Guidelines for RRF Grants
The following information includes the steps that must be taken before funds will be released, rules regarding budgets and expenditures, instructions for preparing the final grant report, and closing procedures.
Upon Receipt of the Award
Send items 1 through 3 to rrfprop@uw.edu by the date specified in your award letter. We realize that if your project requires human subjects and/or animal care approvals, those documents might arrive later, but please send the other items by the date requested.
- Submit Revised Budget and Project Dates. Unless your award is identical to the budget you originally submitted with your proposal, prepare a revised budget equal to the dollar amount listed in your award letter. Provide start and end dates for your project, usually 12 months. RRF Scholars should follow these instructions for the non-Scholar part of their project, which may begin before their release quarter. Scholar salary replacement budget steps can be found here.
- Provide compliance documentation. RRF projects may begin after all compliance approvals are provided. If the proposal involves the use of human and/or animal subjects, submit documentation showing that your RRF proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Human Subjects Division and/or the Animal Care Committee. For IRB approval, please submit the cover page with the approval signature and the page that specifically references the RRF as the funding source. Alternately, if your department is using the Zipline system for new IRB applications, please download and email us the approval letter which will already list the RRF as a funding source. For IACUC, please submit the approval letter specifically directed to the RRF program. If the RRF project is to be appended to a previously approved protocol, documentation must indicate that the RRF project has been so approved; this requires submitting a modification form. The RRF must be added as a funding source.
- Send a statement verifying that the RRF award does not directly overlap funding from other sources. RRF awards may not be used to supplement other funding. The RRF Program Chair must be notified if other funding is received for the same project during the award period and may cancel the RRF award if the overlap is significant.
During the Award Period
Follow RRF Budget Guidelines.
Rebudgeting Requests. With the exception of the categories listed below, the RRF program allows the PI to rebudget up to 25% of the total award amount between items listed in the approved budget.
The following require the prior approval of the Office of Research:
- Significant change in the research plan or expenses not listed in the approved budget.
- Rebudgeting of the faculty salary category.
- Budget shifts between approved items that exceed 25% of the total award amount.
Extension Requests. Requests for extension of the award period will be considered on a case by case basis. If you are requesting an extension, you should also disclose and justify any current deviations from your approved project budget that are beyond those allowed under the program rules outlined above. Provide documentation that your compliance approvals (IRB, IACUC), are up to date and will remain in effect throughout the extended grant period.
Upon Completion of the Award Period
Final Report. At the end of the award period, a final report should be submitted no later than six weeks after the award budget end date to rrfprop@uw.edu. The summary should be confined to two (2) pages and include the following:
- The work accomplished
- The impact of the award
- Further funding or proposals that have resulted from this work
- Any publications that have resulted or are expected. Funding from the RRF should be acknowledged in publications, and reprints should be submitted to the Office of Research.
Expenditure Summary. In addition, please provide a final summary of expenditures, grouped by object code, on a separate page. This can be a PDF of the budget summary from My Financial Desktop if spending closely matched your approved budget. Otherwise, you will need to justify or explain:
- Any spending not listed in the approved budget.
- Budget shifts between approved items that exceed 25% of the total award amount.
Closing. When the Office of Research has reviewed and approved your final report and summary of expenditures, we will send instructions for closing your budget. Any unspent funds will be returned to the RRF. All unapproved expenses and over-expenditures are the responsibility of the PI and the PI’s department.
Wait Period for Re-Application. A PI who has received RRF funding will be eligible to reapply as PI two years after the previous award budget has ended and the final report has been submitted. There is no waiting period required for Co-PIs.
Continue Your RRF Involvement
As an award recipient, you may be contacted by new applicants who wish to review examples of previously funded proposals to aid them in preparing their submissions. We encourage you to support your peers in their research endeavors.
We expect awardees to support the RRF program in future rounds by serving as a peer reviewer and by serving on the RRF review committee.
The Office of Research welcomes any comments on the RRF program or ways in which it could be improved. Please contact Karen Luetjen, 206-616-9089.
