UW Research

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

Create an Award Setup Request in SAGE Central and provide the following. For Item 1, connect a SAGE Budget; for Items 2 and 3, upload them in the Supporting Attachments section. (Note: RRF awards don’t have a Sponsor Award Number, so you may ignore that field.)

  1. 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 teaching release quarter. Scholar salary replacement budget steps can be found here.
  1. Compliance documentation. RRF projects may begin after all compliance approvals are provided. If the proposal involves the use of human or animal subjects, submit documentation showing that your RRF proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Human Subjects Division or the Animal Care Committee. For IRB , please submit the approval letter which lists 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.)
  1. 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 award period. You also need to attach an official Extension Request form. (Note: On this form, the answer to Question 7 should be No.)

For both rebudgeting and extension requests, create a Modification Request (OSP/GCA) in SAGE Central. (Note: RRF awards don’t have a Sponsor Modification Number, so you may ignore that field.) Upload documents explaining the desired changes and updated compliance approvals in the Supporting Attachments section.

Upon Completion of the Award Period

Final Report. A final report should be submitted to rrfprop@uw.edu no later than six weeks after the award budget end date. The summary should be confined to three (3) 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.
  • If spending closely matched your approved budget, please confirm this. Otherwise, you will need to justify or explain:
    • Any spending not listed in the approved budget
    • Any 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 ask GCA to close out 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.