Step 5: Accept My Award

Award Phase

How does my award get set-up?

Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts

Not all awards are alike, and some require extensive negotiation while others are straightforward. It can take as little as a week or two to negotiate and set up your award, or in some cases, it can take over a year. Visit the SPO Award Set Up Page for more information about award negotiation and set up.

Gifts

Once you are alerted to your new gift, please ask your Berkeley Regional Services Research Administrator to complete the Research Gift Intake Form. The form will request the information needed to both ensure that a transaction can be accepted as a gift and to process the gift. The form will ask for the following:

Award notification or gift letter
Call for proposals/applications (required per the campus Gift Acceptance Policy)
Proposal (required per the campus Gift Acceptance Policy)
Chartstring details for allocating the incoming gift
Conflict of Interest Disclosure - 700-U

Award negotiation

If your award is funded by federal, state, other government, or non-profit sponsors, including non-US government and non-profit sponsors, the Sponsored Projects Office will negotiate and set up your award. See SPO Standard Award Processing Time.
If your award is funded by for-profit companies, including non-US industry sponsors, or is a Small Business Innovation or Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) subcontract, the Industry Alliances Office will negotiate and set up your award.
Log into Phoebe Search to find your Berkeley Regional Services Research Administrator, SPO Contract and Grant Officer, and IAO Contact.

Research grant fund set up

Once your award is negotiated and fully signed, the Contract and Grant Accounting Office (CGA) will provide accounting services for your research grant, including fund set up, invoicing, and award close-out. CGA will work with your Berkeley Regional Services Research Administrator to upload your grant budget and get your fund ready to spend. Visit the CGA Award Set Up Page for more information about their process and services.

I need materials, software, data, or a nondisclosure agreement for my research project

Material transfer agreement
If you need to obtain research materials, like cell lines, plasmids, circuit kits, etc. from a university, company, or other organization, the Industry Alliances Office will help you with the incoming material transfer agreement (MTA). Visit IPIRA’s Industry Alliances Office MTA page to download a request form. Send the completed form along with the agreement (if you were provided one) to mta@berkeley.edu.

Data use agreement or software agreement

If you need to obtain data, datasets, or software for your research project, the Industry Alliances Office will help you with data use, data transfer, and software agreements. Download a request form from IPIRA’s Industry Alliances Office data and software agreements page. Send the completed form along with the agreement (if you were provided one) to mta@berkeley.edu.

Data Security and Data Resources

The Berkeley Research Data Portal points researchers, research staff, and support personnel working with data to relevant campus resources, administrative offices, and services.

Confidential disclosure agreement or non-disclosure agreement

To request review and execution of a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) or non-disclosure agreement (NDA), fill out IPIRA's Concierge Form.

How do I get help?

There are many people on campus who can help you navigate the various steps in this process.

Berkeley Regional Services
Each faculty member is assigned a Berkeley Regional Services Research Administrator (RA), based on six service regions grouped by schools, colleges, and departments. Your RA provides administrative and management support for research proposals, grants, awards, and contracts throughout the various steps in the lifecycle.

Region finder People finder

Berkeley Research Development Office
The Berkeley Research Development Office provides Principal Investigators and their teams with strategic, organizational, and editorial assistance on the content and presentation of their proposals.

Sponsored Projects Office (SPO)
SPO reviews proposals and awards from Federal agencies, non-profit agencies, and other governmental agencies. SPO's robust website can provide guidance on a wide range of topics (use the google search bar!). You can also find your SPO Contract and Grant Officer by department.

Industry Alliances Office (IAO)
IAO can provide guidance and support for your industry proposals. IAO negotiators are happy to meet with you and your potential sponsoring company to answer common institutional questions, like how UC Berkeley handles intellectual property.

Foundation Relations and Corporate Philanthropy (FRCP) Office:
FRCP provides Principal Investigators and their teams with strategic, organizational, and editorial assistance on proposals to foundation and other nonprofit funders.

For general help, please reach out to grantlifecycle@berkeley.edu.

How can I provide feedback on this website?

We want this Grant Life Cycle webpage to be useful, and we welcome all feedback. Please use this form to provide feedback to our team: Grant Life Cycle feedback form.

Compliance and Integrity

My research uses vertebrate animals.

Office for Animal Care and Use (OACU)

The Office for Animal Care and Use (OACU) oversees the use of live vertebrate animals in research, teaching, and education.

