Sponsored Research & Programs

Research fuels learning on our campus and makes a difference in our communities. The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs helps faculty, staff and students with research, scholarships and service. From grants to awards, the office supports innovation and growth. Whether you’re submitting a proposal for research, training, instruction or service activities, you can get application support for sponsored federal programs, state initiatives, nonprofit support and industry programs. Learn more and find out how you can get involved.

The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs provides direct support to students, faculty or staff who apply for or receive funding from an external sponsor. Looking for administrative assistance on your next grant or research project? Here’s how we can help.

Proposal Development

When applying for a grant or award, your proposal is everything. We’ll help you:

Interpret your sponsor’s guidelines
Outline the scope of your work
Develop a budget and secure institutional assurances
Navigate institutional review and approval processes

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Award Acceptance

Receiving an award is just the first step. After you get the good news, we’ll help you:

Negotiate and accept award amounts
Understand post-award steps
Navigate and meet reporting requirements

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Policies & Compliance

We’ll help you advance your research at UNCP by:

Ensuring Integrity – Upholding the highest ethical and regulatory standards
Supporting Scholars – Guiding faculty, staff, and students with training, approvals, and resources
Empowering Impact – Driving discovery that benefits communities and enriches lives

Grant Vs. Gift

Funding, particularly when received from a non-profit entity (i.e., foundation, corporate foundation, private organization, or corporation), is sometimes difficult to classify as a gift or grant.

In order to make the most accurate decision between what is a grant and what is a gift, all components of information related to the gift/sponsored project should be reviewed by the Principal Investigator (PI), the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) and/or the Office of Advancement.

A grant (i.e., “sponsored program” funding, or “award”) is the transfer of money or property from a sponsor to an institution that may require performance of specific duties such as research, budget reports, progress reports, and return of unused funds. Any funding provided by U.S. Government agencies, at the federal, state, or local level, in support of UNCP activities is treated as a grant. Government funds are not treated as gifts. Funding from voluntary health organizations or associations, such as the American Cancer Society or American Heart Association, is usually treated as a grant and not a gift.

To help determine if your project is a grant or a gift, please complete the Checklist for Determining Whether Funding is a Gift or Support for a Sponsored Project. If you answer 'Yes' to one or more of the questions, then the funding is a sponsored program and should be processed through the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs.

Is my funding a grant?

Is my funding a gift?

Guidance & Tools

Institutional Approval Requirement Using Cayuse SP

An investigator must enter the proposal information in the Cayuse SP grant management system and route it for UNCP intra-institutional approval before submission to the funding agency. Cayuse SP electronically routes the proposal to the investigator's chair, dean, and concludes with the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs for final approval before submission to the funding agency.

Please contact Trinity Murray, Sponsored Programs Specialist, 910.775.4390 for assistance with using the Cayuse SP grant management system.

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Need a hand?

Stop by during our drop-by office hours. We can connect you with potential funding opportunities or assist with your ongoing research and programs projects.