The University of Alaska Anchorage provides administrative support to research and sponsored activities through multiple offices. In general, administrative support to researchers is available through colleges, institutes, departments or other units, and through the central administration.
Central administrative support to sponsored activities is divided among two offices along the line of pre and post-award activities. Advice and assistance with proposals and grant applications is available through the Office of Sponsored Programs. Once a grant, contract, or other award has been made to the University, administrative support is provided through the office of Grants and Contracts. These two offices work closely together to provide the necessary institutional support to sponsored research and other sponsored activities.
The unit administrative support for a sponsored program is generally the role of the Department, College or Institute staff. This unit level support provides assistance with proposal preparation and budget. After an award is made, unit support provides the Principal Investigator (PI) or Program Director (PD) with management reports, Banner support including ordering and tracking purchases and reconciling accounts, generating Travel Authorizations (TA's), time sheets, etc. The project administrator forms an important link between the PI and many of the general support services.
Direct management of a sponsored project or program is the primary role of the PI or PD. This includes the day-to-day decisions regarding project execution, expenditures, ethical conduct, personnel directly responsible for the project and accountability for policies of the sponsor and institution. The duties of the PI or PD also include the completion and delivery of programmatic reports as required by the sponsoring agency. OSP Policy 07-02 PI Eligibility
Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A): Funds received from sponsors in support of programs are generally divided between two categories of expense referred to as direct and indirect costs. Direct costs pay for expenses most easily accounted for such as salaries, equipment purchases, rentals, consumable supplies, etc. Other costs such as parking, janitorial services, payroll, lab construction, major equipment, etc. are covered by the institution. To recover these costs, sponsors allow the University to collect an averaged cost calculated across all sponsored activities and collected as a percentage of the direct costs minus certain categories. This is called the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). The University engages with the Office of Naval Research to negotiate a percentage of this cost that reflects its expenditures in support of sponsored programs. The percentage is called the F&A rate, the overhead rate or the indirect rate. A reduced indirect rate on a project reduces the University's ability to recover costs of research support, and feeds back as reduced research infrastructure. For a listing of the most current F&A rates, please click here.
The general administrative support services for sponsored projects utilize much of the same core administrative infrastructure of the University including Human Resources, Payroll, Accounting, Purchasing, Banner Support, Academic Programs, and many others.
The institutional capacity to provide equipment and facilities in support of sponsored programs is divided between general capacities and specific program needs. General support includes providing and maintaining general infrastructure (buildings, parking, research labs, equipment, library resources etc.). Specific program needs may include specialized equipment, modifications to existing spaces, facilities or equipment. Responsibility for providing general capacities usually rests with Administrative Services, while specific program needs may be met from commitments by any administrative component or by the project or program itself.
All research conducted at the University, whether extramurally funded or not, is subject to the policies of the institution and may also be subject to federal regulations. Issues of research integrity including the ethical conduct of research, research involving human subjects or animals, chemicals or radioisotopes and certain biological materials, are generally subject to the oversight of various committees and are considered within the administrative functions of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies. (Click here to view information regarding Research Integrity & Compliance)
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies oversees, and is an advocate for the research mission at UAA.
The Council on Scientific Research, through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, provides advice and leadership within the institution on issues pertaining to research focus areas and serves an advocacy role for research and researchers within the institution. (For more information about the Council.)
