Oct. 5, 2020
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Sponsored Projects Guidance During COVID-19

Office of Sponsored Projects & Research Compliance (SPARC) operations remain open to assist faculty with submissions during normal business hours, with staff working remotely.

To reach your department contact, see the Department Assignment page for more information.

Emergency items please contact Krystal Toups, AVP for SPARC or Dr. Yousif Shamoo, VPR for Research: who to contact

Also see:

COVID-19 Related Funding opportunities

See COVID-19 related proposals submission information:Covid-19 Related Funding Opportunities

Sponsored Projects Agency Guidance

Please refer to the Office of Research page for federal sponsor guidance on COVID-19

COVID-19 Guidance for Sponsored Projects Box Folder

Additional notices from sponsors:

(04/15/2020) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Cycle 1 GO Proposal Deadline

STScI, NASA, ESA and CSA have decided to delay further the schedule for JWST Cycle 1 GO/AR proposals, and will provide an update on the schedule on June 1st 2020. The JWST Call remains open and all proposal preparation tools and documentation continue to be available. They will provide the community with at least eight (8) weeks notice of the revised schedule. The proposal deadline will be determined at a later date.

(04/14/2020) COVID-19: DOE Implementation of OMB Memorandum M-20-17
(04/09/2020) CPRIT Launches New COVID-19 Webpage

The CPRIT website now has a dedicated webpage (http://covid19.cprit.texas.gov/) for information, guidance, and frequently asked questions related to COVID-19’s impact on CPRIT grants.

(04/07/2020) CPRIT FY 2020 Recruitment Applications/Status of FY 2021 Requests for Applications

CPRIT will continue to accept nominations for the CPRIT recruitment awards listed below through June 20 for Fiscal Year 2020.

  • RFA R-20.1-REI Recruitment of Established Investigators
  • RFA R-20.1-RRS Recruitment of Rising Stars
  • RFA R-20.1-RFT Recruitment of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Members

Due to the unknown effects of COVID-19 and declining oil-based revenues on the Fiscal Year 2021 state budget, CPRIT has not scheduled any release dates for requests for applications from all CPRIT programs for Fiscal Year 2021. CPRIT will work with state leadership, the Texas legislature, and stakeholders to develop award plans for Fiscal Year 2021. CPRIT will provide updates on Fiscal Year 2021 grant applications via CPRIT’s listserv and our website.

(04/06/2020) Department of Energy ARPA-E Notification
(04/03/2020) Contracting Opportunity Search Tips for Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences- beta.SAM (W911NF-18-S-0005)

The former federal contracting opportunities website, FedBizOpps, has transitioned to beta.SAM. The system, like all systems, has sensitivities to how information is queried and entered. When searching for contracting opportunities for the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI), please be sure to enter the current ARI Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) number with the dashes included in the number, W911NF-18-S-0005. This way, you will see all Sources Sought Notices (white paper calls) posted under the BAA solicitation. Additionally, when conducting searches by agency name, enter the full agency name as the 'Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.' The BAA solicitation is also continuously open through 29 April 2023 for proposal submissions under the general topic areas. White paper submissions are always encouraged prior to the submission of a proposal.

(04/03/2020) CPRIT: Reimbursement Authorization for Grantee Personnel Expenses, Non-Refundable Travel and Conference Registration Fees

An updated FAQ document related to COVID-19 issues is now available on CPRIT’s website.

(04/03/2020) AFRL Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) No Cost Extensions (NCES)
(04/01/2020) Now Available: NSF-approved Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support Formats (Download the fillable PDF for other support)

NSF is now providing a fillable PDF as an NSF-approved format for use to prepare both the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support sections of an NSF proposal. Proposers can download the respective fillable PDF form from the NSF biographical sketch and current and pending support websites and then submit the completed forms as part of their proposals via FastLane, Research.gov or Grants.gov. Note that the NSF fillable PDF for the Biographical Sketch does not integrate with ORCID.

(04/01/2020) Suspending First Cycle of CPRIT Awards for Fiscal Year 2021

CPRIT has closed the FY 21.1 Academic Research Program RFAs (originally due June 3). CPRIT will not accept applications responding to these RFAs and will withdraw any FY 21.1 applications already submitted. Applications for the second cycle of fiscal year 2020 (FY 20.2) are currently undergoing peer review. CPRIT is not withdrawing the FY 20.2 applications and expects to announce awards in August or early fall.

(03/30/2020) Closure of NASA Centers, Laboratories and Test Facilities for NASA Grant or Cooperative Agreement recipients due to Coronavirus (COVID 19) situation

All questions shall be directed to the Administrative Grant Officer (AGO) via email to the NSSC-contactcenter@mail.nasa.gov. Please be sure to include the Grant Number in all correspondence.

(03/27/2020) Extension to DE-FOA-0002203

EERE is issuing an extension of 14 calendar days to respond to FOA DE-FOA0002203. The due date for this FOA is now May 14, 2020. All questions and answers related to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the questions and answers specific to this FOA.

(03/26/2020) NIH Update: Responding to Frequent Questions on Flexibilities Related to NIH Funding and COVID-19

In response to community concerns about their ability to submit applications in a timely manner, NIH has published a notice announcing that grant applications submitted late for due dates between March 9, 2020, and May 1, 2020, will be accepted through May 1, 2020. This notice applies to all relevant funding opportunity announcements, including those that indicate no late applications will be accepted. A cover letter providing a justification is not required. NIH will be extending the expiration date of most FOAs expiring between now and May 1. Be sure to read the notice carefully for details.

(03/25/2020) Message to all NIST/NTIA Recipients
(03/25/2020) S-STEM Community Update

If you have any questions about the issues discussed above, we invite you to join us for one of two planned information webinars we will host at 2:00 P.M. EST on Friday March 27 and Tuesday March 31. Connection details are below. You can also send email inquiries to S-STEM-ext@nsf.gov

(03/23/2020) DOE Travel Guidance

Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the Department of Energy has implemented guidance as it pertains to travel and the use of federal funds. If you have any questions please contact the respective Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist, or Contracting Officer Representative for your award.

(03/23/2020) CPRIT Information for grantees and applicants affected by COVID-19

CPRIT has released a “frequently asked questions” guide. Grantees should contact program managers (Patty Moore, Academic Research; Rosemary French, Product Development; and Ramona Magid, Prevention) with questions about COVID-19’s effect on individual grant projects. CPRIT has also created a dedicated email (covid19@cprit.texas.gov) for grantee questions.

Research Compliance

The Institutional Review Board (IRB): COVID-19 IRB Guidance

The IRB office is fully functional and operating at normal capacity. Researchers and their study teams should carefully consider the research protocols that involve in-person interaction or intervention in the light of the evolving environment and should reference University, Houston Health Department, and CDC guidelines as you proceed.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

On behalf of the Office of Research and the IACUC, the guidance is intended to help the campus research community limit the impact and potential risk associated with the growing outbreak of COVID-19.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

All principal investigators proposing to perform work with coronavirus research must contact the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). This includes requesting or accepting SARS-CoV-2 samples or materials or samples or materials from patients suspected to be infected. Current NIH and
CDC guidelines for safely working with SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent for COVID-19) can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/lab-biosafety-guidelines.html

Additional Resources

Council on Governmental Relations (COGR)

FAQs Regarding COVID-19’s Impact on Federal Awards and Additional Information

Institutional and Agency Responses to COVID-19 and Additional Resources

*This page will be updated as new information is available.

**Updates to this page about agency guidance for managing grants during this time are being sent regularly to the Research Listserv. Please subscribe for updates at: https://mailman.rice.edu/mailman/listinfo/research-l