Duquesne faculty members are
expected to engage in the traditional scholarly
pursuit of research. Moreover, all faculty members
have a responsibility for the improvement of
their own professional development as scholars
at the University and are encouraged to seek
outside support for their research and program
development. Research proposals must be consistent
with the goals and objectives of the University.
A. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
TO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
Requests for proposals of
faculty who are seeking external research grants
from federal, state or local government agencies
should be directed to the Office of Research.
The Office administers and approves all pre-
and post-award grant activities, including grant
budgets. All proposals must be done in accordance
with policies and procedures established by
the University and must receive final approval
from the Associate Academic Vice President for
Research.
1. Protection from
Research Risks
Duquesne University adheres
to all federal regulations, policies, and guidelines
for the conduct of safe, ethical research. Accordingly,
the following University-wide Institutional
Research Committees must approve and monitor
certain research activities conducted by University
personnel:
2. Required Signatures and Approvals
The Office of Research provides an Internal
Transmittal Form on which to collect approval
signatures for all proposals. University policy
requires that all proposals be approved by the
Department Chair or Program Director, the Dean,
the Grant Budget Administrator, and the Associate
Academic Vice President for Research.
3. Cost Sharing and Matching Funds
If an application requires matching funds or
a University cost share, the terms of the agreement
must be documented in writing and approved by
the Principal Investigator’s Department
Chair, Dean, Associate Academic Vice President
for Research or Provost in advance.
4. Conflict of Interest
Duquesne University TAP #45, Conflict of Interest
in Grants and Sponsored Research Projects, sets
forth procedures and guidelines to be followed
in resolving actual and potential grant applicant’s
conflicts of financial interests pertaining
to grants and sponsored research projects. To
comply with this administrative policy, a Conflict
of Interest Form must be completed and signed
by the PI for all proposals sent to government
agencies.
5. Personnel
All personnel requests must be in compliance
with the sponsoring agency, Duquesne University
policy, and Internal Revenue Service regulations.
Allowable stipends for Principal Investigators
or other exempt or non-exempt University personnel
may be restricted and subject to certain conditions.
6. Principal Investigator’s Responsibilities
Duquesne University is the official recipient
of all grants and is, therefore, legally accountable
to the sponsor. The Principal Investigator or
Project Director is responsible for the proper
fiscal management and conduct of the project,
and complying with all terms, conditions, legal
requirements, and University policies. For the
employment of Research Associates (postdoctoral
fellows) or other salaried personnel funded
by research grants, a contractual agreement
signed by the respective Dean is required.
In addition, the Principal Investigator must
ensure that all project members are familiar
with and abide by the intellectual property
and publication clauses of the grant. Inventions
and copyrightable material produced under sponsored
projects must be governed by the specific terms
of the award received from the sponsor and must
be handled in accordance with University policy.
The Principal Investigator is responsible for
the timely submittal of a final project report,
if required by the funding source or agency.
A copy of the report should be submitted to
the Office of Research and the Office of Corporate
and Foundation Relations, respectively.
7. Official Notification of Award
Principal Investigators receiving notice of
a grant award are required to notify the Office
of Research. The Office administers all grant
budgets, assists with preparation of required
reports and final close-out activities, and
implements approved changes in budgets, project
period, etc. Notices of acceptance or rejection
may be received by the Principal Investigator
directly, or the Office of Research, the President
or the Provost; therefore, it is critical that
Principal Investigators take the initiative
to contact the Office of Research when a notice
has been received.
8. Opening and Closing a University
Account
Upon receiving official notification that funding
has been secured, the Office of Research will
secure a University account with line item budget
categories matching the budget approved by the
granting agency. The Office of Research will
inform appropriate members of the University
community, via an award letter, that an account
has been activated and provide the name of the
authorized signer(s), usually the Principal
Investigator(s), on this account.
9. Budget Monitoring and Revisions
The Office of Research administers, monitors,
and approves all changes to budgets or project
periods for grants awards. On-line password
protected access to grant budgets is available
to Principal Investigators via the DQGL utility.
Requests for modifications should be sent to
the Associate Academic Vice President for Research.
During the period of performance, the Office
of Research will provide financial and administrative
assistance to the Principal Investigator and
will be responsible for the submission of all
financial and administrative reports to all
interested parties.
10. Grant Overhead Sharing
B. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS TO FOUNDATIONS,
CORPORATE OR PRIVATE SOURCES
Requests for proposals to foundations, corporate
or private sources should be directed to the
Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations
for assistance. The Office of Research may also
assist faculty in preparing and submitting proposals
to these organizations; however, all such requests
must be approved in advance by the Office of
Corporate and Foundation Relations, which has
the responsibility for assuring that all such
requests reflect the University’s priorities
(TAP #35, University Advancement), conform to
TAP #45, Conflicts of Interest in Grants and
Sponsored Research Projects, Duquesne University
personnel policies and Internal Revenue Service
regulations.
