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FAQs

If you will be out of the office for two weeks or longer, plase update the Primary Research Administrator on the eRPM record and contact the Contract Officer/Award Management Officer assigned to the CLM record to let them know who will be covering your workload. In those instances, ORSP will provide access to the coverage RA to the CLM record. If you will be out of the office for less than two weeks, follow the instrauctions below to add a rule to your email so that messages from CLM will be automatically forwarded to your coverage person:

 

Emails that come from Ironclad

  • Come from: *@mg.ironcladdapp.com

    • When establishing your filter - use the above to capture all emails that originate from Ironclad regardless of the specific workflow or eRPM record

      • from: (@mg.ironcladapp.com)

Emails that come from AdobeSign, the eSignature software

Once the agreement has been fully executed a copy is uploded by ORSP to the eRPM AWD or UFA record and can be found in the record's documents. For AWD records they will be located in the AWD Docs tab, and for UFAs they will be located in the documents section on the Main tab. 

 

AWD Docs Tab:

 

UFA Documents:

 

 

Cancelled workflows cannot be reinstated. If you have accidentally cancelled your contract in CLM please contact your Contract Officer or Award Management Officer immediately so that ORSP can create a new record for your agreement. Any approvals that were completed on the cancelled workflow will have to be re-obtained.

To respond to a comment from the Officer or add a comment to the Officer in an agreement in CLM, see the steps outlined in the Respond to and Add Comments in Ironclad job aid. You can also contact the Officer via the Activity Feed in CLM. This is done by @ mentioning the name of the person you want to send your message to:

Select the name of the person you want to message, type your message, then click “Send message.” The person you @ mentioned will receive an email with your message.

 

From the CLM dashboard, click on "Participating In" under the "Views" list on the left-hand side of the screen.



An IRE is the entity (e.g., committee) established by the research institution to execute the institutional oversight responsibilities for the USG DURC-PEPP Policy.

The ICDUR is the official designated by the research institution to serve as an internal resource for application of the USG DURC-PEPP Policy as well as the liaison (as necessary) between the institution and the relevant federal funding agency.

Once your agreement is fully executed, the final copy of the agreement will be uploaded to eRPM. If your agreement is for a new award you will find the fully executed copy in your award record which will be set up upon execution. If your agreement is unfunded, you can find it in _____.

“Reasonably anticipated” describes “an assessment of an outcome such that, generally, individuals with scientific expertise relevant to the research in question would expect this outcome to occur with a non-trivial likelihood. It does not require high confidence that the outcome will definitely occur and excludes experiments in which experts would anticipate the outcome to be technically possible, but highly unlikely.”

This definition captures important features of the outcome assessment that are further explained in section B3 of the DURC-PEPP Implementation Guide:

  • "Relevant scientific expertise" refers to the scientific expertise required to anticipate the potential and plausible results of an experiment.
    • Scientists may have differing views on possible and likely outcomes of any particular experiment, so the general assessment of multiple individuals is likely to be more robust than the views of any single individual. The PI is not required to seek assessment from a group of individuals, but rather to use the PI’s individual expertise and experience to consider the range of assessments that individuals with relevant scientific expertise would likely make.

  • "Expect this outcome to occur:" While it is impossible to know for certain the result of any experiment in advance, experiments are typically conducted to test specific hypotheses. These hypotheses constitute expectations about the possible results of an experiment, and should be included in the range of results that are “reasonably anticipated” may occur. The PI may consider, if applicable, leveraging existing literature that may have analogous experimental design and/or similar pathogens or toxins to determine potential expectations.

  • “Non-trivial likelihood”: A “reasonably anticipated” outcome is not necessarily the most likely outcome, nor is it necessarily an outcome with greater than 50% likelihood. Rather, it is an outcome that has a reasonable, non-negligible chance of occurring. For example, consider an experiment on pandemic influenza that experts anticipate is most likely to result in a loss of function, but that experts also believe could possibly increase transmissibility of the pathogen. An indication of generating a pandemic influenza virus with enhanced transmissibility represents a risk of high consequence to the public if that agent were to be accidentally released. Such a study should therefore undergo Category 2 oversight because, despite the fact that generating a PEPP is not the likeliest outcome, it has a non-trivial likelihood of resulting in a PEPP.

  • “Excludes experiments in which an expert would anticipate the outcome to be technically possible, but highly unlikely”: For many experiments it may be possible to imagine a scenario, however unlikely, in which a genetic mutation surprisingly results in an increase in virulence or transmissibility against all reasonable expectations and prior evidence. The purpose of the Policy is to prioritize oversight for experiments that may pose the greatest risks. Technically plausible outcomes with very low likelihoods, as assessed based on pre-existing evidence, are not subject to Category 2 oversight. As per the Policy, if such a result unexpectedly arises during the conduct of research, the study should be halted, immediately be flagged for the IRE and funding entity, and be subject to Category 2 assessment and risk mitigation.

