Step 3: Internal Approvals
All sponsored project proposals, grants, fellowships, sub-contracts and contractual agreements must be routed for approvals from the department, college, and university. At the college level, proposals undergo a comprehensive review by the College Grants Administrator and Associate Dean for Research to ensure institutional eligibility, conformity to sponsor guidelines, accuracy of budget, applicability of cash match and cost sharing, human subjects or animal use approvals, etc. Proposals are reviewed to ensure that any commitments included are consistent with federal, state and University policies, as well as to ascertain approval of the proposal by Department Chairs and Deans. It also serves to indemnify the faculty member should the agency dispute the quality or quantity of the award's deliverables. Once department and college approvals are secured, the proposal moves on to the Office of Sponsor Programs for university-level review, signatures and submission to the sponsor.
What is the approval process?
All sponsored project proposals, grants, fellowships, subcontracts and contractual agreements must be routed for approvals via RAMSeS. RAMSeS is a University of North Carolina System-mandated program administered internally by ECU’s Office of Sponsored Programs. RAMSeS delivers cutting-edge technology to the research community, enabling faculty research administrators to manage research more efficiently and effectively than ever before. RAMSeS is a web-based system that can be accessed from any location. Through various modules, RAMSeS collects basic identification information, academic and overhead credit, project type and budget information, compliance questions and certifications, and electronic approvals.
To begin the RAMSeS process you log into the RAMSeS web portal using your ECU Pirate ID and password. All RAMSeS modules must be complete before it is routed for approvals. To assist our PIs with the various modules, the College of Arts and Sciences has implemented the RAMSeS Manual. The Office of Sponsored Programs also offers video tutorials. After consulting these resources, if you still have questions, please contact the College Grants Administrator at 737-4389.
RAMSeS Tips for A&S Faculty:
-
Step 3: Internal Approvals
All sponsored project proposals, grants, fellowships, sub-contracts and contractual agreements must be routed for approvals from the department, college, and university. At the college level, proposals undergo a comprehensive review by the College Grants Administrator and Associate Dean for Research to ensure institutional eligibility, conformity to sponsor guidelines, accuracy of budget, applicability of cash match and cost sharing, human subjects or animal use approvals, etc. Proposals are reviewed to ensure that any commitments included are consistent with federal, state and University policies, as well as to ascertain approval of the proposal by Department Chairs and Deans. It also serves to indemnify the faculty member should the agency dispute the quality or quantity of the award's deliverables. Once department and college approvals are secured, the proposal moves on to the Office of Sponsor Programs for university-level review, signatures and submission to the sponsor.
What is the approval process?
All sponsored project proposals, grants, fellowships, subcontracts and contractual agreements must be routed for approvals via RAMSeS. RAMSeS is a University of North Carolina System-mandated program administered internally by ECU?s Office of Sponsored Programs. RAMSeS delivers cutting-edge technology to the research community, enabling faculty research administrators to manage research more efficiently and effectively than ever before. RAMSeS is a web-based system that can be accessed from any location. Through various modules, RAMSeS collects basic identification information, academic and overhead credit, project type and budget information, compliance questions and certifications, and electronic approvals.
To begin the RAMSeS process you log into the RAMSeS web portal using your ECU Pirate ID and password. All RAMSeS modules must be complete before it is routed for approvals. To assist our PIs with the various modules, the College of Arts and Sciences has implemented the RAMSeS Manual. The Office of Sponsored Programs also offers video tutorials. After consulting these resources, if you still have questions, please contact the College Grants Administrator at 737-4389.
RAMSeS Tips for A&S Faculty:
- PIs have the most trouble with the Personnel module (calculating % of effort) and the Budget module (identification of cost share). Please consult the RAMSeS Manual for guidance. For 9 month faculty who would like to request both academic year and summer effort, you can convert your effort to 12 month using the A&S 3/9 to 12-month Effort Conversion Spreadsheet. The contract type for converted effort would then be categorized as 12.
- PIs should include their department administrator and the college grants administrator on the personnel module as "administrative contact". Doing this will allow administrators to pre-review RAMSeS submissions prior to routing.
- PIs should send their OSP budget spreadsheets to the college grants administrator via email for pre-review prior to routing.
- PIs should follow the college's Submission Deadline Policy to ensure that the department, college and OSP have sufficient time to review and approve their proposals. Multi-disciplinary projects, both internal and external, require a longer review and approval process.
RAMSeS training sessions are offered throughout the year by the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Research and the Office of Sponsored Programs. The college will send announcements via email for training sessions and soon they will be posted on the OOR Calendar. Check University Training in One Stop for the next OSP training session.
- PIs have the most trouble with the Personnel module (calculating % of effort) and the Budget module (identification of cost share). Please consult the RAMSeS Manual for guidance. For 9 month faculty who would like to request both academic year and summer effort, you can convert your effort to 12 month using the A&S 3/9 to 12-month Effort Conversion Spreadsheet. The contract type for converted effort would then be categorized as 12.
- PIs should include their department administrator and the college grants administrator on the personnel module as “administrative contact”. Doing this will allow administrators to pre-review RAMSeS submissions prior to routing.
- PIs should send their OSP budget spreadsheets to the college grants administrator via email for pre-review prior to routing.
- PIs should follow the college’s Submission Deadline Policy to ensure that the department, college and OSP have sufficient time to review and approve their proposals. Multi-disciplinary projects, both internal and external, require a longer review and approval process.
RAMSeS training sessions are offered throughout the year by the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Research and the Office of Sponsored Programs. The college will send announcements via email for training sessions and soon they will be posted on the OOR Calendar. Check University Training in One Stop for the next OSP training session.
