Guidelines for COE Matching Funds

Requests must be for items that contribute to infrastructure (equipment, core expertise). Salary and expendables will not be supported, unless they are clearly essential for the contribution to infrastructure and are a one-time expense (for instance, for training of existing personnel).

Matching funds requests must be justified in terms of both criteria that follow:

1. Their strong impact on education and/or research within the College, for example any of the following singly or in combination:
   • the project clearly moves the College into significant new areas of education and/or research
   • it will develop new tools that will launch new and/or current efforts to a significantly higher level,
   • it will help achieve a significantly higher level in an area of current education and/or research
   • it will enhance multiple research groups and/or build ties with other units
2. The strong expectation of the funding agency for institutional support, for example:
   • the agency requires matching funds, or
   • institutional commitment is an important criterion in awarding funds, or
   • budgetary constraints make it impossible to include an essential item

   Both single investigator and multi-investigator proposals are eligible, as long as they are justified.

   In many cases funds from departments will be necessary to maximize leverage of the commitment. However, in special cases it may be possible to obtain matching funds with no departmental contribution.

Procedure for Requesting Matching Funds

1. Requests involving only COE

   Deadline: initiate 2 weeks before the UW Office of Sponsored Programs due date

   Requests should be made to Assoc. Dean for New Initiatives from the Chair of the PI's department at least 2 weeks prior to the Office of Sponsored Programs deadline and should include:

   1. Title of proposal
   2. Proposal deadline
   3. Funding agency
   4. Faculty involved
   5. Brief abstract
   6. Items requested for support
   7. Justification (based on criteria listed in Guidelines for Matching Funds)
   8. For User Facilities only: management plan for scheduling use and setting priorities
   9. Estimated total budget
2. Requests involving more than one college or school, excluding faculty positions or space

   Deadline: initiate 4 weeks before agency due date

   Such requests will be split with the other units according to the level of faculty participation. Requests should be initiated by the PI with the home unit at least 4 weeks before the agency proposal deadline (except School of Medicine, which needs 5 weeks) and should include the
   same information noted in A, above.

   Normally the total college/school contribution would be expected to be no more than 10% of total direct costs, split between the colleges according to the level of faculty participation. Additional funds, if required, must come from other sources.

3. Requests involving more than one college or school that include faculty positions or space

   Deadline: initiate as early as possible, preferably 2 months before agency due date

   Such requests should be initiated by the PI in the PI's home unit as early as possible, preferably at least 2 months before the agency proposal deadline. In general, that unit will coordinate negotiations with other Dean's offices and with the Office of Research and/or the Provost, as required. If you are considering a complex proposal of this type with less than 2 months lead-time, we recommend you delay until the next deadline. Current central administration policy is to provide 5-7% of total costs to match at least an equal amount from the Deans and Department Chairs.

   Note: Failure to meet these deadlines will jeopardize the ability of the College to consider the request.