Glossary
A
A-21
Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, a circular published by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that establishes the principles for determining the costs applicable to grants, contracts, and other government agreements with educational institutions (also known as Sponsored Projects).
AAALAC
American Association for the Accreditation of Lab Animal Care
AHA
AID
Agency for International Development
AFOSR
Air Force Office of Scientific Research (DOD)
Allocable Costs
Those allowable costs that actually benefit the grant or contract to which they are being charged.
Allowable Costs
Those categories of costs that can be charged to a grant, such as salaries and equipment. Certain types of costs, such as the cost of alcoholic beverages are not allowable and may not be charged to a contract or grant.
AMA
ARC
Animal Research Committee (UCLA)
ASPR
Armed Services Procurement Regulations
Audit
A formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or financial situation. An audit may also include examination of compliance with applicable terms, laws, and regulations.
AUTM
Association of University Technology Managers
Award
Funds that have been obligated by a funding agency for a particular project
B
Bequests
A type of donation or gift. Bequests and gifts are awards given with few or no conditions specified. Gifts may be provided to establish an endowment or to provide direct support for existing programs. Frequently, gifts are used to support developing programs for which other funding is not available. The unique flexibility, or lack of restrictions, makes gifts attractive sources of support.
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
An announcement of a federal agency's general research interests that invites proposals and specifies the general terms and conditions under which an award may be made.
Budget
The detailed statement outlining estimated project costs to support work under a grant or contract.(See also rebudget.)
Budget Period
The interval of time--usually twelve months--into which the project period is divided for budgetary and funding purposes.
Budget Adjustment
The act of amending the budget by moving funds from one category or line item to another.
C
CAS
Cost Accounting Standards
CBD
Commerce Business Daily. The CBD Web site contains only the CBD database notices from December 2, 1996 to January 2, 2002. Starting with January 3, 2002, the Federal Business Opportunities, a.k.a. FedBizOpps or FBO (http://www.fedbizopps.gov/), became the single portal for the notices of all government procurement information, including research funding opportunities. After October 31, 2004, FBO was replaced by grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/) as the portal for all federal funding opportunities.
CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CFDA
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
CFR
Challenge Grant
A grant that provides monies in response to monies from other sources, usually according to a formula. A challenge grant may, for example, offer two dollars for every one that is obtained from a fund drive. The grant usually has a fixed upper limit, and may have a challenge minimum below which no grant will be made. This form of grant is fairly common in the arts, humanities, and some other fields, but is less common in the sciences. A challenge grant differs from a matching grant in at least one important respect: The amount of money that the recipient organization realizes from a challenge grant may vary widely, depending upon how successful that organization is in meeting the challenge. Matching grants usually award a clearly defined amount and require that a specified sum be obtained before any award is made.
Challenge Magazine
An archive for the UCLA Challenge Magazine (UCLA's Research Magazine), which was published from 1996 - 1999.
Change Order
A written order signed by the contracting officer, directing the contractor to make changes that the changes clause of the contract authorizes the contracting officer to order without the consent of the contractor.
Close Out
The act of completing all internal procedures and sponsor requirements to terminate or complete a research project.
COGR
Council on Governmental Relations
COLA
Cost of Living Allowance granted to employees based in a foreign city, where cost of living is higher than in Washington, D.C.
Competing Proposals
Proposals that are submitted for the first time or unfunded proposals that are resubmitted; either must compete for research funds. Ongoing projects must compete again if the term of the original award has expired.
Consortium Agreement
Group of collaborative investigators/institutions; arrangement can be formalized with specified terms and conditions.
Continuation Project (Non-Competing)
Applicable to grants and cooperative agreements only. A project approved for multiple-year funding, although funds are typically committed only one year at a time. At the end of the initial budget period, progress on the project is assessed. If satisfactory, an award is made for the next budget period, subject to the availability of funds. Continuation projects do not compete with new project proposals and are not subjected to peer review beyond the initial project approval.
