1) What is the difference between Indirect and Direct Salaries?
Indirect Salaries apply when the researcher is already employed by the University and paid via bulk funding. Direct Salaries are those paid directly from the grant.
If you are already paid by the University, the money you request for Indirect Salaries is meant to "buy out" your time from teaching or other duties to give you time to carry out research.
2) What is required to undertake Māori Consultation?
You should go to the Māori consultation area elsewhere on this website and complete the form with the requested details on your research propositions.
3) How do I cost in Biostatisticians?
For HRC Grants, Biostatisticians should be costed into the indirect salaries section of the Costings Sheet. For all other funding bodies they should be costed in the General Operating Expenses section.
4) Who can sign off on my Research proposal or CCW
The person who signs/authorises the application & contract varies according to the requirements of the funding body.
Applications can be signed by the Principal Investigator (PI) the Head of Department (sometimes the PVCs signature is required as well) and a representative of the Host Institution. On applications the representative of the Host Institution is the Deputy Director (Research and Enterprise) in Dunedin, the Associate Dean of Research in Christchurch and Wellington. For contracts the head of the Host Institution is the Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Research).
On the CCW the budget section is signed by the Head of Department, Dean / PVC and representative of the Host Institution. The budget needs to be signed by two different people. Please note: if a PI is the HoD, then the Dean or PVC has to sign as well, and in the case where a Dean signs as HoD, the PVC needs to counter-sign the Costing Sheet.
5) How many copies of the research application or proposal should I supply?
If your application has been checked by the Research and Enterprise Office, you only need to supply one signed copy by the internal deadline. Also, an electronic copy should be sent in by email. Once the application has been checked and signed, the Research and Enterprise Office make the required number of copies and courier the application to the funding body.
If you have colour photocopies in your application you will need to supply the right number of copies to the Research and Enterprise Office (please contact to discuss in advance).
What salaries do I use when costing research proposals?
When you apply for a research grant it is usually going to start the following year. As salaries increase each year it is important to use projected salary scales so you request enough money from the funding body to cover the duration of the project. Projected Salary Scales are located on the Research and Enterprise Office FTP site.
When budgeting for salaries you should also find out if the researchers involved in your project are in any superannuation schemes (and if so which one) so that can be costed in too.
Where do I find the deadlines for submitting an application?
The deadlines are available on the Current Funding Opportunities section of the research website. Usually applications are required five working days before the Research and Enterprise Office needs to forward the applications to the funding body. Occasionally, during larger funding rounds, the deadlines will be longer to accommodate larger volumes of work. Please note that Wellington & Christchurch Schools of Medicine & Health Sciences may have different deadlines.
If an application is not received by the internal deadline set by the Research and Enterprise Office, the application may not be processed in time to meet the external deadline. Extensions are only given in advance by specific permission of the Deputy Director (Research and Enterprise).
Where can I find out about which Research rounds are coming up?
- Elsewhere on this website
- Via email (sent out once a week)
- By contacting Research and Enterprise
When will the money be in an account available to use?
This depends on the funding body. Some funding bodies pay in advance and some in arrears. Check with the Contract Management Administrators to find out how money is allocated for each funding body.
What should I do if I am told by the funding body that my application is successful?
You should contact the Research and Enterprise Office and advise them of your success. You should enquire if they have received copies of any letters from the funding body (and if not, send a copy to them to go on your file). Once the Office knows you are successful they can start the process of getting a contract organised and a research account set up.
In some cases the funding body lets the University know and we advise you as soon as we can.
What do I do if I need a contract variation or an extension to my contract due to unforeseen circumstances?
Most funding bodies accept that circumstances can change causing unforeseen delays or changes to the research programme. You must go through the Research and Enterprise Office if you want to notify the funding body of any changes. The Research and Enterprise Office will notify the funding body on your behalf and put forward a request for an extension or variation to your contract. Often the funding body just wants to know of any changes of plan and they do not require a formal variation in the contract.
Can I contact the funding body directly?
Most funding bodies prefer only one contact person within the Host Organisation. You should approach the Research and Enterprise Office as they may already know the information you seek, or have requested the information you seek for other staff.
Who can submit a research application or proposal?
Any person who has a formal relationship with the university such as with an employment contract, honorary or joint appointment (in some cases enrolled students can apply for specific rounds – please contact the Research and Enterprise Office first to confirm).
What do I need to do if I want to use Clinical resources?
If you plan to use Otago District Health Board staff, patients, or resources you will also need to fill out a form to get approval from the Hospital. The forms are available at ftp://researchoffice.otago.ac.nz/
