Sponsored Programs Administration
Many government funding organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Departments of Defense and Energy, as well as some private organizations, make awards to the recipients' affiliated institutions, rather than to the researchers personally. Any funding awarded in this fashion requires the involvement of the Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) office.*
The SPA offers guidance and resources to assist you in the submission process, including information on institutional codes and designations, calculation of fringe benefits, tax forms, and indirect cost rates. SPA staff can assist with proposal preparation, submission, and tracking. The office also provides non-financial post-award administration and management support.
Before submitting a proposal to the SPA, please consult your department’s grant administrator to obtain as much background information as possible. In addition, you must notify the College of Arts and Science Office of Research of your planned submission by completing a Notice of Intent to Submit a Proposal. For more information, review the College's pre-award services and policies.
*Note: Following the 2016 re-organization of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and the Office of Contracts Management (OCM) now support VUMC.