Contract
A mechanism for procurement of a product or service with specific obligations for both sponsor and recipient. Typically, a research topic and the methods for conducting the research are specified in detail by the sponsor, although some sponsors award contracts in response to unsolicited proposals.
Contract/Grant Officer
A sponsor's designated individual who is officially responsible for the business management aspects of a particular grant, cooperative agreement, or contract. Serving as the counterpart to the business officer of the grantee/contractor organization, the grant/contract officer is responsible for all business management matters associated with the review, negotiation, award, and administration of a grant or contract and interprets the associated administration policies, regulations, and provisions. (For definition of scientific officer, see Program/Project Officer.)
Cooperative Agreement
An award similar to a grant, but in which the sponsor's staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation, and anticipates having substantial involvement in research activities once the award has been made.
COS
Community of Science A web server containing information about scientific expertise, funded scientific research, and funding opportunities for research.
Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)
Federally mandated accounting standards intended to ensure uniformity in budgeting and spending funds.
Cost-Reimbursement Type Contract/Grant
A contract/grant for which the sponsor pays for the full costs incurred in the conduct of the work up to an agreed-upon amount.
Cost-Sharing
A general term, used as a noun or adjective, that can describe virtually any type of arrangement in which more than one party supports research, equipment acquisition, demonstration projects, programs, institutions. Example: A university receives a grant for a project estimated to have a total cost of $100,000. The sponsor agrees to pay 75% ($75,000) and the university agrees to pay 25% ($25,000). The $25,000 is the cost-sharing component.
CRADA or CRDA
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
CSR
Center for Scientific Review (National Institutes of Health)
D
DAR
Defense Acquisition Regulations
DARPA
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD)
DCAA
Defense Contract Audit Agency
DOED
Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR)
The source regulations for research projects sponsored by the Department of Defense.
Deficit
Expenditures exceed funds available.
DFARS
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
DHHS
Department of Health and Human Services
Direct Costs
Clearly identifiable costs related to a specific project. General categories of direct costs include but are not limited to salaries and wages, fringe benefits, supplies, contractual services, travel and communication, equipment, and computer use.
DOD
Department of Defense (includes Air Force, Army, ARPA, and Navy)
DOE
DOI
DOT
Donation
Transfer of equipment, money, goods, services, and property with or without specifications as to its use. Sometimes donation is used to designate contributions that are made with more specific intent than is usually the case with a gift, but the two terms are often used interchangeably. (Also see Gift)
E
EDISON
Interagency Extramural Invention Information Management System
EFM
Extramural Fund Management (UCLA)
Electronic Research Administration (ERA)
Conducting research administration by utilizing electronic resources such as the Internet, the world wide web, form templates, databases, and other electronic tools. (For more information, link to NCURA.)
Encumbrance
Funds that have been set aside or "claimed" for projected expenses pending actual expenditure of the funds.
Endowment
A fund usually in the form of an income-generating investment, established to provide long-term support for faculty/research positions (e.g., endowed chair).
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
Expiration Date
The date signifying the end of the performance period, as indicated on the Notice of Grant Award.
Extension
An additional period of time given by the sponsor to an organization for the completion of work on an approved grant or contract. An extension allows previously allocated funds to be spent after the original expiration date.
Extramural Fund Management (EFM)
The campus office responsible for financial oversight of extramural funds, for receiving actual contract and grant monies, for submitting invoices, and for submitting official financial reports. (UCLA)
F
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
Facilities and Administrative (F&A)
Costs Costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives and, therefore, cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity. F&A costs are synonymous with Indirect Costs.
FAR
Federal Acquisition Regulations
FDA
FDP
Federal Demonstration Partnership
FEDERAL COMMONS
The Federal Commons is an Internet grants management portal serving the grantee organization community. This portal, under P.L. 106-107, will become a common face of the government, offering all grantees (state and local governments, universities, small businesses, etc.) full service grants processing across all functions in the grant life cycle. The Federal Commons will provide both public information, such as grant programs and funding opportunities, as well as the secure processing of e-grant transactions.
FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACT (FFAMIA)/P.L. 106-107
Enacted in 1999, this federal law is intended to make it easier for State, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to apply for and report on financial assistance. The Act requires federal agencies to create a common system (Federal Commons) for electronic processing of all grant programs.
FEDIX
A free on-line information retrieval service serving select federal agencies for on-line searches.
FIC
Fogarty International Center (NIH)
Final Report
The final technical or financial report required by the sponsor to complete a research project.
FirstGov
FirstGov is a public-private partnership, led by a cross-agency board and administered by the Office of FirstGov in the General Services Administration's Office of Government wide Policy. Launched in September 2000, it is the only official U.S. Government portal to 47 million pages of government information, services, and online transactions. The site offers a search engine that searches every word of every U.S. government document. FirstGov also features a topical index, online transactions, links to state and local government, options to contact the government, and other tools.
Fiscal Year (FY)
Any twelve-month period for which annual accounts are kept (at UCLA, July 1 through June 30).
Fixed-Price (FP)
Contract/Grant A contract/grant for which one party pays the other party a predetermined price, regardless of actual costs, for services rendered. Quite often this is a fee-for-service agreement.
FOIA
Fringe Benefits
Employee benefits paid by the employer. (e.g., FICA, Worker's Compensation, Withholding Tax, Insurance, etc.)
Funding Cycle
Range of time during which proposals are accepted, reviewed, and funds are awarded. If a sponsor has standing proposal review committees (or boards) that meet at specified times during the year, application deadlines are set to correspond with those meetings. For some sponsors, if proposals are received too late to be considered in the current funding cycle, they may be held over for the next review meeting (i.e., National Science Foundation's Target Dates).
G
GENIUS
Global Expertise Network for Industry, Universities and Scholars
Gift
Gifts and bequests are awards given with few or no conditions specified. Gifts may be provided to establish an endowment or to provide direct support for existing programs. Frequently, gifts are used to support developing programs for which other funding is not available. The unique flexibility, or lack of restrictions, makes gifts attractive sources of support. (Also see Donation.)
Goldenrod
An internal routing form for institutional approval for submitting proposals. (UCLA)
GPG
Grant Proposal Guide for the National Science Foundation
Grant
A type of financial assistance awarded to an organization for the conduct of research or other program as specified in an approved proposal. A grant, as opposed to a cooperative agreement, is used whenever the awarding office anticipates no substantial programmatic involvement with the recipient during the performance of the activities.
Grant/Contract Officer
A sponsor's designated individual who is officially responsible for the business management aspects of a particular grant, cooperative agreement, or contract. Serving as the counterpart to the business officer of the grantee/contractor organization, the grant/contract officer is responsible for all business management matters associated with the review, negotiation, award, and administration of a grant or contract and interprets the associated administration policies regulations, and provisions (For definition of scientific officer, see Program/Project Officer).
GSA
General Services Administration
H
HSPC
Human Subjects Protection Committee (UCLA)
I
IDC
Indirect Costs
IACUC
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. (At UCLA, this is the same as ARC)
IBC
Institutional Biosafety Committee
IFB
Invitation for Bid
In-Kind
Contributions or assistance in a form other than money. Equipment, materials, or services of recognized value that are offered in lieu of cash.
Incremental Funding
A method of funding contracts that provides specific spending limits below the total estimated costs. These limits may be exceeded only at the contractor's own risk. Each increment is, in essence, a funding action.
