Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects
The Office of Grants and Special Projects (OGSP) is the authorized organizational representative through which Lesley University submits and receives external (private foundations and government) funding for special projects.
The role of the Grant Officer is to facilitate the grant process by assisting faculty and staff with all aspects of the grant process from researching potential funding sources to submitting grant requests for a project related to the faculty’s teaching or research. For more information on Grants and Sponsored Projects policies and procedures, please refer to lesley.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-academic-resources/teaching-and-scholarship/grants-and-sponsored-projects.
External Funding Request Process
Proposal Submission Process Steps
1. Seek Department Chair and Dean Approval
A faculty member who has an idea for a project which requires external funding should meet with the Department Chair and then the Dean to discuss the project and seek initial approval to confirm that the project is a department priority and that the timing of the project is manageable.
2. Identify Funding Sources
Once the PI has received initial approval from the Dean, PI should contact OGSP.
Need Help identifying external funding?
If faculty (Principal Investigator (PI)) or staff need help identifying external funds for a project or program, they should send an email to Eileen Kronauer, Grant Officer at eileen.kronauer@lesley.edu with a brief description of the project and the amount of funding needed along with the timeline for funding. The Grant Officer will review the request and contact the PI for additional information and to set up a meeting. The Grant Officer will begin searching for funding sources and report to the PI about funding opportunities.
External funding has been identified:
If faculty (Principal Investigator (PI)) or staff have identified an external funding source for a project, they should send an email to Eileen Kronauer, Grant Officer at eileen.kronauer@lesley.edu with a brief description of the project, amount of funding needed, and the web link to, or information on, the funding source. After review of the proposed project and funding guidelines, the Grant Officer will contact the PI to schedule a meeting to discuss the project and establish a timeline to prepare the proposal.
3. Identify Project Team
PI will be responsible for identifying the project team, consisting of up to four Co-PIs as the leadership team as well as inviting other faculty and staff to participate in the project, if appropriate. All members must commit to preparing the proposal on time.
4. Proposal & Budget Development
The PI will schedule a meeting with project participants and the Grant Officer to review the guidelines, discuss the project, assign responsible to team members to help write the proposal, and create a time line. The PI is responsible for writing the intellectual content of the proposal with input from the project team.
Frequent team meetings are crucial to developing a competitive proposal on time. The PI may request the Grant Officer’s help in preparing an outline of the grant. The Grant Officer will be responsible for completing any application forms and collecting attachments, reviewing/editing drafts, and submitting the final proposal. The Grant Officer will help to facilitate the team meetings to ensure that the proposal remains on track, and will request updates from team members at each meeting to keep the project on schedule.
The PI and Dean will initiate the budget preparation preparation with the assistance of the Grant Officer. If the funder requires matching funds, the PI or Dean would discuss Lesley’s contribution with the Provost.
5. Initiate a Proposal Preliminary Grant Approval Form (via Dynamic Forms)
Following an initial meeting of the PI and Grant Officer, and if it has been determined that the proposal can be completed in a timely fashion, the next step is for the Grant Officer to complete and submit a Preliminary Grant Approval form through Dynamic Forms along with a project summary (provided by the PI) and preliminary budget to the PI, Dean and Provost for approval. This should be completed at least 3 weeks prior to the application deadline or in accordance with the timeline established by the PI and Grant Officer.
6. Final Internal Review (Dynamic Forms)
Grant proposal applications are due to the OGSP for review at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline. The final proposal and budget are submitted to the Dean, Provost, and Finance Office for final approval. The Final Approval Grant Form can be accessed through Dynamic Forms. OGSP will keep the signed copy on file.
7. Submission
Once the Grant Officer has been notified that the proposal and budget have received final approval, the Grant Officer will submit the proposal to the funding organization. The Grant Officer will receive notification of approval or denial and notify the PI, team members, Dean, and Provost of the decision.
Post Award Process
Grant Acceptance and Project Implementation
Upon receiving notification from the funder that a proposal has been selected for an award, the Grant Officer will notify the PI and Finance Office. The Grants Officer will send a copy of the award documents or contract to the PI for review and together they will identify any modifications to the budget and prepare any additional contract documentation. If the document requires a signature, designated members of the Grant Officer, Finance Director, Provost, Vice Provost, or President are authorized to sign. A copy of the signed document(s) will be kept by the Grant Office and Finance Office.
The PI and Grant Officer will collaborate to create a project timeline and work plan. Once completed, the Dean’s Office Manager of Budget and Operations will integrate the work plan into the school’s existing administrative systems.
The Dean’s Office Manager of Budget and Operations completes and submits an Account Request Form to Finance who will create an account in Colleague.
Award Management
The PI is responsible for submitting all reports to the funder on time and copies are to be sent to the Department Chair and Dean. The Grant Officer will work with the PI to ensure that the reports are submitted accurately and on time.
Post-award financial management is the direct responsibility of the PI in collaboration with the Dean’s Office Manager of Budget and Operations. Substantive progress reports to the funder and to the university are the responsibility of the PI. All communication relevant to the awarded grant must be approved and/ or filed with the Grant Officer. The PI and Manager of Budget and Operations will prepare and submit expenses, financial reports, and contract modifications to Finance who will review and approve.