Forms, Policies & Procedures

UD Individual Development Plan Assessment Form (IDP Form)

University of Delaware IDP Assessment Form
The University of Delaware requires Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to be completed for graduate students and postdocs funded by NIH (regardless of funding mechanism) each year. The use of IDPs for all graduate students and postdocs is encouraged as a means for professional development and career planning. Additionally, other funding agencies are beginning to request IDPs. To aide in this requirement the UD Research Office is providing an IDP Assessment Form that will help with this effort.

Related Links

AAAS “myIDP” Individual Development Planning Tool
UD Individual Development Plan (IDP) Policy

 

UD Procedure/Guidance for Preparation of Other Support (Current and Pending Support)

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE
The University of Delaware researchers should be transparent regarding their other research support, other research activities, and research collaborations when submitting grant proposals to external sponsors. Disclosure of such support, via forms commonly referred to as “Current and Pending” or “Other Support,” allows the identification of potential duplication of funding, assessment of the investigator’s capacity/available effort to complete proposed projects, the evaluation of potential conflicts of interest, and the overall protection of national security and economic interests.

While the format/form being provided to the sponsor may vary, if applicable to a proposal under development, PIs should include ALL support, including grants and contracts from all domestic and non-U.S. sources, including support internal to UD. Additional guidance is generally available in the specific funding opportunity announcement to which the proposal is responding and MUST be followed to avoid return without review or other negative consequences.

Federal agencies are increasingly placing additional scrutiny on potential foreign influence and its impact upon the U.S. research enterprise. Efforts at the federal level are currently underway to standardize disclosure requirements, and some agencies have provided additional guidance on completing disclosure documents. For additional assistance, please contact your departmental administrator.

GENERAL GUIDANCE
Below are some clarifying statements to standardize and set expectations on what to include in Other Support or Current and Pending Support documents submitted by the University of Delaware. Regardless of the sponsor, information provided in Other Support or Current and Pending Support documents must be current, accurate, and complete.

Tip	Notes
Any activity conducted within the scope of an Investigator’s UD appointment that provides funding or requires a commitment of time must be reported.	Commitments are regular obligations of time (part of an investigator’s regular activities), not short-term obligations, such as attending a meeting and making a presentation. If an investigator has a commitment for an activity but receives no salary support from the activity (salary is cost shared by the University), that activity must be reported. Even if a research project does not involve a quantifiable commitment of time, if the PI/senior key personnel are spending time on the project, the project should be included. Awards resulting from internally-funded competitions (UDRF,GUR, etc.) may need to be included as in-kind commitments since although there may not be salary in the budget, time will still be expended on the project.
Include all collaborations and affiliations that provide funding or require a commitment of time, whether foreign or domestic.
Address potential overlap or over-commitments.	As this is a primary concern of Federal agencies, please be clear in your explanations.
List projects with no-cost extensions.	Active awards must have associated effort
Update information as much as possible, e.g., remove outdated proposals or expired awards, unless specifically requested by sponsor.
For subawards to UD, include the total amount specific to the subaward requested or received by UD.
Include consulting agreements where the PI or senior/key personnel will be conducting research as part of the consulting activities.	If the agreement will result in a co-authored publication, it may be considered research. Consulting may be outside of the scope of an individual’s UD appointment, but may need to be included. See NIH FAQs  and the NSF Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures table.
In-kind contributions should be reported for NIH and NSF, per agency instructions.	See Sponsor specific instructions below
Do NOT include start-up funding from UD.
Do NOT include consulting agreements that involve non-research consulting activities.
Do NOT include NIH proposals or projects for which the individual is an Other Significant Contributor.
Do NOT include UD endowed professorships.
Do NOT include fee-for-service agreements.
Do NOT include training awards, prizes, or gifts.

FEDERAL AGENCY GUIDANCE
What follows are examples of Federal sponsor-specific guidance on what they request in their Other Support documents. This guidance is subject to change, so PIs and Departmental personnel are encouraged to consult sponsor instructions directly. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH defines Other Support as “Includes all resources made available to researcher or senior key personnel in support of and/or related to all of their research endeavors, regardless of whether or not they have monetary value and regardless of whether they are based at the institution the researcher identifies for the current grant. Other support does not include training awards, prizes, start-up support from the US based institution, or gifts. (note: Gifts are resources provided where there is no expectation of anything (e.g., time, services, specific research activities, money, etc.) in return)”.
Source: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/H,TML5/section_1/1.2_definition_of_terms.htm