A Pathogen with pandemic potential (PPP) is a pathogen that is likely capable of wide and uncontrollable spread in a human population and would likely cause moderate to severe disease and/or mortality in humans. Examples include H5N1 influenza viruses, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, and MERS.

A Pathogen with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (PEPP) is a type of pathogen with pandemic potential (PPP) resulting from experiments that enhance a pathogen’s transmissibility or virulence, or disrupt the effectiveness of pre-existing immunity, regardless of its progenitor agent, such that it may pose a significant threat to public health, the capacity of health systems to function, or national security. Wild-type pathogens that are circulating in or have been recovered from nature are not PEPPs but may be considered PPPs because of their pandemic potential.

~ USG DURC-PEPP policy (May 2024)

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Once your agreement is fully executed, the final copy of the agreement will be uploaded to eRPM. If your agreement is for a new award, you will find the fully executed copy in your award record which will be set up upon execution. 

Starting February 24, 2025, you will be able to access your agreement record directly from a link in the eRPM record on the main page of your PAF, or UFA, or on the ACR/MOD tab in AWD


With the exception of a small handful of agreements that were put into Ironclad CLM during our soft launch phase, only agreements received in ORSP on or after February 3, 2025 will be negotiated through Ironclad CLM.

"Scientific, budgetary, or commitment overlap" refers to a situation where a researcher is proposing research that is substantially similar to another ongoing project they are involved in, either in terms of the scientific goals, the budget/resources allocated to those goals, or the amount of time they are committed to dedicating to the research across multiple projects, potentially exceeding a reasonable workload.

Scientific overlap:
When the research questions, scientific aims, methodologies, or study populations of two different projects are too similar, essentially proposing the same research twice.

Budgetary overlap:
When the same expenses, like equipment or personnel costs, are requested in two separate grant applications, essentially double-funding the same item.

Commitment overlap:
When a researcher commits more than 100% of their time to various research projects, meaning they are proposing to work on more research than is realistically possible within a given timeframe.

Applicants with a VA Appointment may still be eligible to receive an LRP award if they have less than a 5/8ths time appointment.

 

Regarding federal employment, the LRP defines an Ineligible Individual as: Full-time (and some part-time) federal employees [NOTE: Part-time federal employees (20 hours per week or less) engaged in research supported by a non-federal entity for at least 20 hours per week may be eligible]. 

 

Visit the NIH LRP website for complete eligibility information and application instructions.

See the LRP FAQ page for their definitions and guidance regarding for-profit support.

 

Unless the LRP determines the for-profit support is eligible, you will need to remove effort from the project and cease receiving research support from it.

 

ORSP will need departmental concurrence that this will be completed before an LRP award would start, before the ORSP IBO can certify your application in the IBO portal. A violation of the terms and conditions of the LRP contract may result in the termination of an LRP award with penalties.

See the LRP FAQ page for their definitions and guidance regarding for-profit support.

 

All LRP awardees are encouraged to immediately inquire about any potential involvement with for-profit activities to ensure compliance with the LRP contract by emailing [email protected] and copy the IBO ([email protected]) or forward the full thread to the IBO when the LRP provides a determination in writing about the support.

The most common error seen when inputting IBO information in ASSIST is: “Please confirm that the IBO you selected is still at your IC. If the IBO is still at your IC, then they may need to add the BO role to their eRA Commons account. Please check with your IBO.”

 

This is usually the result of inputting the wrong contact's Commons ID in the IBO field or not entering it in all-caps. Please correct this to U-M's IBO Commons ID in all caps: REELA1. Save application once corrected. If you are still experiencing errors, contact the IBO ([email protected]).

It depends. We rely on multiple parties for the required certifications. The IBO certification must be completed by the LRP deadline, so we recommend that you not wait until the last minute to input the IBO info into the ASSIST application. 

 

The LRP instructions state: You should complete the Colleague Information section of the application at least two weeks before the submission deadline to give your colleagues time to submit documents in support of your application by the deadline.

  • The GSRA Average Tuition rate this year for  Fall and Winter for General Campus is $14,691. 
  • The GSRA Average Tuition rate this year for Fall and Winter Engineering is $14,762.
  • The GSRA Average Tuition rate this year for General Campus and Engineering for Spring, Summer Half Terms and full Spring-Summer Term  is $7,910.

The GSRA Salary/Stipend Rate for U-M College of Engineering is $27,539 for the year 2024-2025. 
The GSRA Salary/Stipend Rate for U-M College of Engineering was $25,980 in the previous year 2023 -2024.

  • The GSRA Salary/Stipend Rate for UM-Ann Arbor is $27,539 (2024 -2025)
  • The GSRA Salary/Stipend Rate for UM-Ann Arbor was $25,769 (2023 -2024)

Full recovery of indirect costs is expected regardless of school, college, or sponsor. See our page on F&A rates and policies. To ensure accuracy, check with your dean-level research administration office.

