RCSA

Managing Your Grant

This page is intended to provide principal investigators, departmental administrators, and sponsored projects administrators with information about managing active RCSA awards from the following grant programs: Cottrell Scholar, Cottrell SEED, and Scialog Collaborative Awards. The No-Cost Extension request section below also applies to Cottrell Scholar Collaborative awardees. 

For additional information:   

Email awards@rescorp.org or the Program Director who manages your award. 

RCSA’s Grant Management System: 

RCSA’s grants and awards are managed through PRISM (Proposal Review & Information System Manager).  Proposals for Cottrell Scholar and Cottrell SEED awards require institutional signoff prior to submission to RCSA. An Authorized Organizational Representative must create a portal account within PRISM to provide the institutional approval for those applications.  All other actions are processed via the Principal Investigator’s portal account. 

Forms & Templates: 

How to Request a No-Cost Extension: 

PIs must ask RCSA for an extension at least 60 days prior to the termination date of the award. Gather the following information and submit your request via your PRISM portal account: 

  • Estimated budget remaining for use in the NCE period 
  • Additional time needed (six or 12 months) 
  • Justification for the additional time 

How to Request a Grant Transfer to a New Institution: 

PIs must email the Program Director for their award and explain the circumstances of the transfer request. Then, gather this information and submit transfer request via your PRISM portal account.: 

  • Amount of remaining award funds for transfer 
  • Capital equipment purchased with RCSA funds that will be transferred to your new institution 
  • Last date of employment at current institution and first date of employment at new institution 
  • Research approvals required at your new institution 
  • Contact information at your new institution 
  • Description of progress to date 
  • Plan for project at new institution 
  • Changes to project needed due to transfer to new institution 
  • Endorsement letter from new department chair and countersigned by institutional Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) 

Refunds: 

RCSA does not require a refund for unspent amounts less than $300. For refunds of $300 or more, please mail the refund check to: 

Research Corporation for Science Advancement 
Attn: Lisa Jo Kastigar 
4703 E. Camp Lowell Drive, Suite 201 
Tucson, AZ 85712 

Required Acknowledgement: 

RCSA must be acknowledged in publications and other materials (including any websites, posters, presentations, and other representations of the project) that arise from research supported by the award. A sample statement is: “Financial support for this publication results from grant #SA-ABI-2023-078a from Research Corporation for Science Advancement.” 

If your award was funded by an RCSA partner foundation, your acknowledgement statement must include the partner’s name. See the acknowledgement section of your grant agreement (Acceptance of Conditions) for the partners you must include. 

Report Due Dates: 

Annual report is due 30 days after the anniversary date for each year of the project, including no cost extension years. Final report is due 60 days after the grant end date. 

Unallowable Costs: 

Please review your signed grant agreement (Acceptance of Conditions) for the percent of fringe benefits and annual summer salary allowed for your grant. Although exceptions may be granted with prior written approval, these costs are unallowable for RCSA awards: 

  • Indirect costs on Cottrell Scholar awards 
  • Fringe benefits for undergraduates and graduate students and faculty beyond allowance of *XX% of salary/wages/stipends 
  • Faculty academic year salaries (non-doctoral and doctoral departments), except non-tenure track research faculty 
  • Faculty summer salaries for PIs with a primary appointment in a doctoral degree-granting department, except non-tenure track research faculty 
  • More than *$X,000 per year in faculty summer salaries for PIs with a primary appointment in a non-doctoral degree granting department. Summer salary should reflect full-time engagement in the research for eight weeks, or be prorated for shorter periods. 
  • Academic year salaries/wages/stipends to undergraduates 
  • Building construction or renovation (bricks and mortar) 
  • Administrative and support staff costs, or Institution services (including copying, reproduction, postage, instrument maintenance, and other routine services) 
  • Books and journals 
  • Publication costs over $5,000 over the life of the award 

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