WHO and WHEN
At Just-in-Time (JIT), all individuals included in the grant application as senior/key personnel MUST submit Other Support documents/information, except:

• Other Significant Contributors
• Program Directors, training faculty and others involved in the oversight of training grants

For Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) all senior/key personnel who have had a change in active Other Support MUST submit Other Support information, except:

• Other Significant Contributors
• Consultants
• Program Directors, training faculty and others involved in the oversight of training grants

HOW to disclose

• The Other Support Format MUST be used for applications and RPPRs. The Other Support form includes the REQUIRED certification by each PD/PI or other senior/key personnel that the statements it contains are “true, complete, and accurate.” Electronic signature is required for this certification; neither a typed name nor a scanned wet-ink signature is acceptable. DocuSign and Adobe Pro are acceptable alternatives.
• Supporting documentation, which includes copies of contracts/agreements specific to senior/key-personnel foreign appointments and/or employment with a foreign institution for all foreign activities and resources that are reported in Other Support. If the contracts/agreements are not in English, recipients must provide translated copies.
• Immediate notification of undisclosed Other Support. When a recipient organization discovers that a PI or other Senior/Key personnel on an active NIH grant failed to disclose Other Support information outside of Just-in-Time or the RPPR, as applicable, the recipient must submit updated Other Support to the Grants Management Specialist named in the Notice of Award as soon as it becomes known. 

Additional Resources

• Other Support | Grants & Funding

National Science Foundation (NSF)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) expects that Senior/Key Personnel will list any activity that provides funding to their work and/or a commitment of time by the individual using the Current and Pending section of proposals. NSF also requires that PIs submit information about Collaborators and Other Affiliations (COA) for senior project personnel. This information is in addition to Current and Pending Support, and may include advisor/advisee relationships, coauthors, editorships, business or family relationships that are relevant to peer review.

WHO and WHEN

• At proposal, all Senior/Key Personnel listed on the proposal MUST submit Current & Pending Support, Biosketch, and Collaborators & Other Affiliations documents.
• If an Authorized Organizational Representative discovers that a disclosure should have been made at time of proposal submission, but was not, they have 30 days to submit a post-award request to NSF.
• When submitting annual and final project reports, PIs and Co-PIs MUST specify whether new active other support has been received. If yes, they MUST attach updated Current & Pending Support document(s).

HOW to disclose:

• NSF requires information on all current and pending support for ongoing projects and proposals. Detailed information about the content is available in the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter II.D.2.h.ii.. 
• SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae – SciENcv: Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae is an NSF-approved format for use in preparation of the current and pending support section of an NSF proposal. SciENcv will produce NSF-compliant PDF versions of the current & pending support format.
• Record information for active and pending projects, including the subject proposal.

Additional Resources

• Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) 24-1 
• Documents Required for Senior Personnel 
• Pre- and Post-Award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current & Pending Support.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

WHO and WHEN:
Each project director/principal investigator (PD/PI) and other senior personnel specified in the Request for Applications (RFA). For Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) applications, completion of this is only required for PDs/PIs and CoPDs/CoPIs.

At proposal, by uploading an attachment (see Additional Resources below for the recommended template) to the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded)

WHAT and HOW to disclose:

• Record information for active and pending projects, including the subject proposal.
• All current efforts to which PD/PI(s) and other senior personnel have committed a portion of their time MUST be listed, whether or not salary for the person involved is included in the budgets of the various projects. For AFRI applications, list only projects for which salary is requested.
• Please check the program solicitation for specific requirements.

Additional Resources

• USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Current and Pending Support Form.doc
• USDA NIFA Grants Application Guide
• USDA NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
Current and pending (other) support information is used to assess the capacity of senior/key personnel to carry out proposed award activities and helps NASA assess any potential scientific and budgetary overlap or duplication, as well as conflicts of commitment, with the proposed project. Each senior/key person listed on a NASA grant or cooperative agreement proposal is required to submit current and pending support disclosures with their application.

WHO and WHEN

NASA designates as a senior/key person all Principal Investigators (PIs), all co-Principal Investigators (CoPIs), and co-Investigators (Co-Is) proposing to spend 10 percent or more of their time in any given year on a NASA-funded grant or cooperative agreement. Refer to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) if any other personnel categories are designated as Senior/Key Personnel. Proposals do not need to include the current proposal on the list of pending proposals unless it has been submitted in response to another funding opportunity (i.e., NASA or another sponsor).

