Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Does my proposal require a Letter of Intent (LOI)?
A: If so, when the PI creates the PINS record, please enter in the contact information for whom the letter should be addressed to in PINS on the Proposal Info/Docs tab where it says “Please provide contact information.” Please refer to the proposal RFP to determine if an LOI is required. If there are subcontractors on a proposal requiring an LOI, an LOI is needed from each collaborator.
Q2. Where can I find an ECE budget template for my proposal?
A: https://my.ece.ncsu.edu/cg/templates-info-links/
Q3. Where can I find an ECE budget justification template for my proposal?
A: https://my.ece.ncsu.edu/cg/templates-info-links/ Please also see detailed guidance for the budget justification here.
Q4. What are the current fringe benefit and health insurance rates for PIs, GRAs, Post-Docs?
A: https://research.ncsu.edu/administration/budgeting-guidance/fringe-benefits/
Q5. When preparing a budget with co-Is in the UNC system, where can I find salary rates?
A: Go to https://uncdm.northcarolina.edu/salaries/index.php, select a campus from the drop down menu, enter the first name and last name and click search. The current salary should populate. You can also consult with an ECE Pre-Award specialist by emailing ece-preaward@ncsu.edu to determine the salary information for co-Is in the UNC system.
Q6. Where can I find current NCSU tuition rates?
Q7. What items are required by COE and ECE for proposal review?
A: Routed PINS record, internal budget, budget justification, Solicitation (RFP), Statement of Work (NCSU portion only, if a subaward)
Q8. How far in advance of a proposal due date must I create and route a PINS with budget, budget justification and solicitation uploaded for ECE to review?
A: 16 business days before the sponsor due date
Q9. How do I clone a PINS record?
A: Go to PINS, select PI name from the drop down list, enter the PINS number of the PINS record you want to clone. Then click the “Create supplement/Continuation/Revised Proposal” button. You now have a new PINS record associated with and pre-filled with some of the information from the cloned PINS.
Q10. Where do I find NCSU ID numbers and references?
A: https://research.ncsu.edu/administration/references/
Q11. If cost share is required in my proposal, where do I add that information to my budget?
A: When cost share is required for a proposal, please add the cost share or match amount to the budget at the very bottom in the row entitled “Cost share or match” just above the last row, Total Project Cost. See the COE budget template here.
Q12. What is SciENcv?
A. SciENcv is a tool created and managed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and used by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). SciENcv is the preferred tool for biosketches for both NSF and DOE. On October 23, 2023 NSF will require that SciENcv be used to create all biosketches and Current & pending support documents. PIs may delegate access in SciENcv to support staff to edit/view/create profiles, but the signature requirement cannot be delegated and must be completed by the PI.
Q13. How do I use SciENcv and ORCID to create my Biosketch?
A: Please view a step-by-step guide here. Please also see Libraries support Slideshow for support here.
Q14. Where can I find information about disclosures in Federal Agency Forms?
A. View this page, which links to information, by federal agency, about biosketches, current and pending/other support, and facilities forms.
Q15. Where can I find information about ORCID iD? What is an ORCID iD? Why register for an ORCID iD? Why link my Unity ID with my ORCID iD?
A. See guidance here.
Q16. Can I link my ORCID iD to SciENcv to auto populate the bulk of my SciENcv record?
A. Yes. See links above for using SciENcv.
Q17. Where can I find guidance on Pre-Award from the College of Engineering (COE)?
A. https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/ora/pre-award/
Q18. Where can I find information about the College of Engineering’s (COE) centers and institutes?
A. COE has more than 20 centers, institutes and labs. Please see here for more information.
Q19. If I have a question about a proposal, who should I contact in ECE?
A: Contact ECE Pre-Award at ece-preaward@ncsu.edu and a pre-award specialist can assist you. Currently, our pre-award specialists are Jennifer Comer, Kiara Rhodes and Janieca Noble.
Q20. Where can I find contact information for COE’s Office of Research Administration?
A. https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/ora/staff/
Q21. Where can I find contact information for ECE’s Research Administration staff?
A. https://my.ece.ncsu.edu/research/
Q22. What is the Research Development Office (RDO)?
A. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XHF1ej3IFWnwfjhJEuLzvDt6IbxVGKyK/vi
A23. What are the benefits of the RDO at NC State?
A. https://drive.google.com/file/d/16idqKMqpcokY_kmRCdy78Ke9HWCFm6tf/view