Office of Sponsored Research and Programs

On February 19, 2026, the Provost’s Office released the Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR) Distribution Framework Change Overview Announcement. For more information about Indirect Costs please please refer to pages 92-94 in the Office of Sponsored Research & Programs Handbook: A Guide for Principal Investigators and Grant Administrators.

OSRP cash match funds are limited. Priority will be given to those with mandatory cash matches. Cash match funds will not be awarded to cover any salaries/wages. The cash match deadline for the Fall 2026 and/or Spring 2027 semesters has passed. Please stay tuned for the next deadline announcement.

The Principal Investigator (PI) has primary responsibility for achieving the technical success of the project, while also complying with the financial and administrative policies and regulations associated with the award. Although Principal Investigators may have administrative staff to assist them with the management of project funds, the ultimate responsibility for the management of the sponsored project award rests with the Principal Investigator.

To serve as PI, one must be a full-time employee of MSU Denver. Several employment titles automatically confer PI/co-PI status due to the roles and responsibilities that come with that title. Titles of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor and to library faculty holding the titles of Senior Librarian, Librarian, and Associate Librarian. Other administrative titles are also eligible for automatic PI status provided the individual is a full-time employee: Vice President, Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and Director. However, Emeritus faculty do not automatically confer PI status. Emeritus faculty may serve as co-PI or senior key personnel but not as PI.

The PI must have an active appointment with MSU Denver and is responsible for executing and financially managing the grant or project. Since a proposal and subsequent award are a commitment for MSU Denver in many ways, it is important to establish the qualifications and ability of PI’s and Co-PI’s to carry out the work on externally funded grants and sponsored projects.

Faculty and staff members at MSU Denver who manage grant-funded projects must earn a professional training credential through the Roadrunner Principal Investigator Certification Program. The certification is offered fully online through Canvas, with three modules covering the life cycle of a grant. The certification is mandatory for all serving as a PI on sponsored projects. Grant submissions will not be processed by OSRP if the PI has not completed the training. More information is available in the October 13, 2025, Early Bird article.

Beginning October 1, 2025, faculty and staff who want to be a Principal Investigator (PI) for an external  grant or contract are required to complete the new OSRP Intent to Submit an External Grant or Contract Proposal form. The form is available as a Word document download.

All Principal Investigators (PIs) are required to complete this Financial Conflict of Interest Form (FCOI) and email it to OSRP Executive Director Laneika K. Musalini.

To aid in quickly accessing OSRP forms we have added a Forms Library to the Toolkit section of the website. Forms in the library include:

• Research Request Form
• Project Development Form
• Intent to Submit Form
• Financial Conflict of Interest (COI) Form
• Principal Investigator Eligibility Form
• Limited Submissions Competition Guidance
• Cash Match Application Form
• Cost Sharing Agreement Form
• Subrecipient Commitment Form
• Proposal Processing Form
• Internal Budget Revision Form

OSRP invites all MSU Denver faculty and staff to view recorded discussions on focused research topics.

Internal Timelines and Process Flow, January 11, 2026

Navigating the New Federal Landscape, February 11, 2026

Narrowly Defining Scope of Work, and Proposal Development Brainstorming, March 11, 2026.

Approaches for Sponsored Funding, April 8, 2026.

Have you ever wondered how this entire grant process works? OSRP has created this workflow chart, with timelines, to illustrate the “cradle to grave” lifetime of your grant.

View the OSRP Workflow Chart PDF.

Please be advised that all federal, state, and local government grants and contracts must be reviewed, approved, and submitted by OSRP staff.

The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs is continually monitoring the news in the constantly evolving federal grants landscape. This news changes on a daily basis. If you wish to follow the news updates for federal grants programs we recommend:

This Council on Government Relations (COGR) website providing up to date information on revisions or suspensions to a wide variety of federal grant funding sponsors, and this Litigation Tracker.

The university supports proposals that uphold integrity and veracity, but we recognize that technology may now be used to screen grant proposals for unallowable DEI terminology dictated by Executive Orders. For OSRP guidance and for a list of allowable synonyms for use in your grant proposals please contact your OSRP Proposal Development Specialist.

Please note that OSRP staff is currently working with hybrid or remote work arrangements. Laneika Musalini and Kimberly Welp both work remotely from South Carolina; Kristin Schneider Baldwin works remotely from Colorado; Lisa Jones works remotely from California; and Abnet Hurst works remotely from Texas. Michael Heathcote and Tim Hawkins are available both on site and virtually. We all continue to be available via email, phone, Teams and Zoom meetings. To schedule an in-person visit from Michael Heathcote or Tim Hawkins, please contact us for an appointment. For complete staff contact information, office hours, and responsibilities, please visit our staff page.