Proposal Submission

The following must be attached to your myGRANT PD for each subaward contemplated in the proposal:

• Letter of intent signed by the subrecipient’s authorized official (or use sponsor template, if required)
• Subrecipient’s scope of work, detailed budget and budget justification
• Any subrecipient documents required by the sponsor

Notes:

1. An ORS Form S-5 should be completed for each intended subrecipient and retained in the project file in case of audit. Detailed information on the subrecipient vs. contractor determination may be found here, or you may email ORS at subaward@hawaii.edu for assistance.
2. If the subaward is expected to be $25,000 or more, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS) §103-53 requires non-governmental subrecipients to provide proof of tax clearance from the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation and the Internal Revenue Service. Registration in Hawaii Compliance Express is required to obtain proof of tax clearance. As the tax clearance process may take a long time, PIs should advise potential non-governmental subrecipients of the tax clearance requirement at the proposal phase so that subaward issuance and payments thereunder are not delayed.

For internal collaborations, PIs must negotiate and obtain agreement from all parties on the Research Training and Revolving Fund (RTRF) credit split, and enter the credit split in the myGRANT proposal development record. Full workflow approval will become formal documentation of the credit split for RTRF fund allocation purposes.

All External Collaborations

The following must be attached to your myGRANT PD if the proposal includes external collaborators:

• Letter of support from the participating institution, signed by its authorized official (satisfied by the subrecipient letter of intent if subaward to be issued)
• Any approvals required by the prime sponsor or participating institution

Foreign/International Collaborations

In late 2017, the United States (US) government announced its dedication to promote and protect US research and innovation from the risk of illicit appropriation and theft by foreign competitors. While UH encourages international collaboration, it is important for investigators to be transparent about their foreign relationships and activities. Accordingly, if your proposed project involves foreign/international collaboration, the following are required:

• Any and all significant financial interests or outside interests received from any foreign entity (including governments and universities) must be disclosed per Executive Policy EP 12.214 and Administrative Policy 12.304. To create or update a conflict of interest (COI) disclosure, log in to myGRANT, then click on “my COI Dashboard”.
• Any form of research support (including financial support and gifts) from, or travel to, foreign entities should be disclosed to the sponsor even if it relates to work performed outside of an investigator’s appointment period. Check the sponsor’s current disclosure requirements carefully to ensure proper compliance.

See Foreign Influence in University Research for more information.

A completed SFI/COI Disclosure Form must be provided for every subrecipient or external collaborator who will be a co-investigator on the project if the subrecipient or external collaborator:

• Is a non-federal employee; and
• Has any significant financial interest (SFI) or conflict of interest (COI) to disclose.

If your proposed project has a deliverable or the potential to result in a new invention or novel technology, such as a new product, device, plant, software, website, material, compound, research tool or improvements to existing technology, please contact OTT at the proposal stage. They will work with you to determine next steps which will speed up the process from award acceptance.

If your proposed project involves the use of pre-existing intellectual property, such as inventions, copyright works, patent pending inventions or proprietary materials, please notify OTT at the proposal stage. They will work with you to put protections or permissions in place, if needed.

If your proposed project contemplates the exchange or sharing of confidential or proprietary materials between UH and a third party, please notify OIC at the proposal stage. They will work with you to determine whether a material transfer agreement (MTA) or a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be required. If required, OIC will obtain relevant information, then negotiate the MTA and/or NDA directly with the third party and follow through to execution.

More information on MTAs and NDAs may be found here.

A quick reference of institutional information for extramural proposal submission is posted here.

Some important items to check are that the applicant name is “University of Hawai‘i”, and not a specific campus name, and that the correct DUNS number is being used. Once the federal government transitions from DUNS numbers to a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (expected in December 2020), check that the correct UEI is being used.

• Ensure all sponsor-required forms are complete, and that all attachments have unique file names
• Comply with file size limitations (e.g., maximum recommended file size for Grants.gov is less than 5 MB)

• Full and complete copy of the proposal and all required documents are attached to the myGRANT proposal development record (PD), including:
  • Sponsor-required documents, typically a cover letter, abstract, narrative, project plan, budget and biographical sketches of key personnel;
  • Completed budget;
  • An indirect cost waiver, if required; and
  • Copy of the notice of funding opportunity (also known as request for proposal, or RFP)
• All proposal questions in the PD are accurately answered. Common errors include:
  • Subcontractor or contractor involvement is misidentified;
  • Proposed project involves human subjects, vertebrate animals or any activity requiring compliance, but compliance questions are answered “no”; or
  • Certification confirming accuracy of answers is answered “no”
• COI disclosures for all key personnel are up-to-date