Services and Support

The Office of Research assists University of Montana faculty, staff and graduate students in their research and creative endeavors by providing the following services:

Research & Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Proposal Development, Project Coordination, and Submission

  • Provides a wide variety of information regarding funding sources, procedures and guidelines, budget concerns, and recent UM awards;
  • Reviews and disseminates information, often electronically, from the Federal Register and other publications;
  • Facilitates the customization of searches for grant opportunities
  • Coordinates and consults in the design of institution-wide, multi-disciplinary, and inter-unit projects;
  • Facilitates on- and intra-campus collaboration;
  • Assists with the interpretation of sponsor guidelines and regulations;
  • Assists with budget preparation prior to proposal submission and has final review and signatory responsibility.

Award Negotiation

  • Performs pre- and post-award budget negotiations with agency technical and fiscal officers;
  • Provides the institutional approval and signature for all applications for external funding;
  • Negotiates terms of grants and contracts with sponsors;
  • Signs award documents for the University;
  • Negotiates subcontracts with collaborating institutions.

Grant Administration

  • Establishes grant accounts and monitors expenditures against them to ensure compliance with University, state, federal and sponsor regulations;
  • Advises project directors concerning University and sponsor policies;
  • Prepares sponsor-required financial reports and invoices;
  • Processes all grant-related cash transactions;
  • Facilitates requests for budget revisions and time extensions;
  • Processes grant-related cost transfers and budget modifications.

Federal Relations

Liaison to the Federal Congressional Delegation 

  • Coordinates all University-related communication with the federal delegation;
  • Communicates the University’s research agenda and serves as the Washington advocate.

Compliance

Campus Clearances and Compliance Review (Contact: Zachary Scott)

  • Assists in submitting proposals for compliance review and other institutional approvals.

Financial Conflict of Interest (Contact: Zachary Scott)

  • Evaluates potential financial conflicts of interest & assists in developing conflict management plans.

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC, Contact: Brent Ryckman)

  • Reviews, approves and maintains a record of all research and teaching activities that involve hazardous biological agents, toxins, human cell lines, and recombinant or synthetic DNA molecules.

Use of Human Subjects (Contact: Paula Baker)

  • Oversees & Monitors studies involving human subjects.

Use of Animals (Contact: Kathy Heivilin)

  • Provides oversight for all animal care & use activity at the University.

Use of radioactive or hazardous materials (Contact: EHRM)

  • Oversees & handles use of radioactive/hazardous materials, generating hazardous wase, infectious agents or biohazardous materials.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Technology Transfer (Contact: Zachary Scott)

  • Assists in filing patent disclosures and processing material transfer and licensing agreements.

Research and Development

Workshops, Seminars, and Conferences (Contact: Kyle Unruh)

  • Coordinates and sponsors special workshops that feature federal, state, and industry program officers and/or past successful applicants;
  • Offers seminars on sources of funding, project design, proposal preparation, and award management.