Animal research overview. Learn the basics about how to initiate animal research at UC Berkeley.
Animal Use Protocol (AUP). As a first step for using animals in research or classes, submit an online application for an Animal Use Protocol (AUP) review, called an eProtocol. See the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) eProtocol Instructions.
Quick guide. The Quick Guide to Animal Research at Berkeley describes the campus offices and services relevant for working with laboratory animals in teaching and research.

My research may use human subjects.

Office for Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS)

Human subject research review and approval. The Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) must review and approve all faculty, staff, and student research activities involving human subjects, regardless of funding source or whether the activity is funded. The Office for Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) determines exemptions.

Policy requires that I submit conflict of interest forms for my research.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

Many funding agencies require disclosures of conflicts of interest in order to demonstrate objectivity in research.

What is conflict of interest? Conflict of interest is a situation in which an investigator’s outside financial interest(s) or obligation(s), real or perceived, have the potential to bias a research project or cause harm to human subjects participating in a research project.

Financial disclosure requirements. See a comparison of federal, state, and university requirements and policies for disclosing outside financial interests which may bias, or appear to bias, research.

Conflict of Interest Committee. Get additional COI information and resources.

Process for completing COI forms. Your Berkeley Regional Services Research Administrator will provide you the necessary forms during the proposal submission process. If you need to access the forms directly, you can access them on the Sponsored Projects Office forms page.

My research may have export control requirements or issues.

What is export control?

Export control laws. Federal regulations control the conditions under which certain information, technologies, and commodities can be transmitted overseas to anyone, including U.S. citizens, or to a foreign national on U.S. soil. Export control laws are implemented by the Department of Commerce through Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the Department of State through International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Getting help:

Submit an Export Control Service Request Form for assistance with an export control matter. This will ensure that your request/question is noted, time stamped, and tracked. For follow up questions after submitting the form, please contact ec-team@berkeley.edu.
Contact ec-team@berkeley.edu for assistance with any of the following:
- Shipping an export control item internationally. Controlled Items are found in two areas:
  - Commerce Control List (EAR)
  - Munitions List (ITAR)
- Travel to a federally sanctioned country.
- Travel internationally with university equipment.
- Paying individuals based in a sanctioned country.
- Online instruction of students from sanctioned countries.
- Collaborating on research with individuals from sanctioned countries.
- Vetting visitors, partners, and sponsors for restricted entity status.
- Vetting individuals who could be on a restricted persons list.
- Sharing technology or technical data to foreign persons on U.S. soil or abroad.
- Do's and don'ts
- Frequently asked questions.

My research uses biological materials or controlled substances.

Environment, Health, & Safety (EH&S) guidance and services. Environment, Health, & Safety (EH&S) provides guidance and services to the campus community that promote health, safety, and environmental stewardship, including:

Getting or renewing a Biological Use Authorization (BUA).
If your grant proposal deals with recombinant DNA or controlled substances, contact EH&S.
EH&S Campus Safety Resources if you are using chemicals, biological materials, hazardous materials, or controlled substances.
EH&S Training for mandatory safety training courses.
Lab requirements.

My grant requires Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training.

RCR training. The Responsible Conduct of Research Officer offers classroom courses and online programs for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students, including RCR and RRR (Rigor and Reproducibility in Research) training.

Grants requiring RCR and Rigor and Reproducibility in Research (RRR) written plans. Contact the RCR Program Manager for writing assistance and materials.

How do the University of California Principles of Research affect my research?

The Principles Regarding Rights to Future Research Results in University Agreements with External Parties. The Principles Regarding Rights to Future Research Results in University Agreements with External Parties (pdf) policy establishes the fundamental parameters for negotiating agreements with external parties to address rights and obligations associated with future university research results. This policy applies to any UC agreement with others that addresses future research results, whether that agreement is administratively managed as a contract or grant, a procurement, a sales and services contract, or is in another form.

What Standards of Ethical Conduct apply to my research?

Code of conduct. Pursuit of the University of California mission of teaching, research, and public service requires a shared commitment to the core values of the university as well as a commitment to the ethical conduct of all University activities. In that spirit, the Standards of Ethical Conduct are a statement of our belief in ethical, legal, and professional behavior in all of our dealings inside and outside the university. The UC standards of ethical conduct were adopted by the Regents of the University of California, May 2005.

Where can I find campus guidance related to international activities and agreements?

Foreign influence has become an increasingly relevant and important topic in research awards and proposals. Visit the Research Administration and Compliance office’s International Connections and Foreign Influences website for guidance on foreign influence topics. Other resources include: