RASU Frequently Asked Questions
Research Administration Service Units (RASUs) provide faculty and research teams with coordinated pre-award and post-award research administration support. RASU staff work closely with Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA), Grants & Contracts Accounting (GCA), schools, departments, and other University offices to help investigators develop proposals, manage sponsored awards, meet sponsor and University requirements, and resolve administrative issues throughout the life of an award.
About RASU
A Research Administration Service Unit, or RASU, is a team of research administration professionals assigned to support a defined group of Tulane faculty, departments, schools, or research units.
RASUs provide both pre-award and post-award support and serve as a primary point of coordination for investigators throughout the sponsored-project lifecycle.
Tulane currently operates Research Administration Service Units supporting:
Schools located on the Uptown campus and departments within those schools
The Tulane National Biomedical Research Center (TNBRC)
The School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and School of Social Work (PHSW)
School of Medicine (SOM)
Visit the RASU – SPA – GCA – CFR – ORPD Grants Contact page to identify the team supporting your school and department.
RASU services include support for activities such as:
- Proposal development and submission preparation
- Proposal budgets and budget justifications
- Sponsor and University administrative requirements
- Award review and account setup coordination
- Post-award financial monitoring
- Prior approvals and award modifications
- Progress reports and other sponsor reporting
- Subaward coordination
- Effort, payroll, and expenditure review
- Award closeout
- Coordination with SPA, GCA, and other University offices
Specific responsibilities may vary depending on the transaction and sponsor requirements.
Getting Help With a Proposal
Contact your RASU pre-award specialist as early as possible; preferably, as soon you know you want to put forward a submission. You can find your RASU pre-award specialist associated with your school and department using the Grant Contacts look up, here.
Your RASU specialist will help identify the administrative requirements for the opportunity, establish a proposal timeline, develop the budget and required administrative materials, coordinate institutional review, and work with SPA through submission.
Early notification is especially important for complex proposals, proposals involving subrecipients, international components, cost sharing, multiple investigators or institutions, unusual sponsor requirements, or limited submission deadlines.
As soon as you know that you intend to apply.
Tulane's proposal submission requirements establish deadlines for administrative materials and institutional review before the sponsor deadline. Providing materials early gives RASU and SPA sufficient time to identify and correct problems before submission.
Investigators may continue refining the scientific or technical components of a proposal close to the sponsor deadline when permitted by University policy. However, proposals received outside established University timelines may have a greater risk of an unsuccessful or incomplete submission.
Thinking of applying for a grant? Fill out the Intent to Submit Form.
RASU coordinates and prepares the proposal with the investigator and research team. SPA serves as Tulane's authorized representative for sponsored-project submissions when sponsor systems or requirements require institutional authorization.
The exact workflow may vary by sponsor.
RASU focuses primarily on the administrative and financial components of a proposal.
For assistance with funding opportunities, proposal strategy, scientific or technical development, or other proposal-development resources, investigators may also work with the Office of Research Proposal Development and other appropriate University resources.
Managing an Award
RASU works with SPA, GCA, the investigator, and the appropriate school or department to help move the award into active management.
Depending on the award, this may include review of the notice of award, confirmation of required documentation, account setup activities, budget review, payroll and effort planning, subaward coordination, and resolution of outstanding administrative requirements.
Start with your assigned RASU post-award specialist. You can find your RASU post-award specialist associated with your school and department using the Grant Contacts look up here.
Your RASU specialist serves as the primary administrative point of coordination for the award and will involve SPA, GCA, or another University office when necessary.
Your RASU will help to determine which central office owns an issue.
RASU post-award teams support ongoing financial and administrative management, including review of expenditures, payroll, budgets, sponsor deadlines, reporting requirements, award modifications, and closeout activities.
Principal Investigators remain responsible for the scientific, programmatic, and financial stewardship of their sponsored projects. RASU helps investigators exercise those responsibilities effectively and consistently.
RASU provides day-to-day post-award financial administration and works with Grants & Contracts Accounting on accounting, financial reporting, and other matters requiring central financial administration.
Because some sponsored-project financial information depends on University financial systems, RASU may need to coordinate with GCA or other University offices to investigate and resolve discrepancies.
Roles and Responsibilities
The three organizations work together but have different responsibilities.
RASU provides investigator-facing pre-award and post-award administrative support and coordinates research administration activities throughout the lifecycle of a sponsored project.
Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) performs central institutional sponsored-project functions, including activities requiring institutional authority, sponsor-facing institutional administration, and review or approval on behalf of Tulane.
Grants & Contracts Accounting (GCA) performs central sponsored-project accounting functions, including financial reporting and other institutional financial responsibilities.
Detailed responsibilities are available in Tulane's Research Administration Roles and Responsibilities guidance.
Sponsored projects involve shared responsibilities among the Principal Investigator, RASU, SPA, GCA, the investigator's school or department, and other University offices.
For day-to-day research administration questions, however, your assigned RASU specialist should generally be your starting point. RASU will coordinate with the appropriate University office when additional expertise or institutional action is required.
Yes. There will be circumstances in which direct communication with SPA, GCA, or another University office is appropriate.
For routine proposal and award administration, starting with your RASU specialist helps maintain continuity, avoid duplicate requests, and make sure the issue is tracked through resolution.
Deadlines, Escalation, and Special Situations?
Contact your assigned RASU specialist and clearly identify the deadline and the action required.
If the matter is time-sensitive or remains unresolved, contact the appropriate RASU manager or director. RASU leadership will coordinate escalation with SPA, GCA, or other University offices when necessary.
RASU will make reasonable efforts to support a successful submission. However, sufficient time is required for administrative review, correction of errors, institutional approvals, and sponsor-system validation.
Submission cannot be guaranteed when required materials are provided outside University timelines or too close to a sponsor deadline to allow the necessary review and processing. If you’re unsure what the timeline for submission is, check with your RASU.
Sponsor systems and requirements change periodically. RASU works with SPA and other University offices to adjust workflows when these changes occur.
If a sponsor changes who may upload, approve, or submit materials, your RASU specialist will help coordinate the revised process and communicate any actions required from the investigator.
RASU coordinates preparation of Just-in-Time materials with the Principal Investigator and SPA.
For NIH Just-in-Time requests, system access requirements may require the Principal Investigator to perform certain actions in eRA Commons, while SPA performs institutional actions requiring Signing Official authority. RASU coordinates the process and helps ensure that required materials are complete and ready for submission.
Visit the RASU grants contacts page to identify the pre-award and post-award specialists assigned to your school and department.
If you are unsure whom to contact, contact the appropriate RASU office and the team will route your request.
Our Service Commitment
RASU's goal is to provide consistent, knowledgeable, responsive research administration support that allows investigators to focus as much as possible on their research.
Our operating principles include:
- Clear responsibility and accountability
- A consistent point of contact for investigators
- Timely communication
- Standardized and reliable processes
- Appropriate escalation when problems cannot be resolved at the initial level
- Effective coordination across RASU, SPA, GCA, schools, departments, and other University offices
- Continuous improvement based on faculty, staff, and stakeholder feedback