A General Overview and Guide for Graduate Students
What Is The UIRIS Form?
‘UIRIS’ is an acronym that stands for “University of Iowa Research Information System”. The UIRIS Form is an electronic form that you fill out in order to route your proposal information through the University of Iowa. Information on how to access this form is located in a separate section of this document.
What Is The Purpose Of The UIRIS Form?
The UIRIS form provides the University of Iowa with information about the external funding opportunities you have applied for. This information is critical to the planning and funding of graduate services at the University of Iowa.
Why Should I Fill Out The UIRIS Form?
On a personal level, filling out the UIRIS Form when you apply for an external funding opportunity may save you many headaches in the future. When you submit the UIRIS form at the same time you are applying for an opportunity, you are allowing the University of Iowa time to approve of any conditions tied to the opportunity. Common examples of these conditions include: tuition waivers and cost-matching/cost-sharing provisions. The time that you spend completing the UIRIS routing process will save you frustration and delays in receiving funds from an external grant.
You should also fill out the UIRIS Form and complete the routing process so that the University of Iowa has a record of your accomplishment and can give you credit for this.
When Do I Need To Fill Out The UIRIS Form?
For each external funding opportunity you apply for, you need to fill out and submit a UIRIS form. You should fill out a UIRIS form and follow the routing process outlined in this document when you apply for an opportunity. So as you are preparing your application for an opportunity, include filling out the UIRIS form as part of your preparation.
Who Do I Contact If I Have Questions About The UIRIS Form And The Routing Process?
If you have questions about the UIRIS Form and the Routing Process contact:
Angela Keysor at dsp-grant2@uiowa.edu or Jennifer Teitle at dsp-grant3@uiowa.edu .
How to Access the UIRIS Form
Go to this link: https://research.uiowa.edu/dsp/university-iowa-research-information-system-uiris
- Under the main heading, “Electronic Research Administration (eRA)”you will see UIRIS. Click on this. You are now at the UIRIS log-in page.
- If this is your first time accessing UIRIS, go to the link, Request Access Click on this. You are now at the UIRIS Request Access page.
- Select the University of Iowa Affiliated button. You are now at the UIRIS Affiliated Page
- Enter your University ID number OR your Social Security Number and click Request Access
Congratulations!! You can now use your HawkID and Password to access the UIRIS form.
How to Fill Out the UIRIS Form
Go to the UIRIS log-in page: https://login.uiowa.edu/uip/login.page?service=https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu/index.php
- Type in your HawkID for “Username” and your password. Then select Login You are now at the UIRIS Main Menu Page.
- Go to the left-hand side of the page, and look at the middle box entitled “Forms”. Click on Routing Form (University of Iowa Proposal Routing Form). It is the fourth selection from the top.
- Now you will select a form. Select, Start a New University of Iowa Routing Form
[The other selections are useful when you start a form, you do not finish it and you save it so that you can complete it later. These would be in-progress forms.]
Page 1- Sponsor and Personnel Information
Whenever you see a red pushpin symbol this indicates that you must fill in this blank. The other items are filled in as applicable.
Purpose: This refers to the kind of funding for which this routing form is being completed. But this form was designed for faculty who would still be receiving salary while getting external funding, and therefore would have a % of effort (paid work from the university.) The options for scholarship include such a percentage, but this is not useful for graduate fellowships. So click on the menu arrow and select Other-No Effort (0% Total Effort is Permitted) A box will immediate pop up and ask if you really want to choose this option.
Select OK.
In the blank box below the “purpose” line type in the name of the scholarship, fellowship, or grant for which you are applying.
Add Sponsor: Now click on the button, Add Sponsor. On the page that appears you can type in the Sponsor’s name (the name of the funder), or their acronym, or look for the Sponsor’s name by using the alphabetical listings pre-programmed into the UIRIS system. Once you find your Sponsor, click on Add Selected Sponsor.
Question 1: Are these funds pass-through funds? Graduate students usually answer “no” to this. To be sure, you can click on the blue book with the yellow question mark for information on what funds are considered ‘pass-through’. If the sponsor/funder you have indicated above is the original source for the grant funds then you should answer “no” to this question.
Add Contact Research Organization (CRO): Ignore this.
Add Principal Investigator: Click on this button. On the next page, type in your last name and first name in the blanks provided.
- Click on the button, Search for Principal Investigator Your name should then pop up in the box in the middle of the page.
- Click on your name to select it.
- Then click on the Use Selected Principal Investigator. A profile page will come up on which you should not have to change anything. Leave “0.00” in the blanks that are devoted to Salary and Effort.
- Click on the Add Selected Principal Investigator to the Form option at the bottom of the page.
Add Alternative Contact: Ignore this.
Question 2: Does your proposal include co-investigators?: Answer “no” to this. While you may be working in a research group, the dissertation work is your own. Ignore the “Add Co-Investigator” button.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 2-General Information
Proposal Title: In the first box, type in the title of your proposal. This is usually the title of your thesis/dissertation. If your proposal does not have a title, just type in a title that reflects the work you will do with the funding. An example may be: “Examining Communication Strategies within the Deaf Community.”
Project Location: Select your department location from the pull down menu.
Proposal Type: Select “New” from the pull down menu. Do not worry about the blank for “Renewal Application”—leave this empty
Is This Proposal Requesting ARRA Funds? Select no.
Due Date Type: If you know the due date of this opportunity, indicate what it is in the blank provided, as well as whether this date is postmark (must be mailed by this date) or receipt (they must have it by this date).
Project Summary: Write a brief paragraph that describes the research project you will focus on with this funding. You can copy and paste a brief abstract from your application.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 3- Budget Information
Increment Budget Start Date: If you know when the funding will begin, if awarded, enter the date. If you do not know this, leave this blank.
Increment Direct Costs: Type in the full dollar value of the opportunity you for which are applying.
Increment F&A Costs: In most cases you will leave this blank empty. This refers to “Facility and Administration Costs,” the overhead costs that the University of Iowa will have to take on for use of University space and equipment. