Setting Expectations

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Meeting with the Faculty

Develop a comprehensive agenda for kickoff meetings, including all necessary topics and objectives.

Setting goals and an agenda will help the faculty immensely with the planning of their busy schedule such that they will know how far in advance they will actually have to focus on parts of the proposal, and to lock in certain decisions to reduce the destabilizing potential for last minute changes and the disruption that can cause to everyone's workflow.

It is extremely important to collect as much detail as possible at the first meeting with the faculty member.  This information can be collected and organized via the Pre-Award Intake form.  Collection of these details is especially critical when the submission occurs close to the deadline and decisions need to be made quickly.  The information in the Pre-Award Intake form will enable the research administrator to locate the solicitation, begin contacting Co-PIs, subaward sites and other collaborators, and to start creating a record in Cayuse.  It will also help to initiate further discussion regarding the budget, any non-allowable items, and unusual requirements of the proposal that are critical.

Are you aware of the exact Request for Proposal (RFP) or Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)?

If you are able to get a hold of this information from the faculty before you meet with the faculty, this can be a big timesaver.

This call guidance will indicate what the specific constraints are. Certain costs may be unallowable. The call may have a duration or dollar expectation or limit. The formatting that the proposal must follow may also be outlined. 

All of these details are important to be aware of prior to the first meeting with the faculty (if possible) as it will inform the first discussion about the budget and the proposal timeline. Setting this expectation clearly at the start will help throughout.

(see budget development for more details)

How will the award be managed and how will it function if awarded?

Is this a complex award with many programmatic elements, subawards, or complex financial or data management components? Consider budgeting in staff time to assist with managing this award. If unclear, reach out to your departmental or divisional executive admins to seek their guidance on whether the award will present an unusual burden to manage? A proposal should not be submitted without a rational plan to manage the award should it actually be awarded to a faculty at Rice.

Additional Resources

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