You are here

A-Z Index and Glossary

" | 2 | 7 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X
  • RTC: Federal Wide Research Terms and Conditions

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) website maintains a list of Research Terms and Conditions (RTCs) utilized by various federal sponsors. For the federal agencies that have adopted them, the RTCs provide a common set of rules for implementing the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200) (the Uniform Guidance) issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

  • Safety Reporting

    EHS and IBC have a strict protocol for immediatly reporting spills of and exposures to potentially hazardous biological materials.  See Reporting Safety Incidents for details and procedures.

  • SAM (System for Award Management)

    Formerly known as the CCR or Central Contractor Registry, the System for Award Management, or SAM, is the official U.S. Government system that consolidates Central Contractor Administration and other contractor databases. It is accessible to all. Click on Search Record using Cage Code #03399 or DUNS#  073133571 to access U-M information, expiration date, etc. Choose View Details and Reps & Certs to download the FARs or DFARS.

  • SAMHSA

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

  • SAPOC

    Single Administrative Point of Contact

  • SAW (Sponsored Awards on the Web)

    Sponsored Awards on the Web was decommissioned in 2019. See these new Data Resoures for the Research Community.  

    Use this ITS Guide: Search for Awards

  • SBA

    Small Business Administration

  • SBIR/STTR

    • Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
    • Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) 

    The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established by Congress in 1982. It is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

    The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) was established in 1992. The unique feature of the STTR program is the requirement for the small business to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II.

    Several federal agencies participate in the SBIR/STTR programs and are required to set aside a percentage of their extramural budget so that domestic small businesses can engage in R&D that has a strong potential for technology commercialization.

    See:  https://www.sbir.gov/

     

  • SciENcv

    What is SciENcv? 

    Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is an online system that researchers can use to create and maintain biosketches to share with others, and most importantly, that must be when submitting NIH and NSF grant applications and annual reports. SciENcv pulls information from other systems, including MyNCBI, ORCID, and eRA commons in order to ease administrative burden and allow researchers to quickly create and recreate a biosketch for each grant application or annual report.

    SciENcv pulls information from other systems, including MyNCBI, ORCID, and eRA Commons in order to ease administrative burden and allow researchers to quickly create and recreate a biosketch and C&POS for each grant application or annual report.

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) is mandating the use of SciENcv for the preparation of Current and Pending (Other) Support (C&POS) information, effective for new proposals.

     

    To get started, faculty researchers should:

    1. Login to Research. gov
    2. Set up My Bibliography
    3. Create an NSF Biosketch in SciENcv 
    4. Delegate access to research administrators.
    5. Work with your RA to identify projects (including outside consulting that involves the design, conduct, or reporting of research) and in-kind resources that need to be included in your C&POS.

    This can take time. For more information on how to do this, please consult these resources:

    Resources

     

     

  • SF

    Standard Form

  • ShortCode

    A six-digit number in the U-M financial system related to a specific project/grant and used for certain financial transactions (e.g., payroll, procurement).

  • SIDCER

    Strategic Initiative for Developing Capacity in Ethical Review

  • Signature Authority

    SigningFaculty and staff do not have the authority to sign legal agreements on behalf of the University of Michigan.  

    Signature authority is the designation to officially sign legal agreements on behalf of the University of Michigan that is granted to U-M central offices. This authority is outlined in the U-M Standard Practice Guide (SPG) 601.24.  

    Faculty, researchers, and students do not have the authority to sign (or accept funds to enter into) external research contracts or agreements that commit university resources, including the use of space, personnel, equipment, and services. Only specific individuals have been granted by the university the authority to sign on its behalf.

    A U-M researcher can propose research activity with external sponsors/collaborators, but they do not have the authority to negotiate and approve the legal aspects of any research agreement on behalf of U-M.

    A U-M researcher may also be able to "sign" institutional forms in the eResearch system (e.g., Proposal Approval Forms (PAFs), Unfunded Agreement Forms, etc.), and by doing so they authorize the appropriate central office to negotiate and finalize the terms and conditions of the legal agreement. 

    Why it's important

    Unauthorized legal agreements committing university resources may result in personal liability, institutional liability, breach of contract, and/or regulatory non-compliance. 

    Who should faculty work with?

    Before agreeing by signature to any research activity that commits U-M resources, work with your research administrator (RA) to complete the appropriate form(s) to obtain institutional approval. Depending on the agreement, the RA can help you route the agreement to the correct entity. 

    Who has signature authority?

    The following lists (in brief) what type of legal agreement must be signed by which U-M central office has signature authority.

    For full details, see SPG 601.24 for Training, Research Contracts & Grants in detail on pages 40-48 of Table 1: Delegations of Authority for Business Transactions with External Organizations

    Type of Agreement or Contract Who has Signature Authority
    Remember to start the process with your research administrator (RA)
    Research contracts up to $250,000

    Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP)
    (rolls up to OVPR)

    Contracts and agreements or subawards above the $250,000 threshold.

    Office of Contract Administration (OCA) 
    Finance - Sponsored Programs 
    or U-M's Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer.

    Material transfer agreements Innovation Partnerships (formerly the Office of Technology Transfer)

    Facility use agreements

    U-M Real Estate Office

    Gifts to U-M

    Office of University Development

    Also, see:  grant, contract or agreementcooperative agreement in Glossary and U-M OGC Business, Contracts, and Signature Authority FAQs

     

  • sIRB (Single-IRB-of-Record)

    A Single IRB (sIRB) is the IRB-of-Record, selected on a study-by-study basis, which provides the ethical review for all sites participating in a multi-site, collaborative human subjects study.  Common Rule agencies/funding sponsors (e.g., NIH) require an sIRB for domestic multi-site, collaborative studies.  

  • SNAP

    The Streamlined Non-competing Award Process (SNAP) makes use of the federal-wide Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). The RPPR process requires that progress report submissions begin 45 days prior to the budget start date.

  • SOA

    Statement of Activity

  • SOW

    Statement of Work

  • SPA

    Sponsored Project Administration

  • Space - square footage

    Space rate for certain private sponsors for full cost recovery and space survey.

  • SPG

    U-M Standard Practice Guide

Pages