Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is EPSCoR?

EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Funding) is a federal program to increase funding for a group of states which receive below a certain portion of the total federal dollars awarded for research.  The NSF EPSCoR program provides state infrastructure grants and co-funds individual proposals from designated states (including Arkansas).

Proposal Preparation Questions (Pre-Award)

What are Facilities and Adminstrative (F&A) Costs?

The federal government and many other funding agencies allow universities to charge for the costs of doing research which cannot be directly attributed to a specific project.  These are called Facilities and Adminstrative (F&A) Costs because they generally fall into one of these two categories.

Do I have to include Facilities and Adminstrative (F&A) Costs in my budget?

Yes. these costs reflect the real and substantiated overhead costs required for carrying out research. The alternative is to ask students or Arkansas citizens to pay these costs from tuition or tax revenues. Federal agencies have negotiated Facilities and Adminstrative (F&A) Costs and have agreed to pay them. If a foundation or other granting agency has published Facilities and Adminstrative (F&A) Costs which are lower than our negotiated rates, then we normally agree to the lower rates.

Why do I have to go through OSP?

We hope you want to go through OSP because we provide services that are helpful to you in assembling and submitting your proposal and managing an award. You have to go through OSP because we are the unit authorized to make commitments to funding agencies on behalf of the University of Arkansas regarding externally funded research and other sponsored projects carried out by the Fayetteville campus.

How do I find funding?

You need to find an agency, foundation, or company that shares your interests and is willing to fund your project. Here are some ideas:

  • Talk to your colleagues here and at other institutions;
  • Consult newsletters and websites of your professional societies;
  • If your interests coincide with a federal agency (NSF, NIH, NEH, NASA), search their websites for solicitations and look at abstracts of funded projects;
  • Use a funding search tool such as GrantForward.

What is Cost-sharing or Matching?

Cost-sharing is money, services, or other considerations designated to a research project by the University.  Some funding agencies may require a specified level of cost-sharing for particular projects.   You may want to request voluntary cost-sharing to increase your total budget or meet funding agency limits.  Cost-sharing, if granted, is often distributed between department, college, and university sources.  Consult with OSP staff and use this form to request cost-sharing at the time of your proposal submission.

Award Management Questions (Post-Award)

When should I request an advance worktag number?

An Advance Worktag number may be requested when it is expected that a Sponsored Program will be awarded but has not yet been received by the sponsor. A request can be made by completing the Advanced Worktag Request Form should be completed, obtain appropriate signatures and email the completed form to OSP Award Management for review and if appropriate, approval.  It is understood that if the project is not awarded, all costs will be transferred to the responsible investigator, department, and/or college’s worktag included in the request.  

When should I request a continuation of a Sponsored Program?

A Continuation of Sponsored Program Worktag may be requested when a Sponsored Program is expected to receive a sponsored approved time extension and/or additional funds.  A request can be made by completing the Continuation of Sponsored Program Worktag Request Form should be completed, obtain appropriate signatures and email the completed form to OSP Award Management for review and if appropriate, approval.  It is understood that if the project is not approved for the extension and/or additional funds, all expenditures on this worktag beyond the original award end date and funding authorization will be transferred to the responsible investigator, department and/or college’s worktag included in the request.

How do I request a no-cost extension for a sponsored program?

A no-cost extension may be needed on a Sponsored Program to complete the original Scope of Work (SOW) for a program.  All requests must go through OSP, Award Management for submission.  If a no-cost extension request is needed, an email should be sent to your designated OSP Award Specialist (which can be found at OSP Staff page) with the award information, a detailed justification detailing what unexpected event(s) delayed the progress and completion of the project; how the unexpected events were remedied; what progress will occur during the no-cost extension period to successfully complete the SOW and how the no-cost extension will benefit the award’s results, including the amount of additional time being requested.  The OSP Award Specialist will review the request advise on how the request will proceed as the process varies by sponsor.

How long does it take for my award to be set up in Workday so I can start my project and incur expenses in Workday?

The OSP Setup team can start processing your award once all items necessary to complete the setup are received. These items include:

  • A fully executed agreement
  • A fully routed Streamlyne proposal
  • A UAF institutional budget spreadsheet that matches the awarded amount
  • If applicable:
    • Approved Compliance Protocols (i.e. IAB, IACUC, IRB)
    • Cost share funding source(s)
    • A budget breakdown for each source
  • Fully executed prime agreement if the award is a pass through

Once all required items are received, the award will be placed in the OSP Setup Team's queue and processed in the order received. The team strives to complete the award setup within two weeks of its addition to the queue, provided no issues arise.

How do I ensure that a certain individual receives notifications and correspondence on awards for my department?

Any time someone joins or leaves your department, you need to complete a Request for Department Contact Change which will notify the OSP Setup Team to include them in award setup communications.  The request is located here: 

How do I request a budget revision for my award?

For budget revision requests, please contact the Award Management team at awdmgmt@uark.edu. OSP no longer processes internal budget revisions which do not need sponsor approval, only revisions requiring sponsor approval will be routed through Award Management to the OSP Setup Team for entry into Workday.

What is needed to establish a subcontract?

A Statement of Work (SOW), Budget and budget justification is required along with the Subcontractor’s contact information should be emailed to subaward@uark.edu.

What is the difference between a Subaward and a Professional Services Contract? 

Many sponsored programs use third-party involvement to carry out specific portions of the work.  Understanding the difference between these agreement types and how they are reviewed and processed helps research administrators save time and plan effectively when setting up a new award.  For general guidance, a useful tool is available from the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), Subrecipient vs Contract Checklist to help you to determine which agreement type to use or contact to your designated OSP Award Specialist (which can be found at OSP Staff page). Once the determination is made, please contact one of the below contacts to proceed:

Industry Sponsored Research

Will the university accept Firm Fixed Price contracts?

We can but it puts us a some risk if the costs exceed the amount of the contract. OSP will ask that the department and/or college agree to back-stop any overages.