OSPA is the University’s authorized representative for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other sponsored project agreements from external federal, state, governmental and non-profit sponsors. OSPA supports research and other sponsored programs activities by interpreting sponsor pre-award requirements, reviewing and endorsing all sponsored project proposals for the institution, negotiating and accepting sponsored project agreements from federal, state and other governmental entities, and non-profit organizations, and providing post-award administration services.
OSPA Overview FAQ
OIPTT is the University’s authorized representative for grants, contracts, and other sponsored project agreements from external industry and commodity group sponsors. OIPTT supports research and other sponsored programs activities by negotiating and accepting sponsored project agreements from industry and commodity group sponsors, and providing post-award administration services.
OSPA/OIPTT’s business hours are 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.
The administrative structure divides the OSPA/OIPTT staff into three teams – OSPA Pre-Award Team, OSPA Awards Team and OIPTT – Industry Contracts Team. The OSPA Pre-Award Team assists primarily with review and submission of proposals. The OSPA Awards Team will assist with negotiating awards, budget revisions, no cost extensions, subawards, and other post-award non-financial services for external federal, state, governmental and non-profit sponsors. OIPTT Industry Contracts assists with contract negotiation and post award issues for industry and commodity sponsors.
Contacts are listed at www.ospa.iastate.edu/contact
A sponsored project is a project that is funded by a third party external to the university. Generally, the project is funded by means of an award agreement that requires some kind of scope of work or deliverable (a technical report, a financial report, milestones, etc.).
The authorization to sign proposals, awards, and other non-financial official documents related to sponsored programs is vested in staff within OSPA and OIPTT. Faculty and staff should not sign any documents as the authorized university signatory. Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPA) signs invoices, financial statements and other documents related to financial activities on sponsored funding.
Typically, faculty and staff are not authorized to commit university resources in a contractual arrangement. Chairs, deans, and vice presidents have the ability to commit resources but any such commitment for a sponsored project must be approved by an authorized university official before being submitted to the sponsor.