| Solicitation Authority
All research awards constitute contracts between the funding agency, the Principal Investigator, Fort Lewis College, and the State of Colorado, and the magnitude of these relationships cannot be overstated. The commitment of facilities, resources, personnel, and supplies for use in sponsored research efforts is a very serious matter. Because of the complexity of managing the operations of a college campus, and the myriad of laws and regulations that apply to that function, it is necessary to delegate signature authority for the solicitation of research funds to various individuals having the knowledge and authority to make these commitments.
The proposal review process exists in part to ensure that College resources are not being committed inappropriately and without the knowledge of those individuals charged with monitoring and approving those commitments. Therefore, all requests for research support of any kind must be approved and submitted on behalf of the College by the appropriate individual(s) having signature authority for the College. Any proposal that is found to have been submitted without the appropriate reviews, approvals and signatures, will immediately be withdrawn from further consideration by the funding agency. Furthermore, any award resulting from the submission of a proposal that does not meet the College’s review and signature requirements will not be accepted and will be returned to the funding agency.
The process has been established not only to ensure that the College and State of Colorado’s best interests are served and protected, but also to protect the Principal Investigator. By committing to an obligation that cannot be fulfilled due to lack of resources or violation of various policies, laws, and regulations, the Principal Investigator may be jeopardizing his or her own ability to obtain future funding. The best course of action by the Principal Investigator is to follow the established review process when submitting any proposal for research support. By circulating the grant proposal Planning and Approval Form, along with a copy of the proposal, the Principal Investigator can be assured that the proposal review and approval requirements have been satisfied.
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