PINS Help

Enter the exact title of your proposal as it will be submitted to the sponsor. Use proper titling convention with every substantive word capitalized. For ease, cut and paste the title from the proposal document you are preparing.

The PI Name defaults to the person logged in to create the record. If it is different, you can change the name by selecting the correct pi name from the drop down. Hint: Any drop down allows for typeahead searching so you can simply tab into the drop down, type the name you are looking for and the system will take you directly to that area in the list.

• Click Add Co-Investigator
• Allow a couple of seconds for the investigator list to compile
• From the drop down list, select the co-investigator you want to add. Hint: Simply start typing the last name to go directly to that area of the drop down list.
• Click Add. You will notice the co-investigator added to the co-investigator box in the main record.
• You can add as many co-investigators you would like. When you are finished adding co-investigators, click close.

PI’s with multiple departments – You will default to one department. Select your name with the proper corresponding department through which you’d like to route your proposal. If you don’t see your alternate departments in the drop down, then request that we add it.

If the proposal is routing through a center or an administrative unit not associated with the pi or co-investigators, then you will select the corresponding center and/or other administrative unit from the drop down. Do not complete this section if you are not routing the proposal through a center or other administrative unit that is not already represented by the pi or co-investigators. In other words, if the PI is in Physics, then don’t select Physics in the Other Administrative Unit drop down, leave it blank.

Select the sponsor to whom you are submitting your proposal from the Direct Sponsor drop down. Hint: If you tab into the drop down, you can simply begin typing and your the system will take you directly to your desired sponsor. If your sponsor is not listed (check in different possible areas in the list), then click on the button “Request New Sponsor and select the default sponsor “New”.

If you know that the funding coming from the Direct Sponsor is from a different sponsor (for example, your direct sponsor is a state sponsor who receives their funding from a federal sponsor) then you should select what is known as the prime sponsor. If you don’t know then leave blank.

Select the date your proposal is due and then select the type of due date. For example, if your sponsor must be received by May 15, 2020, then you select 05/14/2020 for the date and Receipt Date from the deadline type dropdown.

Select the anticipated date your project will begin and end. This should match what you are submitting to the sponsor in the actual proposal document.

From the drop-down, identify the type of proposal you are submitting. Is this a new request, a continuation or supplement to an existing project, or a renewal of an expiring project? Select the appropriate option.

From the drop down, identify the category of program you are proposing. Here are the definitions:

• Research: A systematic investigation, inquiry or experiment designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge.
• Public Service: Transferring existing knowledge through outreach and engagement efforts in order to benefit the broader public.
• Instruction: Development of a curriculum designed to be implemented at the institution.
• Extension: Direct interaction and assistance of industries using know-how of the academy.
• Other: Rarely used but good choice for conference programs.

If you know the Request for Proposal (RFP) or other identifying number or website that describes the program to which you are applying should be entered here if this information is known.

Enter the total amount you are requesting in your proposal. This number includes the direct costs and the indirect costs for the entire project, the sum of all the years you have budgeted.

F&A stands for Facilities and Administrative costs and is synonymous with Indirect Costs or Overhead. Enter the rate used in calculating the F&A in your proposal budget and then select the basis to which that rate was applied. For example, if you requested the full, federally negotiated, on-campus, research F&A rate then you would enter 46.0 in the F&A Rate field and Modified Total Directs in the F&A Basis.

If you request less than the full federal F&A rate for the appropriate category of project (research, instruction, other Sponsored Activities) then you must justify use of the lower rate. This is rare and requests of administration for approval to do so are discouraged. Contact your College Research Office if you have further questions. If your project does carry less than full F&A then you must provide a justification. This is either in the form of an uploaded document from the sponsor’s RFP or a waiver from your college dean’s office or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration (upload documents in PINS under the Documents section). Some sponsor F&A rates are pre-approved by Research Administration. You can use the pre-approved codes instead of an uploaded justification.

Cut and paste an abstract from your proposal document that is written in clear, concise, lay terms and is less than 5,000 characters in length.

You must answer the questions: Any “yes” answers should be explained in the comments box at the bottom of the form. Question in PINS: “Will this project require facilities that are certified for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – regulated Good Laboratory Practices(GLP) in accord with FDA regulations?”

• Answer should be “No” unless it is designated/intended to assure the quality and integrity of the safety data filed with the FDA.
  • If this is not a FDA-regulated project, the answer is No.
  • If it does not fit the definition, the answer is No.
  • If it is not part of a regulation, the answer is No
• It should not be confused with standards for laboratory safety – appropriate gloves, glasses & clothing to handle lab materials safely.

FDA Good Laboratory Practices (GLP): GLP applies to practices for conducting nonclinical laboratory studies that support or are intended to support applications for research or marketing permits for products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, including food and color additives, animal food additives, human and animal drugs, medical devices for human use, biological products, and electronic products. Compliance with this part is intended to assure the quality and integrity of the safety data filed with the FDA. GLP, a data quality system, should not be confused with standards for laboratory safety – appropriate gloves, glasses & clothing to handle lab materials safely.

Referring to the location of the work to be performed, enter the various project sites. 95% of the time this will be in Raleigh at the NC State campus. Follow these instructions:

• Select a Country – United States is first in the drop-down, then alphabetical.
• Select a State – North Carolina is first in the drop-down, then alphabetical.
• If you selected North Carolina above, then select a county – Wake is first in the drop-down and then alphabetical.
• Then you will be prompted for a city based on the county you’ve selected.
• Add as many locations you would like but only one is needed.

Complete this section as necessary.

If you’re project has any cost sharing or matching funds you must add them here. Follow these steps:

• Click Load Data
• Type in the name of the unit responsible for the cost sharing or matching. For example, if you are buying a $20,000 piece of equipment and the sponsor requires the institution to cover 50% of the cost, then you need $10,000 in matching funds (cost sharing). Suppose NC State’s share of the cost comes from the department and the college equally ($5K each). Then for the department you would type in the name of the department (abreviations are fine here).
• Select a category. In the above example, the category is equipment.
• Select a type. In the above example, the type is cash.
• Enter the amount of cost share or match coming from the unit name you identified above. In the above example, that would be 5000.
• Click Load Data. You will notice the amount added to the cost sharing box and total in the main record.
• Now repeat the above for each cost sharing category, type and unit. In the above example you would then add the college line.
• When you are finished click close (or cancel).

Enter any comments necessary to explain your responses in the form. Also add mailing instructions as desired.