Frequently Asked Questions

Federal, state and local government grant submissions may only be submitted by an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) from the OSRP staff.

The Principal Investigator (PI) has primary responsibility for achieving the technical success of the project, while also complying with the financial and administrative policies and regulations associated with the award. Although Principal Investigators may have administrative staff to assist them with the management of project funds, the ultimate responsibility for the management of the sponsored project award rests with the Principal Investigator.

To serve as PI, one must be a full-time employee of MSU Denver. Several employment titles automatically confer PI/co-PI status due to the roles and responsibilities that come with that title. Titles of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor and to library faculty holding the titles of Senior Librarian, Librarian, and Associate Librarian. Other administrative titles are also eligible for automatic PI status provided the individual is a full-time employee: Vice President, Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and Director. However, Emeritus faculty do not automatically confer PI status. Emeritus faculty may serve as co-PI or senior key personnel but not as PI.

The PI must have an active appointment with MSU Denver and is responsible for executing and financially managing the grant or project. Since a proposal and subsequent award are a commitment for MSU Denver in many ways, it is important to establish the qualifications and ability of PI’s and Co-PI’s to carry out the work on externally funded grants and sponsored projects.

All PIs should have completed CITI training.

Please contact OSRP as early as possible in advance of your anticipated submission. We recommend notifying OSRP of your intent to submit three months in advance of the grant proposal deadline. Grant proposal documents should be submitted to OSRP for review a minimum of five business days in advance of the deadline.

Gifts and sponsored awards to the University are made in a variety of forms, reflecting the diversity of sponsors as well as their purposes. Sponsored awards from private funders are administered by OSRP. Gifts are administered by Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) in University Advancement.

The language used by a donor or sponsor in providing support is generally the source for making a distinction between a sponsored award and a gift. When in doubt, consult either OSRP or CFR. These offices will work together to make the final determination as to whether the award in question shall be treated as a sponsored award or a gift.

For more detailed information refer to the Guide to Distinguishing Between Gifts and Sponsored Awards.

No. The US Department of Education does not allow an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) to have active Title III and Title V grants simultaneously. MSU Denver currently has active Title V grants through 2026 so is not eligible for Title III grants.

Yes. Although MSU Denver currently has a number of active US Department of Education Title V grant programs, there are not restrictions on the number of Title V grants for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).

It is available from the Office of the Controller.

Our current Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) is applied to grant budget Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) at the rates of: 39.7% on campus; 17.1% off campus

ICR constitutes reimbursement to the university of ordinary expenses related to facilities and administration needed to operate the university where the sponsored research or program takes place.

For more complete information on ICR click here.

For grant budgets OSRP uses the travel and per diem rates published by the US General Services Administration.

For grant budgets OSRP uses a standard average fringe benefits rate for all faculty and staff. The approved average rate for 2023 grant proposal budgets is 29.6% with a 1% yearly escalation.

No, MSU Denver faculty or staff may not receive consultant fees or stipend payments on grant projects. MSU Denver employees must be paid with a Salary Supplement submitted through the Human Resources Department. Accounts Payable is unable to issue a W2 for an employee and a 1099 for a contractor in the same calendar year.

Student Employee Pay Matrix, January 1, 2024.

Level 1 Range – $18.29 – $19.79
Performs work of routine nature and duties within well-defined procedures or parameters with average difficulty. Employees are considered entry level and will require training and modest supervision. Employees with at least 1 – 2 semesters of experience, may have reduced supervision and an increase in independent work.
Examples: unseasoned lab assistant, clerical/office assistant, data entry, testing assistant.

Level 2 Range – $19.80 – $21.30
Performs work of routine nature and duties within well-defined procedures or parameters with average difficulty but may take on more varying tasks. Employee will work more independently and require less supervision as they take on more responsibility in prioritizing tasks. Generally, requires 2-3 semesters of experience or related course work/training.
Examples: student assistant, lab assistant, office support assistant, peer advisor, tutor.

Level 3 Range – $21.31 – $22.81
Performs a variety of duties. Employees possess knowledge of the principles, practices, theories, and concepts of the related field. Demonstrates a high degree of independent thinking and decision-making to perform duties independently. Generally, requires 3 – 4 semesters of equivalent experience or related course work/training.
Examples: research assistant, audio-visual technician, lab assistant, office assistant.

Level 4 Range $22.82 – and up (Needs pre-approval from SE Team)
Performs skilled work where duties are varied and moderately complex. Employee operates independently with minimal supervision. Instruction is provided only for new or complex tasks. Demonstrates a high degree of independent thinking and decision-making to perform duties independently. Generally, requires 5 or more semesters of equivalent experience, related course work/training or certification.
Examples: accounting technician, research assistant, seasoned lab assistant, specialized recreation instructor, sports officials, IT help desk technician

We have a Standard Grant Budget Microsoft Excel template available to help facilitate the budgeting process. It is designed with calculations built in for cost of living raises, fringe rates, Modified Total Direct Costs, Indirect Cost Recovery, and budget totals. It is available on the Proposal Tools page.

OSRP staff compile boilerplate documents of institutional data that is commonly requested by grant agencies. It is updated semi-annually and is available on request.

In addition, MSU Denver Institutional Research offers a number of institutional databases, and MSU Denver Business Intelligence is available to create customized data reports upon request.

We’ve collected a listing of all statistical software and a number of data points on each including how each is available to faculty and students.

The SPSS statistical tool is available in all forms to both faculty and students in labs, in virtual lab, or for personal download.

If you experience an access-to-the-software problem, please contact ITS https://www.msudenver.edu/technology/.

For learning experiences about how to use SPSS, we recommend searching for YouTube tutorials.

All research involving human subjects must be approved by MSU Denver’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Federal regulations require that all research projects involving human subjects be reviewed by an IRB. The IRB must approve or determine the project to be exempt prior to the start of any research activities. The IRB cannot provide approval or determinations for research that has already been concluded. If you are uncertain as to whether your project requires IRB approval, please contact the Human Subjects Protections Plan Manager at 303-605-5282 or [email protected].

All Principal Investigators (PIs) must comply with the MSU Denver policy for Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) for Federally Funded Research Proposals, by completing and signing a FCOI form, and completing an online training session.

FCOI forms must be completed at the time of application for federal funding; at least annually, during the period of the award, beginning with the anniversary date of the award; and within thirty days of discovering or acquiring (e.g., through purchase, marriage, or inheritance) a new significant financial interest.

Complete information is available here.

Adjunct Faculty pay scales for Spring 2024 are included in this chart.

Any party who is considered a “contractor” must follow MSU procurement rules. Costs for contractors between $10K and $50K (for services) require at least two quotes. Costs (for contractor services) over $50K require competition, which is typically a Documented Quote (process conducted by the Procurement team), if the total is less than $250K. If a party is a contractor and is the only provider of the service, then we can consider a sole source, but those are scrutinized and must be justified and posted on the public bidding sites. Instructions for creating a contractor Workday requisition are here.