Frequently Asked Questions

What are the current fringe benefit, tuition, and indirect cost rates?

Information can be found at https://www.lsu.edu/osp/proposals/current_rates.php.

Do salaries have to be included in my budget?

All research proposal budgets over $50,000 (federal and non-federal) must include some level of committed PI/Co-PI or senior personnel effort (requested or cost shared). When preparing a research project budget, PIs should ensure that appropriate funds are budgeted (requested or cost shared) for at least one person considered senior personnel. If cost sharing is not required, then appropriate funds must be requested for PI/Co-PI or senior personnel effort. For those senior personnel who do not have effort budgeted, PIs will certify that these individuals will devote less than 5% time on the project. Senior personnel effort in excess of 5% must be included in the budget.

What is the contact information of the Authorized University Official?

Darya Courville, Executive Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
Louisiana State University
202 Himes Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Telephone: (225) 578-2760
Fax: (225) 578-2751
Email: osp@lsu.edu

Where can I get LSU information and University contacts?

See the Institutional Facts page on OSP’s website.

What should be included in the commitment letter from an external organization that is providing (in-cash or in-kind) support?

The letter must contain the following for any proposal or contract:

A statement that the funds will be provided in support of the specific project.

The amount of support provided.

The period for which the funds will be available (must coincide with the project).

A commitment to provide any cash contribution at the beginning of proposed project or at the beginning of each budget year of a multi-year project.

A statement that documentation of any in-kind match (if applicable) will be provided through quarterly invoices to LSU showing the value of the match and reflecting no cost to LSU.

For in kind match, documentation such as rate sheets substantiating its value should be provided to OSP.

What is required for salary cost share match/release time?

A proposal that includes any form of salary cost sharing match or release time will require a letter or email confirmation from the department chairman outlining the commitment.

How do I get approval for extra compensation?

Extra compensation requests require:

1) approval of the department head of the department initiating the request and the department head of the employee's primary home department and their respective deans/directors;

2) approval from Human Resource Management; and

3) approval from the Office of Research and Economic Development.

See PS-43. The justification for extra compensation should be uploaded in GeauxGrants prior to routing a proposal. Approval for extra compensation is given in GeauxGrants.

What do I need for a subaward?

The following documentation is required for each subawardee. All documentation should be obtained and uploaded into GeauxGrants prior to submitting a proposal to OSP for review.

Letter of collaboration signed by the collaborating researcher and the authorized representative for the organization. The letter should include the requested amount and cost share amount, if applicable. See sample letter.

Scope of work (only required for OSP expanded review)

Budget and budget justification

Copy of fringe benefit and indirect cost rate agreement (not required if subcontractor is a university)

Preparing a subaward agreement

When an award is received that includes a subaward, the PI will work with the Research Facilitation Office to complete an OSP-3 Request to Draft Subaward Form. Once OSP receives this form, they will draft the subaward and send it to the PI for review. After reviewing the subaward for accuracy, the PI or his/her designee must prepare a requisition and send the requisition and subaward agreement to the Purchasing Office. The Purchasing Office will obtain necessary signatures. Thereafter, an executed copy of the subaward, along with a University purchase order and a notification to commence with the specified subcontract work, will be sent to the subawardee.

If a modification to the subcontract becomes necessary, the PI should complete and forward to OSP the OSP-4 Request to Amend Subaward Form. The same procedure as specified above are to be applied to the modified subcontract.

Where can I find a list of approved Service Centers?

A list of approved Service Centers is available on the Office of Budget and Planning website. In order to charge sponsored projects for on-campus facilities usage, the facility must be an approved Service Center. Otherwise, the appropriate expenditures (salary, supplies, etc.) must be budgeted individually.

How do I route a proposal for approval in GeauxGrants?

Proposals are electronically routed in GeauxGrants through myLSU. You will find the “GeauxGrants” link on the left hand side of the myLSU webpage.

For a streamlined Review, the following GeauxGrants tabs are required to be completed and routed at least 7 business days prior to the proposal mailing deadline:

Set up Questions
LSU questionnaire
Budget
Personnel
Internal Uploads and Routing

Please contact our office to route proposals through GeauxGrants.

Expanded Review (Optional)

For an expanded review, the complete proposal is uploaded into GeauxGrants and reviewed by OSP for adherence to sponsor guidelines at the request of the PI/PD. In addition, an expanded review is conducted by OSP for proposals to private entities since a "Standard Research Agreement" will be prepared and submitted with the proposal. The complete proposal is required to be uploaded and routed through GeauxGrants at least 7 days prior to the proposal mailing deadline.

The Research Facilitation Office can complete or assist with routing proposals in GeauxGrants.

Does a notice of intent (NOI) have to be routed in GeauxGrants for OSP approval?

If the NOI includes budget information, an authorized representative’s signature, or has to be electronically submitted by OSP, then it must be routed through GeauxGrants.

Can I sign proposal / award documents requested by a sponsor on behalf of LSU?

Only an authorized representative can sign on behalf of LSU. The authorized representative for sponsored projects is Darya Courville, Executive Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs.

What do I need to do with a check that I just received from my sponsor?

Any checks/payments received from a Sponsor are to be sent to:

Sponsored Program Accounting
Louisiana State University
336 Thomas Boyd Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

When do I get an account number?

Once OSP receives the official award notification, they negotiate the award terms and conditions which can take some time depending upon the sponsor. Once negotiations are complete, OSP will request a fully-executed award document. After the fully-executed award is obtained, OSP forwards it along with the proposal to Sponsored Program Accounting (SPA). SPA will establish a restricted account number for the project and send a Record of Grant Establishment (RGE) to the Research Facilitation Office who will forward a copy to the PI and their department.

If you need an account number before your agreement is fully executed, a Request for Tentative Account Number Form can be completed. A tentative account should only be established when the PI is sure of funding and all special approvals have been obtained. The department will be responsible for all charges if the agreement is not fully executed or if charges are incurred before the actual begin date.

Please contact the Research Facilitation Office if you have questions about the status of your award or if you need assistance completing a request for a tentative account.

How do I locate my award number?

The award number assigned by the sponsor can be found in GeauxGrants or Workday when the award is established. If you cannot locate the award number, please contact the Research Facilitation Office and we can look up the award number for you.