Independent Substantive Review Committee (ISRC)
A faculty committee charged with reviewing conflict of interest matters when a faculty member submits a "Statement of Economic Interests" Form 730-U with a positive disclosure, stating they have financial or other interest in a sponsor. (UCLA)
Indirect Costs
Costs related to expenses incurred in conducting or supporting research or other externally-funded activities but not directly attributable to a specific project. General categories of indirect costs include general administration (accounting, payroll, purchasing, etc.), sponsored project administration, plant operation and maintenance, library expenses, departmental administration expenses, depreciation or use allowance for buildings and equipment, and student administration and services. (See also Facilities and Administrative Costs)
Indirect Cost Rate
The rate, expressed as a percentage of a base amount (MTDC), established by negotiation with the cognizant federal agency on the basis of the institution's projected costs for the year and distributed as prescribed in OMB Circular A-21. At UCLA, indirect costs are applied to a modified total direct cost (MTDC) base. The indirect cost rate is charged on a set of direct costs known as an indirect cost base.
Interim Funding
Authorization to expend funds on a project to a specified limit before the award document has been received from the sponsor.
Invitation for Bid (IFB)
A solicitation issued to prospective bidders. An IFB describes what is required and how the bidders will be evaluated. Award is based on the lowest bid. Negotiations are not conducted.
Investigator-Initiated Proposal
A proposal submitted to a sponsor that is not in response to an RFP, RFA, or a specific program announcement.
IRB
Institutional Review Board (for human subjects research at UCLA, this is the same as HSPC)
IRIS
Illinois Researcher Information Service An on-line search system available by subscription for research opportunities developed by the University of Illinois.
ISRC
Independent Substantive Review Committee
J
K
Key Personnel
The personnel considered to be of primary importance to the successful conduct of a research project. The term usually applies to the senior members of the project staff.
L
Limitation of Cost (LOC)
A mandatory clause for cost-reimbursement type contracts. Under the clause, the sponsor is not obligated to reimburse the contractor for costs in excess of the stated amount. The contractor, however, is not obligated to continue performance once expenses reach the stated amount.
M
Matching Grant
A grant that requires a specified portion of the cost of a supported item of equipment or project be obtained from other sources. The required match may be more or less than the amount of the grant. Some matching grants require that the additional funds be obtained from sources outside the recipient organization. Many matching grants are paid in installments, the payments coinciding with the attainment of pre-specified levels of additional funding. (Also see Challenge Grant.) Matching grants are very common in the sciences, especially for equipment. They are standard practice in some government agencies.
Misconduct in Science
Fabrication, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.
Mission
A sponsor's stated purpose, which is designed to address a specified set of problems. Almost all federal research agencies are designated as mission agencies.
Modification
An award document that modifies any aspect of an existing award other than those named above. Example: Carryover approvals, adding or deleting special terms and conditions, changes in funding levels (including NSF's Research Experience for Undergraduates, NIH's Minority Supplement, DOD's ASSERT Programs), administrative changes initiated by the agency, extensions that include changes in terms, change of principal investigator, etc.
Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
At UCLA, the basic indirect costs are calulcated on a subset of direct costs, normally excluding among other costs, equipment, patient care, space rental, alterations and renovations, and subcontract costs in excess of the first $25,000.
N
NACUBO
National Association of College and University Business Officers
NAS
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NCI
National Cancer Institute (NIH)
NCRR
National Center for Research Resources (NIH)
NCURA
National Council of University Research Administrators
NEA
National Endowment for the Arts
NEH
National Endowment for the Humanities
NEI
National Eye Institute (NIH)
New Award
An award not previously awarded or a renewal or continuation award treated as a new award by the sponsor and given a new agency number.
New and Competing Proposals
Proposals that are submitted for the first time or ongoing projects that must recompete for funding prior to expiration of the original award.
NHLBI
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
NIA
National Institute on Aging (NIH)
NIAAA
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH)
NIAID
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH)
NIAMS
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH)
NICHD
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)
NIDA
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH)
NIDCD
National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIH)
NIDDK
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH)
NIDR
National Institute of Dental Research (NIH)
NIEHS
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH)
NIGMS
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH)
NIH
NHGRI
National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH)
NIMH
National Institute of Mental Health (NIH)
NINDS
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH)
NINR
National Institute for Nursing Research (NIH)
NLM
No Cost Time Extension
An extension of the period of performance beyond the expiration data to allow the principal investigator to finish a project. Usually, no additional costs are provided.
