Physics

Hours of Operation

Resources

• Physics Library

Need computer help?

• General computer help requests
• Networking requests
• My.Physics requests

Place your order

• Helium/Nitrogen
• Machine Shop

October

Funders

F&A Cost Explanations

• Understanding the Real Cost of Research (video, F&A Associations Work Group)
• Costs of Federally Supported Research (infographic, FAAWG)
• Excellence in Research: The Funding Model, F&A Reimbursement, and Why the System Works (report, COGR)
• Excellence in Research: The Funding Model, F&A Reimbursement, and Why the System Works (slideshow, COGR)
• F&A Cost Reimbursement Education Materials (COGR)

Federal Policies & Policy Resources

• Since 1991, COGR has maintained a database of changes to federal funding policy requirements. The most recent update was posted December 31, 2024.
• The University of Illinois library maintains a page on federal public access repository requirements and agency requirements.

Federal Funding Agencies

• Air Force Research Lab, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Grants.gov Workspace
• Army Research Office (ARL), Grants.gov Workspace
• Department of Energy, Grants.gov Workspace (applications), PAMS (LOIs, reporting)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NSPIRES
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Grants.gov Workspace
• National Institutes of Health, Assist (applications), eRA Commons (reporting)
• National Science Foundation Policy, Funding Search, Research.gov (limited applications, reporting)
• Office of Naval Research, Grants.gov Workspace

Private Foundations

• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• Heising-Simons Foundation
• John Templeton Foundation
• Simons Foundation
• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Industry

• NVIDIA Academic Grant Program

Campus

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

SPA Main Website

• PI Handbook
• Office of Proposal Development
• Division of Research Safety
• Non-Disclosure Agreements and Material Transfer Agreements
• System Government Costing: Overview of Facilities and Administrative Costs and Rates
• Resources for Research
• Managing Foreign Government Influence
• Research Report Archive

Office of Technology Management

• Inventor's Handbook
• Summary of Policies and Practices on Intellectual Property (OVPTED)

Sponsored Programs Administration

• myResearch

Division of Management Information

• Activity Reporting System, ARS Training

Campus-Wide Initiative

• Research IT Portal, Find Resources
• Illinois Data Bank (a University Library Research Data Service)

Research Data Service, University Library

• Data Management Plan draft feedback

Campus Administrative Manual (CAM) Policies

• Charging of Facilities and Administrative Costs to Sponsored Projects
• Cost Sharing
• Effort and Compensation on Sponsored Projects
• Eligibility to Serve as Principal Investigator
• Export Control
• FAQs on Sponsored Research-Related CAM Policies

Office of Business and Financial Services (OBFS) Policies

• Grants and Research Contracts

University of Illinois Board of Trustees General Rules

• Article II: Business Organization and Policies
  • Article II, Section 6: Research Gifts, Grants, and Contracts
  • Article II, Section 7: Other Gifts and Grants, Scholarships and Endowments, Nonmonetary Gifts
• Article III: Intellectual Property

Special Concerns

Award Closeout

• SPA Closeout Process Highlights (with responsible office and post-award unit)
• OBFS Close a Sponsored Project (detailed – combines PI and staff responsibilities)
• SPA Project Closeout Checklist
• OTM Invention Report Form (which can be submitted online)

Department

Physics Grants Group (grants@physics.illinois.edu)

use the Physics Grants Group email if your query is not confidential and you are unsure of who usally provides support for your specific need

Main Office: Sponsor and Campus Policy & Procedure Consultation,
 Grant Writing & Editing, Pre-Award Submission, and External Reporting

Kelly Searsmith (requests for grants admin services)

Piyali Banerjee (requests for funding increments/continuations)

Stella Kum (requests for personnel document checks, CERN project management / Perdekamp group, ICASU project management / Yunes group)

Business Office: Pre-Award Submission and Award Administration

Janice Benner (requests for new award account C-FOAP, first-year NCEs, budget drafting, funding increment requests for main awards and subawards); until resolved, email grants@physics.illinois.edu.

High Energy Physics Research Group: Award Administration

Tonya Ayers

Nuclear Physics Research Group: Pre-Award Submission and Award Administration

Mike Suchor

Approval

Vidya Madhavan; back-up approval: GCOE Office of the Associate Dean for Research

Accounts Administration and Internal Reporting

Steve Knell (requests for gift account set-up and anticipation account authorization)

Nikki Bogart (requests for information such as carryforward amounts and reports such as personnel paid on project) 

Purchasing (Business Office)

Cheryl Sabas (and via My.Physics Purchasing)

Activity/Effort Reporting (Human Resources)

Stephanie Swearingen

Tips

• Book: Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment by Kelvin K. Droegemeier (MIT Press, 2023) -- Open Access (Free)

What next-generation scholars need to know in order to thrive, and how they can actively participate in shaping the academic research enterprise.

The academic research enterprise is highly complex, involving multiple sectors of society and a vast array of approaches. In Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise, Kelvin K. Droegemeier shows next-generation scholars across all disciplines how to become more productive earlier in their career, as well as how to help shape the academic research enterprise. The topics covered include public perceptions of scholarly work and its use in policy; understanding the big picture of funding and national priorities as well as identifying funding sources; research methods; collecting data and materials; writing grant proposals; publishing results; ethical conduct; bias and peer review; intellectual property and compliance regulations; partnerships and collaboration; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the future of research.

Droegemeier's two principal goals are to enhance and accelerate scholars' understanding of the academic research process and to democratize that understanding, particularly at institutions that traditionally are underrepresented or lack robust resources. While intended for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and early career faculty, Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise is also relevant to mid-career and senior faculty, research administrators, funding organizations, congressional staff, policymakers, and the general public. Droegemeier places scholars in a broader national and international context—not as passive recipients of the existing system but as key actors who actively participate in helping to set priorities, determine policies, drive systemic change, and advance knowledge.

Author: Dr. Droegemeier is Professor of Atmospheric Science and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Science and Policy at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has served in national science and policy leadership roles including on the National Science Board and at NSF and the White House OSTP.

See also:

• Demystifing Funding Opportunity Announcements (Grants.gov)—n.b. UI uses Workspace for some but not all federal applications
• 10 Tips for Successful Grant Writing (CHE)
• 10 Common Grant-Writing Mistakes (CHE)
• A Guide to NSF Success (AAAS)
• Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty (Wellcome Fund)