Pre Proposal
Activities that take place before, simultaneous to, or independently of a proposal being assembled fall into the “pre proposal” phase of the sponsored project lifecycle.
Confidentiality (CDA), Material Transfer (MTA), and Data Use (DUA) Agreements
CDAs are contracts that govern the disclosure of confidential or proprietary information between parties. Often, a CDA is used to enable parties to evaluate the potential of a proposed collaboration in advance of an MTA or DUA.
MTAs and DUAs are contracts that establish the terms and conditions governing the use of material or data received from (or sent to) an outside entity. The outside entity may be another university, a government agency or other non-profit entity, or a for-profit company. These agreements address important issues such as liability, intellectual property, publication rights, and regulatory compliance, among others.
These agreements are negotiated by the Office of Sponsored Program’s Gray Team on behalf of the university. As with a grant award, a CDA, MTA, or DUA is executed between institutions, not individuals. Investigators do not have the authority to sign these agreements on behalf of VCU.
- Confidentiality Agreement (CDA)
- Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
- Data Use Agreement (DUA)
For Assistance
Gray Team
Kristin Schmidt Berube
Contracts Manager
Office of Sponsored Programs
(804) 828-6772
mtadua@vcu.edu
VCU Compliance Notice and Guidance
- Limited Submission Opportunities
- Instructions and Screenshots for New Limited Submission Opportunities Process
Helpful Links
Contact
- Melissa Throckmorton
- Coordinator of Research Development Services, Office of Research and Innovation
- throckmortms@vcu.edu
- (804) 827-1443
Other Activities
NSF Account Request
Individual PI account needed for access to NSF Fastlane and Research.gov systems.
| Associated Document/Form | NSF Account Request E-form |
|---|---|
| Responsible VCU Unit(s) | PI/Study Staff initiates e-form, OSP completes action in sponsor system. |
NIH Account Request
Individual account needed for role-based access to NIH era Commons systems.
| Associated Document/Form | NIH Account Request E-form |
|---|---|
| Responsible VCU Unit(s) | PI/Study Staff initiates e-form, OSP completes action in sponsor system. |
New Sponsor in RAMS-SPOT
Search for sponsor name in RAMS-SPOT using “%key word”. If sponsor name not listed, indicate “TBD.”
| Related VCU Systems | RAMS-SPOT [RAMS SPOT Get Started – Funding Proposal Smart Form provides additional guidance .] |
|---|---|
| Responsible VCU Unit(s) | PI/Study Staff indicates ‘TBD” in Funding Proposal sponsor field, OSP completes request. |
Letter of Intent (LOI)
Some sponsors request a letter of intent prior to receipt of a full proposal. If the submission requires OSP signature, process LOI as "Pre-proposal" in RAMS-SPOT. LOI may or may not lead to a full proposal.
| VCU Policy or Compliance Notice | |
|---|---|
| Related VCU Systems | RAMS-SPOT [RAMS SPOT Get Started – Funding Proposal Smart Form provides additional guidance.] |
| Responsible VCU Unit(s) | PI/Study Staff initiates funding proposal in RAMS-SPOT, OSP reviews and approves. |
Who can be a Principal Investigator? (PI Eligibility)
All proposed principal investigators must meet the requirements of the VCU policy or be an approved exception, prior to proposal submission.
| Associated Document/Form | Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility Exception Form |
|---|---|
| VCU Policy or Compliance Notice | Principal Investigator Eligibility |
| Responsible VCU Unit(s) | PI/Study Staff should initiate |