contact Research Services
Raquel Rust, MPA, CRA
Manager of Research Services
(865) 946-1871
rrust2@utk.edu