Office of Sponsored Programs

 

Routing Process

 

Prior to proposal submission or contract acceptance the document must be “routed”.  The routing process serves to advise and inform academic administrators such as a department chair and college dean of possible future project activities of a faculty or staff member; it also ensures that all Indiana State University compliance requirements have been met.

What is routed? 

·        All proposals requesting project support from any external funding agency must be routed for review and approval before they are submitted to the agency. Routing Form

·        Final and/or Periodic reports which require the signature of an "authorized official" of the University must also be routed using the ISU Routing Form for Grant and Contract Performance Reports. Report Routing Form

·        Contracts with external agencies/businesses or other institutions. Routing Form

Need Help?

If this is your first time completing a Proposal Routing Form click here to learn how to get started off on the right foot!

Special approvals. If approval is required from any compliance committee, such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for use of human subjects, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Radiation Safety Officer, or Biosafety and Recombinant DNA Chair, the appropriate review must be initiated before the proposal is routed.  At the time of routing, the approval of the committee chair(s) must be indicated on the routing form.

In some cases approval may be delayed until funding is actually awarded but it is best to check with OSP first. It is also important to check funding guidelines, some funders will request proof of compliance certification.

Compliance certification may take some time.  Start the process early!

Please be aware that the Office of Grants and Contracts will not release any funds until all compliance issues have been satisfied.

Budget.  A full, detailed budget must be routed with the proposal.  Various categories of cost sharing are entered on the routing form under "ISU New or Budgeted Monies"

Expediting the Routing Process

Normally routing a proposal for review and approval requires an orderly
sequence of several signatures:  The Project Director (or Principal Investigator), the appropriate Department Head (or Center Director), the appropriate Dean, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and finally the Chief Research Officer (CRO) or the appropriate Vice President. To physically move the paperwork through these stages takes at least two days. If there are no questions about nor problems with the proposal as individual administrators are available to sign off on the routing form, then the process tends to run smoothly.

OSP recommends the PI/PD start the routing process a minimum of 10 days to two weeks prior to the submission deadline of the proposal.  Completed routing form with a final copy of the proposal should be submitted to OSP 8 to10 days prior to submission deadline.  OSP will review routing form and final proposal for guideline and agency compliance.  Once everything is approved OSP will make the final proposal submission to sponsor.

Proposal will not be submitted until all required signatures have been obtained.