At proposal, included in the submission packet.

WHAT and HOW

NASA has provided a table of Pre-Award and Post-Award Disclosure Requirements

• PIs and Co-PIs also shall list any current and pending support with China, including Chinese universities and other similar institutions or a Chinese-owned company at the prime recipient level and at all subrecipient levels, whether the bilateral involvement is funded or performed under a no-exchange of funds arrangement. (NASA Proposer’s Guide, 2.16)

Additional Resources

• NASA current-and-pending-support-cps-form.docx
• NASA Pre-Award and Post-Award Disclosure Requirements.
• NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual

Department of Energy (DOE)
Current and pending support is intended to allow the identification of potential duplication, overcommitment, potential conflicts of interest or commitment, and all other sources of support. All senior/key personnel at the recipient and subrecipient level must provide a list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, whether paid or unpaid; provided as a gift with terms or conditions or provided as a gift without terms or conditions; full-time, part-time, or voluntary; faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary; cash or in-kind; foreign or domestic; governmental or private-sector; directly supporting the individual’s research or indirectly supporting the individual by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses. All senior/key personnel involved in the project must disclose all other foreign or domestic government or non-profit support of the work to be done under the award. All involvement with foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs must be identified in current and pending support.

WHO:

All Senior/key personnel.  DOE defines Senior/key personnel as: “An individual who contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of a Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) project proposed to be carried out with a DOE award.” DOE clarifies that typically these individuals have a doctoral or other professional degree, although individuals with other levels of education/experience may be considered Senior/key if their involvement meets the above DOE definition.

Other covered individuals.  At the award negotiation stage or during the performance of an award, DOE may designate project personnel as Senior/key and require their Current and Pending Support form.  This could include consultants, postdocs, graduate students, etc.

WHEN to disclose:

• Proposal stage: Follow the instructions provided in the Funding Opportunity Announcement for your proposal submission.
• Award stage:
  • Adding new Senior/key personnel – If there are changes or additions to Senior/key personnel for the project, the new person MUST submit a Current and Pending Support form within 30 days of joining the project team, or on a timeline provided by the program office.
  • Changes to previously submitted Current and Pending Support – Changes to a previously submitted Current and Pending Support form MUST be submitted within 30 days of the change, or on a timeline provided by the program office.

HOW to disclose:

• DOE uses NSF’s Current and Pending Support format, which can be completed through SciENcv, or the PDF template
• Please check the program solicitation for specific requirements.

Department of Defense (DOD)

Provide support information for the PI and all senior/key personnel, including other individuals who will contribute to the scientific development or execution of the proposed research project in a substantive, meaningful way, independent of whether they request salaries or compensation. Compensation could take many forms including cash, research funding, complimentary foreign travel, honorific titles, career advancement opportunities, promised future compensation, or other types of remuneration or consideration, including in-kind compensation. Include the total or estimated dollar amount for research, resource, or other project support.

WHO:

Required for all key personnel at the proposal stage.
Outside of DoD CDMRP solicitations, individual DoD funding opportunity announcements (FOAs)/solicitations have varied disclosure requirements. always review carefully and follow the disclosure guidance in the specific DoD solicitation to which you/your investigator is applying.

HOW to disclose:

This information shall be included in the Senior Key Person Profile form included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and will not be included in the overall proposal page limits.

Please check the program solicitation. However, CDMRP general instructions can be found under IV.B.d. of the General Application Instructions 901.pdf
           

 

Underground Storage Tank Management

1. SCOPE OF PURPOSE
   To ensure the management of Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) at the University is conducted in compliance with Federal and State Underground Storage Tank Regulations (7 Del. Code Chapter 74, 40CFR280), NFPA, BOCA, City of Newark and other applicable codes.

   This policy applies to all University underground storage tanks and underground storage tank systems containing motor fuels, heating oils, waste products, and other regulated products. …

The complete policy and more can be found on the ’s web site.

 

Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement

In 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement (UBMTA) and an Implementing Letter for the transfer of materials between nonprofit institutions.  The University of Delaware is one of the institutions which has signed the UBMTA which allows signatory institutions to transfer materials to one another using a boilerplate Implementing Letter for the particular transfer.

Use of the UBMTA is optional, UD researchers may opt to use the Non-Biologicals form as an alternative.    Note that the UBMTA Letter must accompany the UBMTA in all cases.  Please provide investigator/scientist information as appropriate and sign as recipient or provider.  Attach the completed UBMTA to the Webform before submitting.

