Find Proposal and Grant Support

Faculty members have a number of resources to support their sponsored research activities. Some of these units are part of the OVCR portfolio, while others are part of University Administration.

Office of Proposal Development

The Office of Proposal Development works with members of the Illinois research community to support interdisciplinary “mega-proposals,” respond to grant announcements of strategic importance to the campus, and foster campus-wide community among those involved in research development.

Office of Sponsored Programs

The Office of Sponsored Programs provides pre-award and non-financial post-award administrative services for sponsored projects for the University. In addition, OSP works in close collaboration with a number of other central University offices and with unit personnel to facilitate the overall effective coordination of research administration services, systems, policies, and processes.

START myResearch

START myResearch is a phased project involving:

START (Systemwide Tools for Administration of Research and Training) grants management software based on the open-source Kuali Coeus platform
U of I custom-developed software
myResearch, the Principal Investigator (PI) portal that integrates and displays information from a number of different university systems

The project will ultimately modernize and streamline the research enterprise at Illinois and reduce the administrative burden for faculty and business office staff, saving the university money and ensuring that we are fulfilling our financial, legal, and ethical obligations.

Office of Business and Financial Services

The Office of Business and Financial Services supports the business and financial operations of the University and assists units in their daily operations. OBFS serves the University community on all three campuses and is home to a number of research-related units, including:

Grants and Contracts, which supports the post-award administration of grants and sponsored projects
Government Costing, which calculates and negotiates rates applicable to sponsored projects

Support for Grant Seeking in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

The OVCR provides workshops, consultation, one-on-one support, and other services to help faculty in the humanities, arts, and social sciences advance their research goals.