Procedures: Institutional Signatures Process

Contracts, Grants, Fellowships, etc.

The following procedural information is provided to assist members of faculty in preparing grant applications, contract proposals and budgets for the forthcoming academic year.

All applications must include a completed ROLA Proposal and bear the signatures of: the Applicant(s); Co-Applicants; Co-Applicants Institutions (if different than Western); the Chair/Director of the Applicant's Academic Department; the Dean of the Applicant's Faculty AND Research Development & Services regardless of the Sponsor's application requirements.

Regardless of the signatory listed on a Sponsor form, Research Development & Services must ALWAYS be assumed the signatory on ANY proposal or application for research funding. Research Development & Services will determine if alternate/additional signature requirements exist.

A. SIGNATURES

All grant and contract applications must be reviewed by Research Development & Services prior to their submission to the funding sponsor. In order to allow sufficient time for the review of the proposal, applications must be delivered to Research Development & Services no less than 3 days prior to the deadline. Applications including industry partners may require up to 7 working days for institutional signatures

Industry Contracts must be vetted through Contracts Research. Substantial lead time is required for Industry Contracts, due to the need to negotiate many issues such as Intellectual Property rights. Often one month is required to reach agreement.

Applications must include a completed ROLA Proposal available via the Research Western web site and bear Dean and Chair signatures (regardless of sponsor requirements) before Institutional approvals will be supplied. Please supply photocopies of the full proposal with your request for institutional approvals:

RD&S offers internal signature deadlines for the Tri-Council Major Competitions, and may schedule dedicated signature times as deadlines approach for major competitions Deans and Chairs offices will be notified of these times by email prior to major competitions.

A copy of each Sponsor Application and ROLA Proposal must be provided before a signature may be obtained from RD&S .

B. SIGNING AUTHORITY FOR RESEARCH CONTRACTS & AGREEMENTS
All research contracts and agreements that will involve University resources and/or personnel must be sent to Research Development & Services for review and signing. Deans, Chairs and faculty members do not have the authority to sign such documents on behalf of the University.

C. ETHICS, ANIMAL USE & BIOHAZARDS APPROVAL
All research proposals whether new or renewal, involving human or animal subjects or biohazardous materials must be approved by an ethics, animal use or biohazards committee. Appropriate forms and guidelines can be obtained from:

• Human Subjects: Office of Research Ethics (x83036)
• Animal:. Kathy Floyd, c/o Animal Care & Veterinary Services (x 86770)
• Biohazards: c/o Occupational Health & Safety (x82036)

D. RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION
Research Development & Services requires a photocopy of the complete sponsor application as well as, ethics approval, animal care approval, biohazard containment form (if applicable), and covering letters of all grant applications and contract proposals.

E. FOREIGN FUNDING AGENCIES
If a grant application or contract proposal is submitted to an agency with the research budget detailed in foreign currency, a separate budget page translated into Canadian dollars ($Can) must be attached. The budget portion of all applications to foreign agencies is to be submitted to Research Accounting (Suite 6100 Support Services Bldg) approximately ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE of the deadline to allow sufficient time to check for completeness and accuracy of the exchange before final signature by Research Development & Services.

• Research Facilitation
• Proposal Preparation
• Research Accounting
• Training