The main target groups for these procedures, or routines, are scientific employees who write grant proposals, as well as advisers who contribute to grant proposal preparation. By securing the internal anchoring of the projects and raising the quality of project proposals, the procedures aim to increase the likelihood of securing external funding.
All employees planning to submit proposals with a budget over 1M NOK, and where UiA is the sole applicant organization or the coordinating partner, are expected to follow the approved procedures. It is important to note that in case a project proposal is not approved by the applicant unit in line with the procedures, there is a risk that the proposal cannot be submitted or is deemed ineligible by the funding agency.
Proecdures and approval form
Q & A:
What are UiA’s quality assurance procedures about?
The procedures are based on the experience that development of project ideas and writing grant proposals is a demanding process in which time is a particularly critical success factor. The purpose of the procedures is therefore to
- motivate to start both project development and proposal writing as early as possible,
- anchor the project in the respective applicant unit and
- establish a connection with administrative support at an early stage.
The routines function as a tool during the proposal preparation phase: as a guide for timeline, milestones and administrative tasks. The role of the leader of the applicant unit is vital in regard to motivating scientific employees to begin project preparation at an early stage, and in assessing the proposal in light of capacity and required resources. The procedures encourage also the use of relevant support services that are provided on a «first come, first served» basis.
How to get my idea approved?
An essential element of the procedures is to get the project proposal approved in the respective applicant unit at the earliest possible phase. An applicant unit is the faculty (in some cases department) that is placed in the grant proposal as the unit hosting the project within the applicant organization. Applicant organization, on the other hand, refers to the entire higher education institution - in our case, to UiA.
To have one’s project proposal approved means that the leader of the applicant unit has reviewed the project proposal, and assessed its suitability for the applicant unit’s strategy and existing project and study portfolio, as well as resources it requires. Obtaining the leader's approval is essential, as the applicant unit has the responsibility for the finances and management of the project. After the project is approved by the leader of the applicant unit, the project leader cann submit the proposal on behalf of the applicant unit.
We provide an online form can be used for obtaining the internal approval of education project proposals. The form collects key information of the project, and is sent to the leader of the applicant unit. The online form also allows the project manager, i.e. the employee in charge of project proposal, to apply for internal project development support (PUS).
Why is the university's administration informed about my project proposal already in the approval phase?
Informing UiA's administrative contact persons about proposals at an early stage brings several benefits. For example, the contact person for education projects at the Division for Academic Affairs is able to check that your project idea does not overlap content-wise with other proposals being prepared at UiA for the same call (i.e. that internal competition is minimized). The contact person also checks whether the call requires signed documents from UiA’s leadership proving eligibility or institutional anchoring. Such signed institutional documents will be provided by the Division for Academic Affairs before the submission deadline to all projects that have been approved in the applicant units in accordance with routines.
It is recommended that the project manager is in contact with the faculty’s controller before filling in the form for approval. In doing so, the estimate for the project’s budget at the phase of internal approval is more accurate. If the approved contents and particularly the budget change significantly during the application process, it is recommended to have the changes approved within the applicant unit before submission.