The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) is the office authorized to submit proposals for extramural support on behalf of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All proposals must be routed through the College of Engineering Research Services Office via WISPER and approved by RSP prior to submission. An authorized representative must sign any document requiring an official signature. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Research Impact and Outreach
We provide editorial and administrative support with the primary aim of increasing funded research in the College of Engineering. Formerly known as the Proposal Support Team, we are now the Research Impact and Outreach (RIO) Team in the college’s Office of Research Innovation. With expertise in copy editing, science writing, creative marketing, graphic design, scientific illustration, and project management, our team works collaboratively with PIs and their departments to develop timely, cohesive, and compelling research proposals and outreach materials. To help your research more effectively connect with people—proposal reviewers, industry, the public, and other stakeholders—collaborate with us!
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Pre-Award Support
Consulting on Proposal Strategy:
- We support the up-front planning and preparation needed to develop a competitive proposal, including—but not limited to—creating proposal component checklists, proposal development timelines, and templates for non-technical components.
- We collaborate with a network of campus experts to support the creation of effective DEIA and Broader Impacts plans.
- When our team is engaged early in the development process, we work with the PI and their team to clarify project goals as well as curate key messages to ensure the project’s value proposition is in line with the sponsor- and program-specific objectives.
Creating Impactful Visuals: From proposal figures to 3D illustrations to infographics, our team designs captivating artwork to simplify and translate complex ideas.
Finalizing Proposal Edits and Formatting: The RIO team can help polish the final draft, proofreading and reviewing for grammar, syntax/clarity, and overall formatting.
Post-Award Support:
Branding and Identity Development: When logos and uniform branding are needed for centers and large-scale proposals, we develop unique identity systems that creatively capture and communicate the essence of the research goals.
Website Development: We work alongside PIs to create professional, easy-to-navigate websites, or information hubs, for their research-related centers and outreach efforts.
Non-Proposal Graphics and Outreach Support:
Science-Driven Creative Marketing: We work to advance engineering research and technology with strategic, science-driven creativity. We consult with researchers to create original 3D artwork for journal covers, as well as graphics, logos, presentations, websites, and outreach materials for research papers as well as industry, federal, and community engagement efforts.
Research Administration
a. COE Proposal Deadline Policy – Complete proposals should be routed to CoE Research Services two business days prior to the sponsor deadline day.
b. Campus Cost Share Policy – Generally, the University’s policy is to minimalize institutional and third party cost sharing on sponsored projects. Cost sharing may be allowed when it is mandated by the sponsoring agency or when it is necessary to reflect accurately the resources that must be expended to accomplish the project objectives.
c. Outside Activities Reporting – All faculty, regardless of appointment, all academic staff with 50% or greater appointment, and all individuals listed as participants on human subject protocols or on federal grants are required to fill out an annual Outside Activities Report (OAR) and update whenever new outside activities are undertaken.
d. Principal Investigator Status – Under present VCRGE rules, an academic staff member may serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on proposals and awards by requesting Limited PI Status on a project-by-project basis.
a. Budget Preparation Guide – For answers to questions concerning proposal preparation, including appropriate budget preparation, please contact the assigned Research Services Team Member for your department.
b. Research Administration Resources
(1) Sponsor Checklists & Templates
(2) Budget Spreadsheet Templates – CoE Research Services provides multiple budget spreadsheets to assist in budget calculations. When used, these spreadsheets provide accurate calculations of salary fringe benefits and Facilities and Administration (F&A) costs:
DOE 424 424A Budget
Generic Budget
Generic Budget 0% F&A
Grants.gov Budget
Grants.gov Budget 0% F&A
MURI Budget
NASA Budget
NIH Modular Budget
NIH Detailed Budget
NIH Detailed PHS398 Budget
NSF Budget
ONR YIP Budget
(3) CoE Graduate Student Rates – FY23
(4) Fringe Benefit Rates for FY23 – Current rates for July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
(5) Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Rates – Until amended, these are the current rates through 06/30/2023
(6) NIH/DHHS Salary Cap Guidance – Information and salary look up tool
Effective January 2, 2022, the 12-month salary limitation for Executive Level II is $203,700. This should be pro-rated to $152,775 for Executive Level II 9-month appointments.
a. WISPER Submission Process – All proposals for extramural support must be routed via the online routing tool, WISPER.