Numerous academic and administrative units have roles and responsibilities involved with sponsored projects. The principal offices involved in these processes are listed below:

• The Office of the Vice President for Research
• Sponsored Projects Administration
• Office for Technology Commercialization
• Oversight, Analysis, and Reporting
• Academic and Corporate Relations Center
• eResearch Systems
• Sponsored Financial Reporting
• Controller's Organization
• Environmental Health and Safety
• Research Services Organization
• Research Subjects' Protection Programs
• Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• Training Services

The Vice President for Research has direct responsibility for general policies concerning research and sponsored projects and acts as an advocate and spokesperson for the University research community. Offices reporting to the vice president handle central administration of sponsored projects and protection and licensing of intellectual property. The office of the vice president also coordinates some education programs, provides information about funding opportunities within the University and helps faculty locate sponsors outside the institution.

Offices reporting to the Vice President include:

Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA)
McNamara Alumni Center
200 Oak Street, Suite 450
Minneapolis, MN 55455-2070
(612) 624-5599
http://www.ospa.umn.edu


Individuals involved with sponsored projects at the University will most often have direct contact with SPA. This office serves as a liaison between sponsors and investigators. Its responsibilities include submitting proposals, negotiating and administering awards, and interpreting and implementing sponsor and University regulations. SPA staff are generally grouped according to sponsor; grant administrator's sponsor assignments can be found on SPA's Web site at http://www.ospa.umn.edu/directory.html.

Office for Technology Commercialization (formerly PTM)
1000 Westgate Drive
St. Paul, MN 55114-8658
(612) 624-0550
http://www.research.umn.edu/techcomm/main.html


The Office for Technology Commercialization oversees all aspects of technology commercialization at the University through its twin centers: the Licensing Center (formerly PTM), which manages patent and licensing functions and the Venture Center (formerly OBD), which assists creation of University-based start-up companies.

Oversight, Analysis, and Reporting
420 Johnston Hall
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 625-9057
http://www.oar.umn.edu/index.htm

Oversight, Analysis, and Reporting provides reports on unusual or irregular activities in grant transactions. The office assists in resolving problems, maintaining currency of knowledge of federal, state, and University policies, and coordinates the certified approver program. This office also provides advice to the Vice President for Research on systemic and continuous improvement in the quality of grants management.

eResearch Systems Support
McNamara Alumni Center
200 Oak Street, Suite 450
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612)624-1033 (Business line)
612)624-1600 (Technical line)
http://www.research.umn.edu/erss/index.htm

Under the umbrella of the OVPR, eResearch Systems Support supports the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Minnesota by providing electronic research database systems which streamline business processes and facilitate compliance with external regulations. ERSS applications include:

• EGMS (Electronic Grants Management System), a series of databases with a Web front-end to complete proposal forms for submission to sponsors and University forms related to sponsored projects or research;
• eResearch Central, a central location where researchers and their staff can access the University's electronic research-related documents and forms;
• REPA (Report of External Professional Activities) form, to report external professional activities and business and financial interests;
• Effort Certification and Reporting Tool (ECRT), a web-based technology designed to help researchers comply with regulations and policies that govern the need to provide certification of an individual's effort pursuant to his/her sponsored and non-sponsored programs; and
• Research Occupational Health Program (ROHP), an occupational health program for all persons having contact with animals in research.

Sponsored Financial Reporting, which reports to the Controller, invoices and collects payments, and compiles required financial reports for sponsors.

Controller's Organization
266 West Bank Office Building
1300 South 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55454
(612) 625-3493
http://www.controller.umn.edu/index.htm

The Controller oversees several offices involved with sponsored projects. These include Accounting Services, Disbursement Services, and Payroll Services, which help with financial administration. Inventory Services tracks equipment and supplies - including items used in sponsored projects.

Environmental Health and Safety
W-140 Boynton
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-6002
http://www.dehs.umn.edu/

Environmental Health and Safety develops policies and procedures and oversees compliance in the following areas: laboratory safety, industrial hygiene, fire safety, radiation safety, biological safety, and chemical, biological, and radioactive waste.

Research Services Organization
Room R623 CHRC
426 Church St. SE
Minneapolis MN 55455
(612) 625-4171
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rso/

The Research Services Organization provides researchers at the Academic Health Center support for preparing proposals, performing clinical trials, managing research projects, and developing technology. The RSO also provides the private sector single-source access to AHC researchers and technology.

Research Subjects' Protection Programs
MMC 406 Mayo
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-5654
http://www.research.umn.edu/subjects/index.cfm

This office provides administrative support and policy interpretation for compliance committees for human subjects, animal care, and biosafety, and promotes compliance through training and outreach programs.

• The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a committee of scientists and lay people who review and approve human research studies. The IRB must approve the research before it can begin, provide ongoing review of amendments to the study plan, and conduct annual continuing review of the study.
• The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) inspects animal facilities and reviews proposals for animal use. Similar in function to the IRB, IACUC must approve the research before it can begin, provide ongoing review of amendments to the study plan, and conduct annual continuing review of the study.
• The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews projects working with Recombinant DNA, Artificial Gene Transfer, Infectious Agents (bacteria, viruses, protozoans, fungi, etc.) and Biologically Derived Toxins. This also includes use of biological materials at sites removed from the University of Minnesota by University faculty, staff, researchers, and non-university staff researchers under grants and contracts to the University.

Training Services
West Bank Office Building, Suite 260
1300 S. 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55454
(612) 626-1373
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/trainingservices/

Training Services, a department within Human Resources, offers sponsored project administration classes, as well as classes in financial management and the human resources management system. 

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This page last updated January 7, 2008 .
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