Grant Smart: Insights from OSP 

FY26 Budget Template Changes

Beginning September 1, 2025, updates to UTSA’s budget template will go into effect as part of the university’s new cognizant agency agreement. Be sure to review these changes when preparing proposals for FY26 and beyond:

What’s changing:

• Equipment threshold increases to $10,000 per unit
• Equipment purchases over $10,000 will remain exempt from F&A. Anything under that threshold must now be budgeted as Other Direct Costs and will be subject to F&A.

F&A on subawards now applies to the first $50,000. This is an increase from the previous $25,000 cap and applies to each subrecipient.

• FY26 Budget Template
• UTSA F&A Rate Agreement

Have questions? Reach out to your Research Administrator for help navigating these updates.

Proposal Review Levels - Timing Matters

When it comes to submitting grant proposals, timing determines the level of review your submission will receive from the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP). To protect your proposal—and your sanity—make sure you know what to expect based on when you submit.

What you get, based on when you submit:

• Full Review (≥2.5 business days before deadline): OSP checks for both UTSA and sponsor compliance, reviews terms and conditions, and works with your research administrator to resolve issues before submission
• Limited (Institutional Only) Review (<2.5 to <1 business day): OSP checks for UTSA compliance only. Sponsor guidelines are not reviewed.
• At Risk (Same-day submissions): Submitted without review. OSP can’t guarantee compliance or on-time submission, and these won’t be prioritized.

How to stay ahead:

Work with your research administrator to submit the completed proposal and internal forms at least 2.5 business days before the sponsor deadline. This ensures a full review and gives your team time to correct any issues before it’s too late. Any incomplete or late submission to the OSP will not be accepted for review and submission to the sponsor without an approved exception by the appropriate dean and Vice President for Research (VPR).

See the full Proposal Preparation Guidance

Route Early, Avoid Delays

Starting contract discussions with industry partners? Don’t wait to route your proposal.

Too often, negotiations are underway before proposals are formally declared — forcing OSP and OCIA to backtrack and ask, “Has this routed?” or “Who authorized the university’s involvement?” The delay usually stems from uncertainty around the scope of work or budget. But here’s the key: a draft is enough to get started.

Routing early — even with a draft — authorizes your research administrator to begin the process, supports institutional compliance and helps move contracts forward without last-minute scrambles.

Here's what to do:

• Start early. Contact your Research Administration team and start a record in the PI Portal that includes the partner’s contact info, a draft scope of work and a draft budget.
• Route the proposal. This authorizes the university to engage and allows OSP to loop in OCIA for contract negotiations.
• Keep your RA in the loop. They’ll help finalize details and make sure the right documents are included in the contract.
• OSP handles setup. Once finalized, OSP will create the project in PeopleSoft so you can begin spending.

Syncing the Pace of Spending and Time

A balanced burn rate demonstrates fiscal responsibility, builds trust with sponsors and supports timely completion of project goals.

Benefits:

• Flexibility for Adjustments: Allows room to address unforeseen challenges or opportunities without derailing the project
• Sponsor Trust Confidence: Demonstrates fiscal responsibility, increasing credibility and likelihood of future funding
• Improved Planning and Forecasting: Provides clear visibility into spending patterns, enabling better budget adjustments and future projections

Why it Matters:

Consistently invoicing, drawing down or reporting expenditures lets the sponsor know that work is being done. It ensures efficient use of funds, maintains project momentum and aligns spending with planned timelines and deliverables. It prevents overspending, which can lead to budget shortfalls; underspending, which may signal delays; or underutilization of resources.

How to stay ahead:

Work with your research administration team to review your portfolio regularly and proactively flag and address potential issues like delays or scope changes. Use PS reports available to summarize projects and awards, along with other monitoring reports to stay aligned with timelines.

See OSP tools

Avoid the At-Risk Review Trap: Set Your Grant Up for Success

A rushed grant submission puts your funding at risk. OSP provides a full compliance review to catch errors and strengthen your proposal - but only if you submit at least 2.5 days in advance.

Why this matters:

• Reduces last-minute stress and rework
• Helps ensure your proposal meets all sponsor requirements
• Protects UTSA’s reputation: stronger submissions = better funding chances

How to stay ahead:

• Work with your Research Administrator to submit your proposal to OSP on time to get the full support you need.

Check the guidelines