Office of University Research Services

The Office of University Research Services (OURS) serves the dual function of protecting the University's interests in matters relating to external funding while providing a high level of service to university faculty and staff members in identifying funding opportunities, developing project ideas into proposals, and submitting complete and competitive proposals.

Services

The OURS was established to assist faculty and staff with the process of obtaining and administering support for research and scholarly activity. We do so by offering the following services:

Research Compliance

Sponsored projects funded by an external agency is subject to the University policies for intellectual property confidentiality agreements, conflict of interest statements, the protection of human subjects, the protection of animal subjects, and scientific misconduct.

• Serves as the administrative office for the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Maintaining all original Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) documentation and representing the University during audits and inspections.
• Coordinating the activities of and maintaining files for the Conflict of Interest Review Board.
• Coordinating the activities of the ad hoc Scientific Misconduct Committee.
• Ensuring compliance with all federal, State of Maryland, University System of Maryland, Towson University, and sponsor-specific regulations and guidelines affecting sponsored projects administration.

Research and Funding Information

• Maintaining for faculty/staff use of a funding resource center that contains information on federal, state, and non-governmental funding sources, including local foundations and corporations.
• Identifying potential sources of funding and disseminating that information to administrators, deans of the colleges, department chairs, and/or appropriate faculty and staff.
• Conducting computer database, resource center, and/or library searches to identify potential funding sources.
• Conducting workshops on specific funding programs or on proposal writing and/or providing reference materials on proposal preparation.

Proposal Development and Processing

• Assisting in the development of ideas and matching them to potential funding sources.
• Contacting the funding agency to clarify guidelines, to obtain answers to program-related questions or to make appointments for program directors to visit with program officers.
• Providing application packets, forms and guidelines for funding programs. If those materials are not available, we will attempt to procure them for you.
• Clarifying agency guidelines and answering questions regarding proposals or proposal processing.
• Assisting in proposal development, editing, and budget preparation - including justification.
• Securing the required institutional approval signatures.
• Copying and sending proposals to funding agencies. The OURS will cover all copying and delivery costs.
• Working with faculty and staff members on electronic submission of proposals.

Internal Funding Programs

• Providing information about, and application forms for, the research grant program of the Faculty Development and Research Committee (FDRC), processing all FDRC applications, and handling the administrative work for the FDRC grants program.

Post Award Administration

• Handling requests to agencies for changes in project.
• Negotiating, issuing, and monitoring subawards
• Assisting in the coordination of technical, patent, and equipment reports.

Office of University Research Services
7800 York Road, Rooms 225-220

Phone: 410-704-2236
Fax: 410-704-4494
E-mail: healy@towson.edu