The School of Medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley encourages faculty to seek external support for sponsored projects related to the mission of the university. The School of Medicine (SOM) Research Office has set forth guidelines for all externally funded grant proposals and awarded projects within the SOM. 

Each Principal Investigator has the responsibility to be compliant with the stated pre-award guidelines for the School of Medicine. 

Faculty are encouraged to seek guidance from the SOM Research Office when developing grant proposals. If the funding opportunity is from a non-governmental agency such as a private foundation, additional guidance should be sought from the UTRGV Development Office.  

The internal review process at the School of Medicine requires approval from the PI's Division Lead/Supervisor, ISU Chair, SOM Director of Research Administration, SOM Vice President of Finance, and, for proposals over $1 million, the Dean of the School of Medicine prior to final submission to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). 

The first step to submit a proposal for external funding to a governmental or non-governmental agency is to complete the ARGO Sponsored Program Intake (SPI) form. ARGO is a comprehensive solution for streamlining the Sponsored Programs Intake process, replacing the previous method. The approval form is now incorporated into a user-friendly automated system. An assigned OSP Research Coordinator, along with the SOM Research Office, will assist with budget preparation and document review to ensure the proposal meets all institutional and agency guidelines. 

Because applications for external funding must be approved by OSP, SOM, and the UTRGV Development Office when applicable, please allow ample time for budget and other document review and revision prior to submission. Depending on the complexity of the proposal, internal review may require several days. At a minimum, complete the ARGO intake form no less than ten (10) business days before the sponsor deadline. 

Proposal budgets must comply with UTRGV set guidelines, as well as the established guidelines referenced in the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Proposals submitted to Federal agencies must comply with OMB Circular A-21 on cost principles that require all costs be allowable, reasonable, and necessary. 

The salary and fringe requested in a proposal must be in accordance with institutional policies, as well as applied consistently to individuals in like circumstances and must be supported by acceptable accounting principles. Salary charges for work performed on a sponsored agreement, whether for research, teaching, or other activities, must be based on the individual’s total annual compensation, unless sponsor policies limit salary charges. This compensation is known as Institutional Base Salary (IBS). An individual’s IBS may not be increased as a result of replacing University salary funds with grant funds. 

Federal regulations for the Animal Welfare Act and the National Institute of Health (NIH) require that protocols for research be submitted for review and approval by the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). 

For more information regarding the IACUC: 

Website: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), E-mail: ibc@utrgv.edu, Phone: (956) 665-2889 

Federal regulations (CFR 75, Part 45, Protection of Human Subjects) require a careful and comprehensive review of research involving human subjects or possible risk to human subjects. All such projects must be submitted to and approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board: Human Subjects (IRB) before research begins. 

For more information on the UTRGV IRB, please visit the IRB Support page  or contact: 

Office of Research Compliance
Email: irb@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-3598

Faculty submitting proposals requiring the inclusion of cost share or matching funds must have administrative approval before committing cost share or matching funds to a sponsor. The approval form for cost share or matching funds can be downloaded at Cost Share Approval Form. Discussion ahead of time with your Division Lead and/or ISU Chair will expedite this process. UTRGV policy does not allow voluntary cost share unless specifically expected by the funder (HOP ADM 07-302).

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs and fringe benefits should be budgeted in all grant and contract applications. The current Indirect Cost Rate (IDC) is posted on the OSP website, Indirect Cost Agreement (IDC).These rates are negotiated with the federal government and are to be used in proposals to provide support for expenses other than direct program costs unless a different rate is specified by the funder. For more information, please refer to the Office of Sponsored Programs. A percentage of the Indirect Costs Revenue associated with each research grant or contract award is distributed to several university areas including Academic Affairs, Division of Research, Centers and Institutes, Deans’ Offices, Departments, and Principal Investigators.