Office of Grants and Contracts

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Provost Interdisciplinary Seminar Fund: Call for Proposals - September 2 deadline

FY2013 Art Works Design guidelines to support projects beginning June 2013 are available on the NEA website. Art Works Design applications are due August 9.

MISSION

The Office of Grants and Contracts provides the School of Design community with customer-centered, professional, and effective administrative expertise, to support the responsible oversight and management of federal and non-federal awards and Praxis contracts.  The office provides assistance to faculty and staff in obtaining and administering extramural support for research, scholarship and miscellaneous creative projects. The OGC is responsible for all pre & post award activities, grant reporting, invoicing, effort reporting, ensuring compliance with sponsors and university expectations for managing sponsored program funds, serves as a resource for the School of Design regarding sponsor policies and federal regulations.

The Office of Grants and Contracts supports PennDesign faculty who want to apply for a grant or desire to contract with a non-federally funded client as a consultant (PennPraxis).  The office was established to help faculty adhere to the guidelines to:

• -Identify early in the proposal process all of the School’s resources (space, computing, financial) and personnel (faculty, students, and staff) that will be necessary to complete the project;
• -Ensure the proposed budget includes the appropriate costs (i.e., employee benefit rate and overhead) and is sufficient to carry out the project
• -Comply with all federal and University policies; and
• -Ensure the contractual obligations required by the sponsor/client are being fulfilled. 
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PROPOSAL MECHANISMS

PennDesign faculty have two mechanisms for submitting proposals, either through the Office of Research Services (ORS), or through PennPraxis, using criteria established by the University.

1. Office of Research Services (ORS) 
   Sponsored research activity with a federally funded entity, or with a non-federally funded entity that requires reporting under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines, must go through ORS.
2. PennPraxis (separate 501c3 under PennDesign)
   Consulting activity with a non-federally funded entity that doesn't require reporting under the OMB guidelines, or with an individual client, could go through PennPraxis.

The final determination of which mechanism to use will be determined by the School.