MURC offers a Fall and Spring training series to assist current PIs and those interested in pursuing a grant funding opportunity. These workshops can be offered on-demand and tailored to your needs. If you have a group/department that would like to discuss an individualized training course, please contact Brittany Bruce, Director of Grant Operations.
Glossary of Terms Frequently Used Acronyms
Pre-Award:
This step-by-step guide walks users through the process of initiating a new proposal record in Cayuse Sponsored Projects (SP). Designed for faculty and research staff, the tutorial outlines how to access the system, complete required fields, and route the proposal for internal approvals. It ensures accurate proposal entry and supports efficient pre-award administration at MURC. Ideal for both new and returning users of Cayuse SP.
This guide explains the process for requesting a no-cost extension (NCE) on sponsored projects managed through MURC. It outlines when and why an NCE may be appropriate, the documentation required, and the steps for submitting a request through the appropriate channels. The guide also highlights key compliance considerations and sponsor-specific requirements to ensure timely and accurate processing. Ideal for principal investigators and grant administrators managing project timelines.
View document here.
Post Award:
This training provides essential guidance on using the MURC Purchase Card (P-Card) in compliance with institutional policies. It covers allowable and unallowable expenses, documentation requirements, reconciliation steps, and cardholder responsibilities. The presentation outlines how to ensure proper use of grant funds when making purchases and helps users understand monthly reporting expectations and audit readiness. This training is required for all new cardholders and is a helpful refresher for current users managing grant-related transactions.
View PowerPoint here.
This document is for those service agreements that are only under the “Contractual” grant budget line that are reviewed by your Pre-Award Grants Officer (if applicable) and Kristen Webb, Contract and Subaward Compliance
Officer. If you have an agreement for the purchase of software, software licenses, rental/hotel agreements, equipment, or maintenance agreements, this process does not apply and will need to work with your Grants Compliance Administrator.
When invoicing against a Purchase Order (PO), the vendor is required to complete the MURC Service Agreement Invoice to ensure all relevant information is properly recorded and that the invoicing aligns with the terms of the service agreement. It is alright if the vendor attaches their own invoice, but they must use the MURC Invoice. This document must be completed by the vendor.
Step by step process .pdf
A hotel agreement is a contract between the Marshall University Research Corporation and a hotel to provide accommodations for participants in grant-related events. These agreements are often used when hosting conferences, meetings, or events related to the grant.
This training provides faculty and staff with essential guidance on how to initiate and manage subawards at both the proposal and award stages. You’ll learn how to determine the appropriate agreement type, coordinate with key MURC contacts, gather required documentation, and navigate post-award steps including vendor setup, requisition creation, and compliance reviews. Whether you’re a PI, department administrator, or research support staff, this resource helps ensure subawards are processed smoothly, compliantly, and on time—supporting strong collaborations and successful grant outcomes.
View Process here
View PowerPoint here.
View recording of April 2, 2025, training here.
Once a subaward agreement and Purchase Order are in place, the invoicing process begins. This guide walks Principal Investigators and departments through each step—from reviewing subrecipient invoices for accuracy and completing the required PI Payment & Performance Certification Form, to submitting documentation for compliance review and final payment processing. Clear roles and timely communication help prevent delays and ensure MURC meets its financial and audit responsibilities.
View Process here
HR and Payroll:
This guide walks principal investigators and grant managers through the process of hiring staff on externally funded projects. It covers key steps from position planning and posting to onboarding and compliance requirements. Designed to ensure smooth coordination with HR and MURC, the guide emphasizes best practices for building a strong project team while adhering to sponsor and institutional policies.
View PowerPoint here.
Other Trainings and Resources:
This training provides an overview of U.S. export control regulations and their relevance to research conducted at Marshall University. It covers key concepts, including deemed exports, restricted parties, and international travel considerations. The guide outlines researcher responsibilities, compliance procedures, and when to seek additional review. Essential for faculty, staff, and students engaged in international research collaborations or working with controlled technologies or data.
View video of May 14, 2025, Workshop here.
View PowerPoint here
Marshall University users involved in animal or human subject research are required to sign up for the CITI system and take the required courses. This system also offers optional research administration training modules, described here.
To register in the CITI system, please visit https://www.marshall.edu/ori/files/CITI-Instructions-ERA-Course.pdf
Elements of Research Administration
This CITI module provides research administration professionals (sponsored program professionals and managers), principal investigators (PIs), and project directors with an overview of the different administrative components of sponsored programs. The Research Administration course as a whole will cover different areas of the sponsored programs administration profession, with five different modules:
- Elements of Research Administration
- Elements of Research Development
- Elements of Preaward
- Elements of Negotiation and Acceptance
- Elements of PostAward
RCR Research
All researchers, staff and students of National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored grants are required to complete an educational course on the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR). The educational course utilized by Marshall University is the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). The steps for completing the educational requirements can also be found on the ORI educational website at. The course is broken down into approximately 25-minute modules so you can complete the modules as time permits. The steps for completing can be found here.
PHS COI
PIs, Co-Is, and Co-PIs of US PHS (which includes the NIH) funded projects must complete the PHS COI course prior to award set up. The steps for completing the educational requirements can also be found on the ORI educational website here.
For information, please contact Bruce Day with the Office of Research Integrity.
Recorded Trainings:
If you are interested in external funding, you need to become familiar with the Marshall University Research Corporation and how its services help you navigate the world of external funding. In addition to familiarizing, you with the most common grants administration procedures, this session reviews the overall process–from proposal submission to award close-out.
This session covers the basic components of a standard grant proposal. Also included are agency-specific requirements, timelines for planning and the proposal from the reviewers’ points of view.
Concepts of grantsmanship for seasoned principal investigators (PIs).
This workshop is an introduction to MURC’s post-award services and will feature a Q&A session with our post-award officers.
This session covers the basic components of a standard grant proposal. Also included are agency-specific requirements, timelines for planning and the proposal from the reviewers’ point of view.
Do you wonder how to find funding opportunities that are an exact match for your research or how to find the perfect grant opportunity or collaborator to move your research forward? Learn from the experts! Representatives from GrantForward provided valuable and insightful information on how to navigate through the world’s largest research opportunities database– to search for grants with powerful filters and receive personalized grant recommendations based on your research profiles; guidance on how to find partners, based on their research interests, is also provided.
Find Grants (PDF | Video)
Receive Grant Recommendations (PDF | Video)
Get Pre-Award Information (PDF | Video)
Discover the ins and outs of the new grant submission process at Marshall University. Our expert MURC Pre-Award Team will guide you step by step through the Proposal Record Form, formally known as the Authorization to Submit (ATS) Form, to ensure you’re equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate Cayuse seamlessly.
Watch Training here.
This training will show PIs how to navigate Grants.gov submission with ease within Cayuse S2S as well as again hands-on experience with the application form.
Watch Training Here