Notice of Grant Award
The legally binding document that serves as a notification to the recipient and others that a grant or cooperative agreement has been made; contains or references all terms of the award; and documents the obligation of funds.
NPR
National Performance Review The University of North Texas Libraries and the U.S. Government Printing Office, in a Federal Depository Library Program partnership, established this site to provide permanent public access to the publications of Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) which officially closed on January 19, 2001. This site exists exactly as it did when the NPR closed.
NSF
O
OFPP
Office of Federal Procurement Policy
OMB
Office of Management and Budget
OMB
Circulars Regulatory circulars issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Link to the OMB circular as well as link to the specific circular via TRAM.) Definitions included in OMB Circulars A-21, 110, 122, 128 and 133.
ONR
OPAS
Organizational Prior Approval System
OPRR
Office for Protection from Research Risks (DHHS)
OPRS
Office for Protection from Research Subjects (UCLA, consisting of the HSPC, ARC, and Biosafety)
ORA
UCLA Office of Research Administration
P
Peer Review
A system using reviewers who are the professional equals of the principal investigator or program director who is to be responsible for directing or conducting the proposed project. It is a form of objective review. Peer review is legislatively mandated in some programs and in other programs is administratively required.
PHS
Public Health Service
PHS 2590
Application for Continuation of a PHS Grant (National Institutes of Health)
PHS 398
Application Form for a PHS Grant (National Institutes of Health)
PI
Principal Investigator
Post-Differential Allowance
Expenses authorized for employees based abroad to provide additional compensation for services as a recruitment and retention tool. When the allowance is authorized, the employee's base salary is increased accordingly.
PRDA
Program Research and Development Announcement
Pre-Proposal
A brief description, usually 2-10 pages, of research plans and estimated budget that is sometimes submitted to determine the interest of a particular sponsor prior to submission of a formal proposal. Also termed Preliminary Proposal.
Principal Investigator
The individual responsible for the conduct of research or other activity described in a proposal for an award.
Prior Approval
The requirement for written documentation of permission to use project funds for purposes not in the approved budget, or to change aspects of the program from those originally planned and approved. Prior approval must be obtained before the performance of the act that requires such approval under the terms of the agreement.
Priority Score
A score derived from the rating given a research proposal by each member on a review committee. It is used to help determine which approved proposals will be granted awards, based on funds available.
Program Announcement
Describes existence of a research opportunity. It may describe new or expanded interest in a particular extramural program or be a reminder of a continuing interest in an extramural program.
Program/Project Officer
A sponsor's designated individual officially responsible for the technical, scientific, or programmatic aspects of a particular grant, cooperative agreement, or contract. Serving as the counterpart to the principal investigator/project director of the grantee/contractor organization, the program/project officer deals with the grantee/contractor organization staff to assure programmatic progress. (For definition of business officer, see Grant/Contract Officer.)
Progress Report
Periodic, scheduled reports required by the sponsor summarizing research progress to date. Technical, fiscal, and invention reports may be required.
Project Period (PP)
The total time for which support of a project has been programmatically approved. A project period may consist of one or more budget periods. (Also see Budget Period.)
Proposal
An application for funding that contains all information necessary to describe project plans, staff capabilities, and funds requested. Formal proposals are officially approved and submitted by an organization in the name of a principal investigator.
Q
R
RAS
UCLA form used when it is necessary to obtain an account/fund number for an extramurally funded project prior to receipt of the actual award from the sponsor.
Rebudget
The act of amending the budget buy moving funds from one category or line item to another. (See also Budget Adjustment)
Regs
Short for "regulations."
Regulations
The contractual rules and procedures governing sponsored research projects.
