The Office of Research Services (ORS) facilitates faculty and staff in their efforts to promote research, advance learning and amplify the Wisconsin Idea. The office is led by Gloria Marí-Beffa, Associate Dean for Research. This page is dedicated to ORS resources and support services.
Table of contents
Contacts
Gloria Marí-Beffa, Associate Dean for Research
Email: maribeff@math.wisc.edu
John Varda, Assistant Dean for Research Services
Phone: (608) 890-1810
Email: john.varda@wisc.edu
Office: 410 South Hall
Erin Bailey, Associate Director for Community-Engaged Research
Phone: (608) 262-2627
Email: enbailey@wisc.edu
Office: 201D South Hall
Kyle Joseph, Associate Director for Business Engagement
Phone: (608) 890-0139
Email: kyle.joseph@wisc.edu
Office: 201D South Hall
Dave Schroeder, Associate Director, Intelligence and Security Initiatives
Phone: (608) 265-4737
Email: dave.schroeder@wisc.edu
Office: 3147 Computer Sciences
Alba McIntyre, CRISP Policy & Planning Analyst
Email: mcintyre6@wisc.edu
Research Administration: Grants
Lindsay Woods Dolan, Post-Award Sponsored Programs, Grants and Contracts Accountant
Phone: (608) 890-0726
Email: lindsay.dolan@wisc.edu
Office: 408 South Hall
Kelly Mallon, Senior Research Administrator, Pre-Award
Email: kelly.mallon@wisc.edu
Brittney Greeno, Multi-Functional Research Administration Manager
Phone: (608) 262-5218
Email: brittney.greeno@wisc.edu
Office: 412 South Hall
Sheila Hayden, CRA, Senior Research Administrator, Pre-Award
Phone: (608) 265-9655
Email: sheila.hayden@wisc.edu
Breeana Hubbard, PhD, CRA, Contract and Conflict of Interest Compliance Manager
Phone: (608) 265-8287
Email: breeana.hubbard@wisc.edu
College of Letters & Science Animal Research Program
Kurt Stephenson, Director
Phone: (608) 265-6706
Email: kurt.stephenson@wisc.edu
Office: 309 South Hall
Proposals
ORS provides support for proposal development and submission to PIs and their departmental research administrators. PIs are asked to work with their department grant administrator when possible. Department grant administrators will then be in contact with the ORS team.
For support contact: Kelly Mallon / Sheila Hayden / Brittney Greeno
The pre-award team also provides support for these additional grant activities:
No Cost Extension (NCE)
If a project's end date is approaching but the principal investigator (PI) identifies that the research needs to continue, a no-cost extension allows the end date to be extended. Depending on the award type and sponsor, a formal request may or may not be required to obtain the NCE.
Progress reports
Typically, sponsors require the PI to provide an annual progress report on the research. The next budget year of funding may depend on the progress report being filed, so it is important to get these done on time.
Final scientific and technical reports are the PI’s responsibility as well. Failure to submit the final report on time can jeopardize future funding from the sponsor for the entire institution. Annual and final financial reports are the responsibility of the RSP post award accountant assigned to the award.
Budget Development
While PIs should work with their research administrator on proposal budget development, if your department doesn’t have a research administrator, L&S Research Services can assist. Contact us if you need help. To ensure accuracy and to avoid costly mistakes, L&S Research Services reviews and approves all proposal budgets prior to proposal submission. Please keep in mind proposal budgets are due 5 days in advance of the deadline to allow time for proper review and correction of any identified problems.
For support contact: Kelly Mallon / Sheila Hayden / Brittney Greeno
Grant Management
Look to ORS for guidance and support for grant management activities including cost transfers, allowability questions, cost share, problem solving, and close out.
For support contact: John Varda / Brittney Greeno
Grant management
Grant management is the day-to-day management of the research and the finances of the award. Typically the PI and departmental staff work together to accomplish these tasks. The PI is responsible for all expenses on the award.
Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC) reporting
Formerly known as effort reporting, ECC reporting is the award PI’s responsibility, with assistance of departmental Compensation Compliance Coordinator. This process confirms that all salary payments made by the award in a given 6-month period were in line with the amount of work done by the individuals receiving the payment.
Cost sharing
In some cases UW shares the cost of sponsored research with the sponsor. This is tracked and documented through UW’s cost sharing system so that we can show the sponsor that we have met the required cost sharing goal. UW Policy Library – Cost Share Policy
Compliance
ORS oversees outside activities reporting (OAR) in L&S, including Conflict of Interest (COI) and Conflict of Commitment (COC) disclosure. Compensation compliance certification, another type of compliance our office handles, is described in the award management section as it applies directly to sponsored projects.
For support contact: Bree Hubbard
OAR-Outside Activities Reporting
The system where conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment can be found here: Outside Activities Reporting
COI-Conflict of Interest
UW COI Policy: Conflicts of Interest - UW-Madison Policy Library
"It is the policy of UW–Madison to ensure that research is not biased in its design, conduct, or reporting, and to ensure especially the protection of human subjects, by requiring disclosure and review of certain outside activities, and where appropriate, by managing and reporting significant financial interests that might present a real or perceived conflict of interest with an individual's institutional responsibilities in such a manner as to appear to directly and significantly compromise the integrity of research."
