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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I find information about the University I need to complete my application?

    Call your College Research Office at 919-513-1837. Or, you can visit the Sponsored Programs website.  You may still need help finding the precise answer to you question, and in any case, you do need to meet with Research Office Personnel to get help processing your proposal.

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  • What type of training is available?

    SPARCS provides various training links.

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  • Is there any place I can find award information for my department or the entire University?

    The Research Aministration Data and Reporting (R.A.D.A.R.) system allows anyone with an access to view proposal and award information for the entire University.

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  • Where can I get help with a proposal budget?  What fringe rates should I use?  What is the overhead rate?

    Call your College Research Office at 919-513-1837. Or, you can visit the Sponsored Programs website at Prepare a Proposal Budget.  You may still need help finding the precise answer to you question, and in any case, you do need to meet with Research Office Personnel to have your budget approved and get help processing your proposal.

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  • How much is a course buyout?  How much effort should I show in my budget?

    "Course buyout" is a concept that has meaning to your department head, who is going to replace you in the classroom if you want to be released from teaching in order to do research.  You should discuss this with him or her.  It does not have meaning to your grant budget.  Instead, you will want to estimate the amount of effort you will be spending on the project, spread over each budget year.  That may be very small, but not less than 1%.  If you are listed as a Principal Investigator or co-PI, you must show some effort on the project.  Only you can say how much time you will be spending.  If your budget does not allow effort to be charged to the project, your effort will be cost-shared, i.e., your department will be paying for the effort by default.  You will still be asked how much effort you are spending for each budget period, as the federal government requires that our institution capture and record this information, and also that our research faculty not be allowed to commit themselves above 100%.

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  • TEARS (EFFORT REPORTING):  What is TEARS?  How do I get to the TEARS certification website?  Why do I have to do this?

    TEARS is NCSU's effort reporting system.  The acronym stands for The Effort and Activity Reporting System.  This is the mechanism by which our institution records, tracks, and certifies the effort of all personnel who work on sponsored projects, whether they are charged directly to grants and contracts or are cost-shared.

    In order to be in compliance with the federal requirement for effort reporting, each employee must certify his or her effort at least once a year.  Our institution does this once rather than more frequently,to minimize bother to the faculty.  The system is accessible through the Administrative Portal, on the Human Resources Tab.

    Additional information is available at the Contracts and Grants website or you may call the College Research Office at 919-513-1837.

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  • CONFLICT OF INTEREST:  What is COI?  How do I get to the COI form?  Why is my submission "stuck"?

    According to the Sponsored Programs, the best explanation is that Conflict of Interest "relates to situations in which financial or other personal considerations may compromise, may involve the potential for compromising, or may have the appearance of compromising an employee's objectivity in meeting University duties or responsibilities, including research activities."  Visit SPARCS website for more information.

    If your submission is "stuck", you will need to go back into the COI system and "sign" it electronically. As with all routing systems, both paper and electronic signatures are needed at each level to show that the proper persons/offices have approved the document.  When you originate a document, your signature proves that it came from you and not someone else.  Therefore, electronic systems will not route your document forward until you have signed it by pressing the approve button.  In the COI system, this button is marked "Approve and Route for Review".  If you do not press this button, your COI submission will not go forward to the next level. For COI Help, including the answers to other FAQ's, please visit the SPARCS website. 

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  • PINS:  What is PINS?

    PINS is an electronic system used to track proposal data and to verify approvals from all faculty and administrators involved in submitting a particular proposal. The use of the PINS system is a required part of the submission process for all proposals submitted by all university faculty. Once the required proposal information is entered into PINS, researchers (including PIs and co-PIs) as well as department heads are responsible for approving proposals in the system. It is designed to provide as much access as possible to the information that reviewers need to review proposals quickly and accurately.

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  • What are Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A)?

    Facilities and Administrative costs (F&A; also referred to as indirect costs or overhead) are those costs associated with the conduct of sponsored activities that are incurred for common or joint objectives and therefore are not readily identifiable with a specific project. Examples of costs normally considered to be F&A costs include administrative/clerical; facilities management and utilities; general-purpose equipment; office supplies; postage; memberships and dues; subscriptions/books/periodicals and local telephone charges.

    Normal F&A cost rates will generally be applied on all proposals unless the funding agency prohibits facilities and administrative costs or maintains a special rate (sponsor capped rate). Any exception to NCSU’s fully negotiated rates or sponsor capped rates will require prior approval from the College Research Office and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. If a Sponsor limits F&A costs to less than NCSU’s federally negotiated F&A rates, calculate the F&A costs using the Total Direct Costs (TDC) method.

    For more information visit the SPARCS Website.

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  • Where is the CHASS Office of Research and Engagement located?

    332 Withers Hall

    North Carolina State University

    Campus Box 8115

    Raleigh NC 27695-8115

    Phone: 919.513.1837

    Fax: 919.515.7856

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  • Can't find what your're looking for?
    Can I submit my own questions to the Research Office?