Renewal
Applicable to grants and cooperative agreements only. A competitively reviewed proposal requesting additional funds extending the scope of work beyond the current project period.
Request for Applications (RFA)
Announcements that indicate the availability of funds for a topic of specific interest to a sponsor. Proposals submitted in response to RFAs generally result in the award of a grant. Specific grant announcements may be published in the Federal Register and/or specific sponsor publications. (Also see Broad Agency Announcements.)
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Announcements that specify a topic of research, methods to be used, product to be delivered, and appropriate applicants sought. Proposals submitted in response to RFPs generally result in the award of a contract. Notices of federal RFPs are published in the Commerce Business Daily.
Request for Quotations (RFQ)
A formal request from TAMRF to vendors for a price quotation on equipment or supplies to be purchased.
Revision
A modified and resubmitted request for funding for a project that was previously not funded either because it was denied by the sponsor or withdrawn by the principal investigator.
S
Salaries and Wages (S&W)
Payments made to employees of the institution for work performed.
SBA
SBIR
Small Business Innovative Research
Scope of Work
The description of the work to be performed and completed on a research project.
Senior Personnel
Professional personnel who are responsible for the scientific or technical direction of project.
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
Agency administered programs supported by ear-marked federal funds, making grants to small business entities.
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
Grant applications and/or programs to fund small business "teamed" with research institutions.
Small Grant
A special type of award, often limited to a beginning researcher. Typically, such an award may be obtained for one year only.
SMARTS
SPIN Matching And Researcher Transmittal System
SPIN
Sponsored Programs Information Network An on-line search system available by subscription for research opportunities developed by the InfoEd.
Sponsor
The organization that funds a research project.
SRA
Society of Research Administrators
SSA
Social Security Administration
Stipend
A payment made to an individual under a fellowship or training grant in accordance with pre-established levels to provide for the individual's living expenses during the period of training.
STTR
Small Business Technology Transfer
Subcontract, Subgrant, or Subagreement
A document written under the authority of, and consistent with the terms and conditions of an award (a grant, contract or cooperative agreement), that transfers a portion of the research or substantive effort of the prime award to another institution or organization.
Subs
Short for subcontractors.
Supplemental (Rebudgeting or Modification)
Proposal A request to the sponsor for additional funds for an ongoing project during the previously approved performance period. A supplemental proposal may result from increased costs, modifications in design, or a desire to add a closely related component to the ongoing project.
T
Task Order Agreement (TOA)
A legally binding document authorizing work and appropriating funds as a supplement to a basic contract.
Teaming Agreement
An agreement between two or more parties to participate in a research project or teaching activity.
Technical Data
Recorded information, regardless of form or characteristic, of a scientific or technical nature. Often referred to as the "science" of a proposal.
Templates
Facsimiles of agency forms created with common software (MS Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) that enable the user to fill out agency forms with their computer.
Terms of Award
All legal requirements imposed on an agreement by the sponsor, whether by statute, regulation(s), or terms in the award document. The terms of an agreement may include both standard and special provisions that are considered necessary to protect the sponsor's interests.
Total Direct Costs (TDC)
The total of all direct costs of a project.
Total Project Costs
The total allowable direct and indirect costs incurred by the institution to carry out an approved project or activity.
TRAM
A WWW service initially developed by the Texas Research Administrators Group providing funding opportunity searches, agency form templates, links to research administration home pages, etc.
U
Unrestricted Funds
Monies with no requirements or restrictions as to use or disposition. Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements are considered to be restricted funds, while gifts are usually considered unrestricted funds.
Unilateral Award
An award made by a sponsor to an organization without considering competitive proposals. Unilateral awards are most often made when unsolicited proposals receive favorable treatment.
Unsolicited Proposal
Proposals Proposals submitted to a sponsor that are not in response to an RFP, RFA, or program announcement. (See also Investigator-Initiated Proposal.)
USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
V
VA
VAH
Veterans Administration Hospital