COC-Conflict of Commitment
UW COC Policy: Conflict of Commitment - UW-Madison Policy Library
"A conflict of commitment is a type of conflict of interest that may occur when outside professional activities interfere with a university employee’s ability to fulfill university expectations, obligations, and responsibilities."
Complex Collaborative or Center Grant Proposals
Contact ORS if you have interest in a complex collaborative or center grant proposal, we can provide support and coordination from planning to submission.
For support contact: Sheila Hayden
Our experienced staff will review the call for proposal, note terms and conditions, create a working timeline for proposal documents, stakeholder communications on and off campus; assist with budget, budget narrative, and support letters and senior personnel documents; and ensure timely submission.
Industry Proposals
Get in touch with ORS if you are planning to work with industry. We encourage faculty to make industry connections and can assist with getting it done right.
For support contact: Bree Hubbard
The College of Letters and Science is interested in increasing our connections with industry, especially grants and contracts. If you are in discussion with industry about collaborations, please contact our office before you agree to anything. An individual faculty member cannot bind the university to a contract or agreement, and could be individually responsible for the grant or contract, and possibly sign away rights to IP, to publish, and other unintended consequences.
We are here to guide you through the correct path, following appropriate procedures, utilizing UW resources for negotiation and contract completion, so that your industry proposal results in a grant that can be used.
Industry Research Q&As
Guidance for faculty and other PIs on how to make connections with industry can be found on the L&S Industry Research Q&As KnowledgeBase page.
Topics include:
- How to become an industry consultant
- How to create a fee-for-service program
- How to get contracts and gifts from industry
- How to patent protect discoveries
- How to create a center dedicated to industry relations
- How to create a start-up
- How to facilitate industry connections with UW
Non-Financial Documents
ORS reviews and approve the submission of non financial documents to RSP’s contracts team and can answer questions and assist you.
For support contact: Bree Hubbard
Non-financial agreements and contracts with outside entities should not be signed by faculty or departmental staff. By signing individually prior to review, the individual could be held personally responsible for the agreement or contract, and could inadvertently lose IP, publication, or other rights. Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), UW’s central research office, has signing authority to bind the UW to grants, contracts and other agreements.
Non-financial documents require routing through WISPER, UW’s proposal and agreement routing system, to the division for review. After divisional review, the document will be advanced to RSP for negotiation and signature.
We are here to help with this process and to answer your questions.
Below is a list of common non-financial contract types:
DUA – Data Use Agreement
IPA – Intellectual Property Agreement
MTA – Material Transfer Agreement
NDA – Non-Disclosure Agreement
MOU - Memorandum of Understanding
MOA - Memorandum of Agreement
MA - Master Agreement
If you have any questions about these documents, please reach out to our office. No need to contact RSP directly, we’re your first point of contact, and can get things started.
Faculty Fellowships
Let ORS assist with your faculty fellowship from acceptance of the award, salary top up, and other aspects of utilizing the award.
For support contact: Kelly Mallon
L&S faculty have been approved to submit fellowship applications without prior university vetting, BUT some fellowships (such as ACLS) do require a letter of institutional support. Requests for letters of institutional support should be directed to the L&S associate dean for your department's division.
If/when you receive a fellowship, please inform your chair. Many departments require executive committee approval before research leave can be taken.
If you wish to pursue supplementation to make up the difference between the fellowship stipend and your salary, please make that request of your chair. Provide your chair with the award letter, a copy of your CV, and a written statement that you wish to run the award through UW-Madison.
Once awarded, if the sponsor allows, it is most advantageous to run the funding through the university as opposed to accepting the funding as an individual.
If you receive the fellowship directly, this has the following effects:
- Years of service toward retirement is affected. Example: If you were on leave from the UW for one semester to take a fellowship, you would be credited with approximately .5 years of service toward retirement.
- If you are in the last 3 years before retirement, this could affect your 3 highest paying years of service for calculating retirement payments.
- Years of service toward sabbatical is affected. Example: if you were on leave from the UW for one semester to take a fellowship, you would be credited with .5 years of service toward sabbatical. One needs 6 full years of service to be eligible for a sabbatical.
- Health Benefits could be interrupted and/or the cost of benefits could increase. Example: if one were on leave 100% from the UW for one semester to take a fellowship, health insurance would either be interrupted, or the employee would need to pay up to the entire cost of the health insurance premiums during the time away.
- You will be responsible for the tax burden.
I received my award letter, now what?
- Notify your Chair and your Associate Dean.
- Prior to accepting the award, send all the materials that you received from the sponsor along with your submitted proposal to Kelly Mallon in Research Services and Policy (kelly.mallon@wisc.edu) for review.
Resources for Junior Faculty
Invite ORS to help! ORS can provide training and guidance one on one, at a departmental meeting, or during a regularly scheduled College event.
For support contact: Kelly Mallon / John Varda
Funding Opportunities
Research and Sponsored Program (RSP) funding page contains links to external and internal funding databases and sources.
Arts Grant Opportunity database
Training
Training for faculty is provided by several sources:
- L&S Research Services can provide training through regularly scheduled College events, departmental presentations by request, and one on one training as needed.
- RSP’s training program RED offers frequent workshops and online training materials on research admin. While targeted more toward research admin staff, faculty can attend. Information about RED can be found here: rsp.wisc.edu/training/