SPONSORED RESEARCH

When and where appropriate, Villanova faculty are expected to seek funding from extramural sources to support their research and special instructional projects. The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) assists faculty in developing such proposals; guiding them through the rules, regulations, certifications, and instructions prerequisite to submitting proposals; and assisting them in budgeting and accounting relative to their grants. ORSP is also interested in the research "ideas" that can be refined into fundable research activity. The Director and staff provide guidance and counsel in the preparation of proposals by working directly with individual faculty members. The office is also responsible for administration of the University policy relative to research involving human subjects, to research involving animals, and patents.

The Office maintains a library of external funding sources and can access electronically funding information from federal and state agencies, private foundations, and corporations. The Office administers the University’s Summer Faculty Research Program and the Research Support Grants, making available internal funding that may be sought to complete research projects for submission to external funding agencies, or to enhance or supplement established research programs. [See Research Support]

All funding proposals submitted to external funding sources that require any University involvement (i.e. cost-sharing, report preparation, use of University facilities, salary or material acquisitions through the University financial system, etc.) must be approved by ORSP before submission. All proposals that utilize human or animal subjects must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects (IRB) or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), respectively, to assure that there is no violation of federal regulations regarding research subjects. The legal penalties for avoidance of these reviews are sometimes severe.

It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to develop a proposal in which the research design is soundly based and which will make a contribution to the field. It is always important that the investigator demonstrate in a concise manner that he/she is well-versed in all appropriate literature relevant to the developing proposal. Careful attention should be given to the budget to ensure that realistic and specific costs are requested from the agency.

VPAA 8/1/05