ORED Funding to Support Program Officer Visits

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The Office of Research and Economic Development may provide funding to support visits with program officers. The goal of this program is to improve the competitiveness of proposals from Mississippi State University faculty and researchers by facilitating interaction with prospective sponsors. Visits with program officers also provide opportunities for faculty members and researchers to provide general information about MSU and their area(s) of expertise.

Submission Guidelines

  1. Applications must be submitted using the Program Officer Travel Support request form by clicking the “Apply for Funding” button at the bottom of this section and signing in with netID and password. You will then click the "new request" button at the top under the ORED logo. Funding requests will be routed to the appropriate Department Head and Associate Dean for research and then reviewed by senior ORED staff.
  2. Decisions will be made based on the project’s potential for funding success or strategic positioning for future success.
  3. Direct requests for funding to ORED that have not been routed through both the Department Head and Associate Dean for Research will not be reviewed. Funds will be made available and approved by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
  4. Successful applicants are encouraged to maximize the opportunity to travel. Meeting with two or more program officers at one agency, or program officers at two or more different agencies during the visit provides the most value for the time and funds expended. Travel awards will be determined by scope of visit and availability of funds.
  5. For approved applications, ORED will reimburse the department after travel is completed and the final report is submitted.
  6. The reimbursement will not exceed $2000 and is limited to one reimbursement per faculty/per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Cross-college teams of 2 or more members may request support up to a total of $4,000 for a joint visit to multiple agencies.
  7. Requests should be submitted to ORED at least four weeks in advance of the travel dates. The request will be reviewed within two weeks.
  8. Trips taken prior to travel grant approval will not be reimbursed by ORED.

Application Details

  1. Click on the URL at the bottom of this section and proceed to enter the faculty Net ID and password.
  2. Next, click NEW REQUEST tab located in the black bar under the ORED logo.
  3. Fill in the required fields as marked with an asterisk (*) including details about the purpose, location, dates, and budget request.
  4. You may enter the individual’s Net ID and click autofill for the department head and business manager and select the appropriate associate dean for research (if applicable).
  5. You can save the form and come back to it at any time.
  6. Once the form is complete, click submit to initiate the review and approval process. Once you click the submit button, you will get an email stating that the form is being routed to your department head. The department head will also receive an email stating that a request form is awaiting his/her review.
  7. As each appropriate level reviews the funding request, you will receive notification about the funding decision.
  8. You may access the funding portal to check on the status of your application at any time.
  9. All travel funded through this program must be conducted in accordance with the MSU travel policy and a copy of the Concur travel documents must be provided to ORED.

Post-Travel Requirements

  1. Within one week of travel, awarded faculty must log in to this portal and provide
    1. a summary of the trip
    2. a copy of an email or other document confirming the scheduling of the meeting with the program officer and/or following up on the interaction with the program officer(s)
    3. a copy of the Concur travel form/record of travel expenses, and
    4. a 25 account number for reimbursement.
  2. Awarded faculty must also participate in a post-visit briefing with the designated ORED administrator within two weeks upon the return to MSU. The designated ORED administrator will be identified when funding is awarded, and the funding recipient is responsible for scheduling this meeting.

Reimbursement

  1. All travel that is to be reimbursed with any university funds must be approved in advance (i.e. a Concur travel form must be completed).
  2. ORED will provide reimbursement to the appropriate departmental 25 account number after travel is completed, the report is submitted, and a meeting with designated ORED administrator is scheduled.
  3. Please work with your business manager to determine which 25 account number is appropriate for reimbursement from ORED and provide that information. Since the purpose of the program is to provide travel support for research activities, the original expense must have been charged correctly within the department with a research program code.

Contact Katie Echols at katie@research.msstate.edu with any questions about the program.

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