Start a Study

Please contact ROAR’s Research Administration Staff to start a study.

Please note that all budgets – including those for investigator-initiated proposals – require department approval prior to submission.

Submission Process for Federal and Foundation Grants

• Four weeks prior to the sponsor's submission deadline: Email Abby Hagler your funding announcement and budget items. If your proposal will include a subcontract to another institution, contact her six weeks prior to the submission deadline. She will provide a draft budget and a document checklist for all proposal requirements, then submit the budget and administrative materials for departmental review.
• Eight days prior: The non-technical portion (budget and administrative materials) are due for initial departmental review.
• Five days prior: The complete proposal is due to SR for final review. All proposals routed to SR in CERES will be considered complete, compliant, accurate, and ready for submission according to SR's policy.
  • Please note: SR does not guarantee submission for proposals routed to them outside the 5-day window, according to the Sponsored Research office's policy.
• For incoming subcontracts, please contact Abby Hagler a minimum of 3-weeks prior to Federal or Foundation grant deadline.

Submission Process for Industry Sponsored Grants and Contracts

• Schedule a meeting with Jessica Anaya Agosto to discuss the study. 

Financial Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy

Public Health Service (PHS) and university policies require that project personnel designated as an "investigator" (defined as an individual responsible for the design, conduct or reporting of the research) do the following:

• Complete training once every four years on updated PHS conflict of interest regulations (also known as the Final Rule), the university's Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment policies as well as the investigator's responsibilities for disclosing Significant Financial Interests (SFIs) to Northwestern
• Make an initial research COI disclosure in the FASIS system and continuously update it throughout the year within 30 days of discovering, acquiring and/or receiving a new SFI. Additionally, a research COI disclosure must be made at least annually

Effort Reporting

As a recipient of external funding, Northwestern University must assure federal and other sponsors that the assignment of time and associated salary and fringe benefit costs to the projects they sponsor is fair, consistent and timely. The university fulfills this responsibility through effort reporting that is required for exempt faculty and staff with sponsored funding commitments.

An effort report will be generated for you if your salary is being paid with grant funds or if you are listed as an investigator on a clinical trial. This means you will be required to certify your effort on a quarterly basis. Faculty will also be required to certify effort reports for their postdoctoral fellows and research assistants.