About
Welcome to the Office of Sponsored Programs! We provide integrated pre- and post-award services to the UTHSC research community on the Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville campuses. The Office of Sponsored Programs works collaboratively with faculty and administrators throughout the sponsored programs lifecycle. OSP is responsible for ensuring compliance with sponsor terms and conditions and any applicable terms and conditions, regulations, and laws. The office has responsibility for the proper stewardship of sponsored programs funding and related areas of research compliance including effort reporting and subrecipient monitoring.
The mission of the UTHSC OSP office is to provide helpful, timely, and accurate information and service to the UTHSC research and scholarly community in support of their pursuit, acquisition, and management of of extramural funding.
The office is comprised of three teams: the Pre-Award Service Team, the Contract Negotiation Team, and the Post-Award Service Team.
View a list of our staff by area.
The Office of Sponsored Programs provides integrated sponsored programs support to the faculty and staff of the UTHSC, in Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga in their efforts to obtain and manage external support for their research and scholarly endeavors.
The pre-award service team has responsibility for the review and submission of proposals to sponsors; the contract negotiation team has responsibility for the negotiation of awards and agreements related to sponsored programs; and the post-award service team has responsibility for account establishment, invoicing and cash receipt of payments from sponsors, expenditure review.
The office is also charged with ensuring compliance with: UT policies, sponsor policies and applicable laws. Specifically, the office reviews, negotiates, and approves all proposals for grants and contracts; reviews and provides guidance on sponsor and University policies and procedures related to sponsored projects. Among other responsibilities and services the OSP provides and/or obtains institutional signatures on grants and research agreement, provides information and training on grant and research contract processes; and facilitates financial reporting and management during the award as well as providing and non-financial closeouts and invention reporting. OSP ensures that all necessary compliance approvals are in place prior to account establishment and manages post award financial and non-financial compliance including effort reporting, subrecipient monitoring, cost transfers and cost sharing.
The OSP Pre-Award Team works with faculty and administrators to submit high-quality proposals. Together with the OSP post-award group, the pre-award team assists the management of awards. Staff members provide hands-on proposal preparation services and assist with the interpretation of proposal solicitations and other information related to obtaining and applying for funding. The Pre-Award Team evaluates the preparedness of proposals before they are authorized for submission. When awards have been accepted, staff members process paperwork to establish accounts (awards/projects) in IRIS so that expenditures can be charged. Throughout the life of awards, pre-award staff members process award modifications and provide advice and technical assistance to faculty and administrators regarding award management.
The Contracts Negotiation Team works with faculty and staff to negotiate a full range of agreements supporting research and scholarly activities. Research agreements may or may not include funding. The team also reviews awards made to the university, and has responsibility for the negotiation and execution of externally sponsored, clinical trial agreements, federal, foundation, and industry-funded research agreements and other contractual agreements, including consulting engagements, material transfer agreements, data use/transfer agreements, non-disclosure agreements, teaming agreements, memorandum of understanding, and other agreements related to sponsored programs. The contract negotiation team also has responsibility for establishing sub-award and subcontract agreements issued under UTHSC agreements.
The OSP Post-Award Team works with faculty and administrators to coordinate and oversee financial activities related to sponsored research awards. Staff members assist in the stewardship of sponsored grant and contract terms and conditions. The team is responsible for invoicing, financial reporting, budget and cash deficit monitoring, and award setup conditions. The staff works with faculty, management, and school research administration to ensure accurate and complete accounting of income and expenditures on sponsored project accounts.
Throughout the life of a sponsored programs award, Post-Award team members provide advice and technical assistance regarding award management and compliance with sponsor guidelines. They assist with final account reconciliation and account closeout.