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About Us
Mission Statement
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) assists faculty engaged in externally funded research, instruction, community service, and other scholarly activities by providing direction, information, and technical assistance throughout the proposal and funding process. By continually streamlining the process, our office helps to strengthen the research enterprise at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
All proposals for external funds must be submitted through ORSP. Our specialists review each proposal and walk the applicants through each step of the submission and award process. To advise and serve applicants more effectively, our office is composed of three teams; Preaward, Postaward, and Research Compliance. An ORSP team will assist applicants during each stage of the process of obtaining external funding.
Preaward
The preaward team reviews each proposal prior to submission. This team verifies the accuracy of budget and administrative information provided in applications, reviews proposals for conformity to sponsor guidelines, ensures that commitments made in proposals can be honored, and confirms that awards meet sponsor and university guidelines. The preaward team negotiates grants and contracts on behalf of the university; assists with requests for additional funding, extensions, and changes in scope or principal investigator; and coordinates the submission of interim project reports. ORSP is the authorized institutional signatory for all proposals and awards.
Postaward
The postaward team ensures adherence to the university’s fiscal accountability policy for sponsored-projects funds and regulatory compliance with state, private, and federal policies. All expenditures and financial transactions to support research are reviewed and validated to make certain that award terms and conditions are met. The postaward team is responsible for postaward set up in PeopleSoft, financial analysis of awards, preapproval of obligations and expenditures on grants, billing to the sponsor, cash deposits and application, financial reporting to the sponsor, accounts receivable monitoring and collections. All university billings, letter of credit, or other requests for payment will be in the name of the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Research Compliance
The research compliance team is dedicated to adhering to all applicable laws, regulations, and policies of the University and outside sponsors. Through general and specific training, policies, and appropriate oversight and monitoring, the research compliance team helps members of UMass Boston community to conduct research activities based upon the highest standards of integrity and excellence. The team oversees all aspects of human subjects protections, animal welfare, export control, and conflict of interest reporting.
In accomplishing this mission, ORSP ensures accountability, compliance, and stewardship for sponsored programs as directed by the values of the office and by all applicable federal, state, and university policies, procedures, and regulations.
*The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is led by the Director and Associate Vice Provost for Research and is part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Initiatives and the Dean of Graduate Studies.