Office of Sponsored Programs - 300.03, Procedure 1 - Using RAMSeS for Proposal Submission

Title

Office of Sponsored Programs - 300.03, Procedure 1 - Using RAMSeS for Proposal Submission

Purpose

The Research Administration Management System and eSubmission (RAMSeS) is the repository for all sponsored research financial information including both proposal and award data.

The Proposal Dashboard within RAMSeS creates the University’s official record for each sponsored research project. The RAMSeS Internal Processing Form (IPF) is required for each research proposal of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement and it is used to collect financial and compliance information and documentation needed for internal review and approval.

An IPF is prepared when a Principal Investigator (PI) plans to compete for or receive any funding from an agency. For example, it is necessary to prepare an IPF for the following:

• A new proposal requesting new dollars not associated with an existing award;
• A proposal supplement requesting additional dollars to an existing award;
• A continuation proposal, both competing and non-competing;
• An incoming subcontract, where funds are directed to the University from the prime recipient of an award; and
• The prime contract is directly awarded from a Federal, industry, foundation, non-profit, or State agency.

Once completed, the IPF is submitted and electronically routed to the appropriate University officials for review and approval. Lastly, it must be electronically certified by the PI, before a proposal is submitted for funding. Upon certification, all investigators will receive a “Certification Complete” confirmation email, containing a copy of the certifications for their records. 

Most agencies require electronic submission of proposals. These types of submissions are agency-specific operations separate from RAMSeS. Completion of both the sponsor-specific submission and the IPF are required for all relevant applications.

Procedure

I. Preparing and Submitting an IPF

1. Read all proposal guidelines provided by the sponsor and any relevant University policies
2. Contact the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) with any questions regarding the preparation of an IPF
3. Access the RAMSeS IPF using your Onyen
4. Select "Start New Proposal" to begin filling in the general proposal information. RAMSeS will then generate a proposal number and creates the new IPF.
5. Complete the IPF including the following applicable information:
   1. General proposal information
   2. Research team information
   3. A completed budget plan and budget justification
   4. Completed regulatory requirements
   5. Key proposal data and compliance information
   6. Subrecipient information
      1. Statement of Work
      2. Budget and Budget Justification
      3. Letter of Intent
      4. Any other sponsor-specific requirements for subrecipients
   7. Completed proposal package using the method and guidelines required by the sponsor
   8. Any other sponsored requirements
6. Click the "Submit Proposal" button in the IPF to start the routing process for the proposal.

II. Approving & Routing an IPF

1. Any Departmental IPF Approvers are responsible for reviewing and approving the routing IPF prior to receipt at the designated central office.
2. An approver for the appropriate Dean, Director, or Department Head then approves to confirm the following:
   1. The PI is appropriately qualified to complete the project
   2. The PI has available time to commit to the project
   3. The proposed project is an appropriate activity for the administering department
   4. The space and resources available are sufficient to complete the project
   5. Agree to provide the resources identified in the application
3. Any collaborating departments are then required to review as "Approving Departments." They are to confirm:
   1. Accurate salary figures and effort commitments
   2. Availability and use of space, equipment, or other resources requested
4. The IPF is then routed to the appropriate central office for final review and institutional approval.

III. PI Certification of an IPF

The PI is required to review and certify the proposal before it can be approved and submitted to the sponsor.

The PI identified in the IPF receives an email notification to certify their RAMSeS PI Certification Inbox. They are required to certify the following:

• The information submitted within this application is true, complete, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. Any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject the Organization and the Investigators to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.
• I have the responsibility for the scientific, fiscal, and ethical conduct of the project and to provide the required progress reports if an award is made.
• I will comply with all relevant state and federal regulations, University policies, and contractual obligations in administering the resultant award.
• I have reviewed applicable U.S. Export Control requirements and University policy on Export Controls and will comply with the export control requirements.
• If this is an NIH application, I will comply with NIH Policy on Public Access.
• I will work to ensure that my relationship with the sponsor of this project is free of conflict of interest or consistent with a previously disclosed conflict of interest management plan.
• I can ensure that proper citation practices have been followed in this submission; and
• The information that is proposed in this application represents original work by the investigators named in the application.

For NIH fellowships, in accordance with NIH policy (NOT-OD-09-007) I also certify:

• that the information submitted within the application is true, complete, and accurate to the best of the Fellow's and Sponsor's knowledge
• that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or claim may subject the Fellow and Sponsor(s) to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties
• that the Sponsor(s) will provide appropriate training, adequate facilities, and supervision if a fellowship is awarded as a result of the application
• that the Fellow has read the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Payback Assurance and will abide by the Assurance if an award is made, and that the award will not support residency training

For NASA grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts in accordance with (PIC 12-01A) and (GIC 12-01A), I also certify:

• bilateral participation, collaboration, or coordination with The People's Republic of China (PRC), any company owned by the People's Republic of China, or with any company (including a Chinese university) incorporated under the laws of the People's Republic of China will not take place as part of the NASA scope of work for this award, whether or not such participation, collaborations, or coordination are funded by the NASA award.
• I will not enter or cause UNC to enter into a bilateral subaward, subcontract, memorandum of understanding, collaborative agreement, or any other type of written bilateral agreement with The People's Republic of China (PRC), any company owned by the People's Republic of China or any company (including a Chinese university) incorporated under the laws of the People's Republic of China to perform the scope of work of the NASA prime grant, cooperative agreement, or contract, whether or not such is funded by NASA.

University Policies, Standards, & Procedures

• OSP Operating Standard 300.03 - Deadlines for Proposal Submission to University Offices

Contact Information

For questions regarding this procedure and its related operating standard, please contact SponsoredPrograms@unc.edu.

For questions regarding Pre-Award management or Post-Award administration, please contact the assigned Sponsored Projects Specialist (SPS).

For invoicing, reporting and other financial matters, please contact the assigned Sponsored Projects Accountant.
OSP Staff assignments may be found in RAMSeS or on the OSP website.

History

The operating standards in the Office of Sponsored Programs Operating Standards & Procedures Manual supersede any OSP operating standards, procedures and appendices previously included in the University Business Manual, a publication of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Division of Finance.