Quick Start Guide

The GCA serves as the coordinating department for proposal submissions to external funding entities and administers externally sponsored project awards received by the university. These sponsored projects include both government agencies (federal and/or state) and private organizations (not-for-profits, industries). The Division of Research and Innovation encourages faculty in all areas to pursue diverse funding sources. To review the roles and responsibilities of a Principal Investigator, download our PI Handbook. 

(RIC) is committed to serving, educating, and supporting the UNT research community by assuring the Institution and investigators are conducting research in compliance with local, state and federal regulations, and university policies and procedures. To review the roles and responsibilities of a Principal Investigator, download our PI Handbook page. 

Research development, according to the National Organization of Research Development Professionals is a set of strategic, proactive, catalytic, and capacity-building activities designed to facilitate individual faculty members, teams of researchers, and central research administrations in attracting extramural research funding, creating relationships, and developing and implementing strategies that increase institutional competitiveness.

The research development core area aligns with the strategic plan of the VPRI to help researchers at the University of North Texas to educate and provide resources to our researchers, as well as seek and secure external funding, build interdisciplinary teams, and liaise between different units on campus to build better proposals.

Innovation and Commercialization (IC) operate under the Vice President of Research and Innovation (VPRI). IC (formerly known as Research Commercial Agreements) provides numerous services to the UNT community centered around strengthening the overall research agenda of UNT. This is mainly done through the commercialization of UNT intellectual property and sponsored research collaborations. To review the roles and responsibilities of a Principal Investigator, visit our PI Handbook page.

The mission of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI) is to expand and promote the research enterprise at UNT by helping faculty and student researchers push the boundaries of their fields. This mission is achieved by facilitating an interdisciplinary approach to research — a catalyst for discovery and innovation — that has cemented UNT's status as a Tier One research university.

University-managed facilities are labs, equipment, space, and technology — any kind of infrastructure — that enable faculty, students, and external research partners to conduct high-level solutions-based research in key areas. This infrastructure, from physical space to high-end research equipment to innovative technology, is key to research that leads to discovery or enrichment in a field. Often, the unique suites of equipment are housed together in a shared facility or at a research park where the environment itself fosters collaboration and new ideas. These include: Materials and Research Facility (MRF), BioAnalytical Facility, Genomics Center, Greenhouse Core Research Facilities, and the Research Computing Services.

Steps to Submission

UNT uses Grants and Research Administration Management Suite (GRAMS), which is a fully electronic Research Administration System that enables faculty and staff to route and approve proposals, submit most federal applications to grants.gov and manage awards, contracts, and agreements in one integrated dashboard.

Step 1: Request a Grants and Contracts Specialist

Step 2:  Login to GRAMS to complete your Funding Proposal record (and 424 application, if applicable) and route for needed approvals  

Step 3: Review and Submission 

Step 4: Award Notification

Important considerations:

• Submission Deadlines - The applicant should contact the Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) well in advance of the proposal submission deadline. 
• Routing for Approvals - All proposals must be routed through GRAMSfor certification by the Lead Principal Investigator. 
• Authorizing Signatures - Most proposals require the signature of the applicant organization's Authorizing Organizational Representative (AOR). At UNT, this signature authority is held by several individuals in the Division of Research & Innovation (DRI). Although the PI is required to certify the proposal in GRAMS, they do not hold signature authority as the AOR. After all proposal documents have been reviewed for completeness and accuracy, the GCA Specialist will secure the AOR signature as required.

A person holding any of the following academic ranks can service as a Lead PI or Principal Investigator (Co-PI):

• Faculty (professor, associate professor, assistant professor)
• Librarian, associate librarian
• Research professor, research associate professor, research assistant professor
• Research Scientist IV, research scientist III, and research scientist II
• Deans, chairs, VPs

 

Others may request approval to serve as a Lead PI or Principal Investigator (Co-PI). For persons with the following job titles, Lead PI or Principal Investigator status may be requested:

• Assistant librarian
• Postdoctoral research associate
• Research Scientist I
• Director
• Lecturer
• Visiting professor
• Adjunct professor

Please contact the GCA Team by visiting this website.

There are many ways to get involved in student research! We have workshops and other informational sessions to walk you through the process. Find more information by visiting this website.