Related Links

• Material Transfer Agreement Required Webform
• Material Transfer Agreement Template – Incoming
• Material Transfer Agreement Template – Outgoing
• Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement
• Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement Implementation Letter

 

Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement Implementation Letter

The UBMTA Letter must be used in conjunction with the UBMTA.  The Implementing Letter contains a description of the material and a statement indicating that the material is being transferred in accordance with the terms of the UMBTA. It must be executed by the provider scientist and the recipient scientist, and is subject to UD Research Office approvals.  Please complete the highlighted sections of the form and sign as provider or receiver as appropriate.  Attached the completed UBMTA Letter to the Webform before submitting.

Related Links

• Material Transfer Agreement Required Webform
• Material Transfer Agreement Template – Incoming
• Material Transfer Agreement Template – Outgoing
• Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement
• Uniform Biological Material Transfer Agreement Implementation Letter

 

University of Delaware Research Foundation Program

1. PURPOSE
   To outline the administration, type of research supported, and application procedures for grants awarded by the University of Delaware Research Foundation.
2. POLICY
   1. University of Delaware Research Foundation ProgramThe University of Delaware Research Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization for the support of fundamental research in all fields of science. An independent corporation, it is chartered primarily to support the University’s scientific research programs.

      University of Delaware Research Foundation (UDRF) grants are administered by the Senior Vice Provost for Research, who represents the University on the UDRF Research Committee and is secretary of the UDRF Board of Trustees.

      The Senior Vice Provost for Research disseminates the updated information on UDRF grants to the faculty annually by letter. This letter includes the deadline for applications for grants.

      The appropriate deans and chairs provide the Senior Vice Provost for Research with preliminary evaluations of applications for grants. The Senior Vice Provost combines these evaluations into a University recommendation. The final evaluation and award decision is made by the UDRF Research Committee. Grants are made primarily in the fields of the natural and physical sciences, but any proposal that uses scientific methods and promises quantitative results is eligible for a grant.

   2. GrantsUDRF grants support high quality scientific and engineering projects by early-career, untenured, tenure-track faculty. Costs covered are stipends, graduate student or technical assistance, equipment, supplies, travel, etc. Grants are awarded on the basis of individual merit and specific need.

      The awards are made in April and become effective on the following June 1.

      These grants are not to be used for the support of advanced-degree theses nor for their publication.

      Understandings concerning the research grant programs and patents, copyright, and publishing considerations are stated in the Faculty Handbook and in this Policies and Procedures Manual.

      Patent, copyright, and publication policies are as stated in the University of Delaware Faculty Handbook and in sections 6-6 and 6-7 of this Policies and Procedures Manual.

   3. Understandings and Procedures for Submitting Proposals are found in the UDRF Proposal Guidelines which are updated annually by the committee.

The complete policy and more can be found on the ’s web site.

 

Use of Pipettes

1. PURPOSE
   To establish a policy for use of pipettes.
2. POLICY
   A variety of hazardous material are used in University laboratories, both for teaching and for research, and student, faculty, and staff exposure to such material should be kept at a minimum. Oral pipetting — suction by mouth or blowing through pipettes — is one of the most common means of exposure to hazardous materials. Oral pipetting, including oral pipetting for the purpose of starting siphons, is strictly prohibited at the University. Pipetting shall be done with a mechanical pipetting or siphoning device.

   Requests for exemption shall be submitted in writing to the Department of Environmental Health and Safety for Review.

The complete policy and more can be found on the ’s web site.

 

Volunteer Fire Service

1. SCOPE OF POLICY
   This policy addresses volunteer firefighter service during working hours.
2. POLICY STATEMENT
   To assist with the protection and safety of the Newark, Wilmington, Lewes and other campus communities, the University may release designated employees, who are volunteer fire fighters, to assist local fire companies in fighting fires during normal working hours without loss of pay.
3. POLICY STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES
   To qualify for release time under this policy, an employee must secure the written approval of the fire chief of the department for which the employee volunteers and the employee’s supervisor.  The written approval of the fire chief is to be updated annually.  The employee’s supervisor at his/her discretion may restrict an employee’s response to fires as business needs require.  Once the response is initiated, it is understood that the employee represents the fire department and must abide and comply with direction given by the fire chief in command of the incident. The University assumes no liability for any injury or activity arising from volunteer fire service.

The complete policy and more can be found on the ’s web site.