Review and Approval Channels

The PI must route their proposal for department and college review and approval, before it may be submitted to the sponsor by GCA. A review may include the following:

• Commitment of faculty, staff, and student time, as well as any other UNT resources. 
• Personnel salary/fringe (i.e. reimbursement of academic year and/or provision for summer support).
• Space and facilities requirements. 
• Budgeted costs, including F&A assessment, are in accordance with federal/state regulations, UNT policies and sponsor guidelines. 
• Specific project activities which require compliance review and approval prior to award, such as the use of human subjects, animals, biohazards, radioactive materials, lasers, export control, and intellectual property, etc. 
• Disclosure of any potential financial conflicts of interest by the PI or any other person responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of the proposed project. 

Proposal review and approval required by the following:

• Department Chair 
  • Approval by the Chair constitutes endorsement attesting to the academic purposes of the proposed research or other sponsored activity, departmental compatibility, appropriateness in the context of budget, faculty time available to carry out the project, and availability of space and research equipment. As/if approved by the Chair, the proposal is then typically submitted to the Dean of the college for review and approval. 
• Dean 
  • Approval by the Dean relates to the substance and merit of the proposal as well as to the budget, including salaries and employment of present and proposed personnel, as well as any other aspect of the proposal which may affect the teaching, research, and use of both school and University space and facilities. The Dean's approval of a F&A recovery rate less than the federally negotiated F&A rate indicates acceptance of reduced F&A cost recovery to the school. As/if approved, and endorsed by the Dean, the proposal is then typically submitted to GCA. 
• Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) 
  • Review by GCA is for accuracy and compliance with applicable guidelines and regulations (institutional, local, state, federal, etc.) pertinent to the specific submission, as well as to confirm the proposal is complete and required internal approvals have been received by GCA. Proposals and documents received after the GCA six (6) full business day deadline will receive a modified level of review. 
  • GCA cannot guarantee a successful submission of proposals that do not allow for sufficient time to complete the necessary review and navigate an appropriate sponsor submission. UNT reserves the right to review and request changes prior to acceptance of an award or to decline an award, if the budget or other commitments contained in the proposal do not conform to UNT specifications or requirements. 
• Vice President for Research and Innovation 
  • Proposals that appear to deviate from University policy are submitted by GCA to the Vice President for Research (VPRI) for review. If the VPRI finds the proposal acceptable, it is approved and returned to GCA for submission to the sponsor. If questions exist as to possible noncompliance with University policy, the VPRI will contact the PI or Dean for recommendation.