FAQ's

The OSR is located in Haberlin Hall in offices 131 and 132.  The OSR is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. 

The Internal Funding page on the OSR website has all the current and up-to-date deadlines for the current academic year. 

The OSR’s Funding Opportunities Page contains information to help the Holy Cross faculty and staff with their research. 

A successful proposal starts with a thorough review and understanding of what the potential funding agency expects. Contact the Office of Sponsored Research for current guidelines and forms. If you have any questions after reading agency guidelines, the Office of Sponsored Research staff will be happy to assist you. 

Required approvals include: Department Chair, Director of Sponsored Research, Director of Finance & Assistant Treasurer, and Associate Dean of the Faculty. If time away from teaching is requested, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College will to approve.

Please refer to the Proposal Preparation Information sheet.

The Office of Sponsored Research should receive a proposal at least five days prior to the agency due date in order to have adequate time for review of the proposal. We recognize, however, that faculty workloads do not always permit advance preparation. The following are some tips to help us get your proposal approved in a timely matter:
-E-mail a copy of the routing form, cover page, and budget explanation to the office for pre-approval. The budget is usually the most time consuming portion of a proposal to check, and advance copies allow us to help correct possible errors.
-E-mail or call the Office of Sponsored Research if the proposal is being submitted in response to a specific Broad Agency Announcement, Request for Proposals, Research Announcement, etc. so that we can review the proposal along with the solicitation guidelines.
-Allow time for corrections and review. There are times when corrections need to be made, particularly if a budget has not been sent in advance or if a PI is applying to an agency he/she is unfamiliar with. Allowing time for corrections helps to ensure the proposal is at its best when it is sent out.

It usually requires a 5-day lead-time (prior to submission) in order for OSR to provide a complete proposal review.  This is due to the fact that OSR is often reviewing many proposals simultaneously for the same deadline, in addition to processing awards, miscellaneous award transactions, and other Office of Sponsored Research responsibilities. With at least 5 days' lead time prior to submission, OSR will perform a complete review, including: 
-Comparison of proposal to sponsors' guidelines (e.g. forms and formatting)
-Review of budget (calculations, rates, relevance to project description, adherence to budget guidelines)
Note: The first two items are the most time consuming.
-Routing Form
-Compliance issues (e.g. human/animal subjects, biosafety, conflict of interest, RCR)
-PI eligibility to submit

The Proposal Preparation Information sheet contains a lot of information about the College of the Holy Cross, as well as rates and figures used in Sponsored Research activities. 

The OSR requires the internal routing form to be completed and signed by the PI whenever an application for external funding is being submitted. 

The Manager of Restricted Accounts in the Controller's Office can assist you with any financial grant questions. (ext. 2286)