54% is our federally negotiated rate for Instructional (Research Training Grant is a subset of Instructional).

Please be cautious and always check with your dean-level research administration office. Awards titled "Fellowship" or "Research Training" by the sponsor may not fit the University's definition of a Research Training Grant. Often, an award issued to a faculty member or researcher is called "Organized Research."

If no specific rate is required by the sponsor and approved by your school or college through a U-M-approved agreement, the federally negotiated rate for the class code will be applied.

ORSP must first submit an email request to MDHHS before they will open EGrAMS for your project (it's always a two-step process!). See above for the "Brief Overview—Two-Step Process."

If ORSP submitted the email request, but MDHHS failed to open your project for editing, let ORSP know ASAP so we can address it with MDHHS.

The budget amount on EGrAMS Face Page is controlled by MDHHS, so if it is not what was expected, the PI/Project Team will need to contact their Program Officer to determine the reason for the discrepancy and how it will be resolved. 
 

This error may be resolved with an amendment, or it may be that MDHHS has reduced/expanded the work/budget, and this is the new correct amount. 

Please let ORSP know of any discrepancies so this can be noted on the PAF or AWD and processed accordingly.

Route an ACR with your request, and ORSP will work with the Program Officer to determine if this change can be made.

Please reach out to your Customer Service Coordinator in Sponsored Programs.

This will take place in phases over a 13-month period. See our Implementation Plan at:  https://myumi.ch/mZAdg

In our previous structure, each staff member in ORSP has been responsible for concurrently managing actions from three business lines. There are numerous hand-offs within ORSP to complete actions for a single transaction. Impact: Inability to effectively prioritize work; failed hand-offs; delayed responsiveness and communication;  delays experienced by faculty and sponsors.  Staff experience burnout. 

Yes, project teams should use the function Project Team Cancel ACR if they would like to cancel the ACR prior to routing the ACR to ORSP.  Once the ACR is with ORSP, project teams should post a comment to their PR if they'd like the ACR to be canceled.

ORSP will decline an ACR request if the wrong change type was selected. Choosing the correct change type is necessary to update the AWD record properly. There are other reasons as well. Decline / Take No Action can also mean that the ACR was not needed or no post-award change was necessary.

Unfortunately, no. Once you've submitted the ACR, the system does not allow you to revise or edit the change types selected. A new ACR will have to be created. A best practice is to select all the types of change actions you need the first time through. You may also cancel the ACR and start a new one with the correct change type(s) needed.

The purpose of this audit is to provide assurance to the U.S. Federal Government that, as a non-federal entity, we have adequate internal controls in place and are generally in compliance with program requirements. See: Single Audit | HHS.gov

No. Be sure to use only the umich.edu domain portion of your email address. The med prefix will not work. 

We are happy to hear you want to take part on the Slack space! If you are not a member and would like to be, write [email protected]. 

Here are some links you might want to explore to help you get started.

https://its.umich.edu/communication/collaboration/slack

https://orsp.umich.edu/tools-resources/research-administrators-web-forum-slack

All instructor-led courses are taught by highly-experienced U-M research administrators and central office staff who have volunteered to teach on topics with which they have extensive knowledge and experience.

Participants who complete all requirements for an instructor-led course or eLearning module receive a “Certificate of Achievement.” This certificate is available in My LINC under the Quick Links > Training Transcript section.

When a new course offering is announced, there will be a link to the registration form or application on the course page. Sign up to receive the RAP/RAPid newsletters to receive course announcements.

Descriptions for each of the offerings are available on the respective web pages above.

Instructor-led courses and webinars are typically offered in the Fall and Spring. Navigate eLearning modules are available year-round.

Unfortunately, if you’ve already submitted the ACR, you’ll have to create a new one. A best practice is to select all the types of change actions you need the first time through.

Proposal Management: Request Action on Award | ITS Documentation

Find links to subscribe, view archives, submit content, and more on our News & Communications page.

The slides for RAN can be found on the RAN web page: https://orsp.umich.edu/ran  (If you are on this page, just scroll down, past the gold line that reads References & Resources.)
We also send out a links after in our RAP/RAPid newsletters. We'll include links to the  link as well as the recorded webcast/video.

Yes! If you have multiple changes, this is the most efficient way to make the request. When you route the Action request, select the check box for every change you are requesting. More than one type can be selected (except for "Other Action").

Check the Status Map on the main Award Change Request (ACR) Workspace page. This will tell you who may need to take action. Below are a few reasons why the ACR has not been completed:

  1. ORSP might not have your ACR because it has not been approved by the PI or Department. All approvals must be complete before it comes to your ORSP Rep.
  2. Perhaps you communicated outside of the ACR process (using email or a posted comment). ORSP cannot act on those.
  3. Perhaps it hasn't been routed to ORSP. Be sure to hit "Submit Changes."

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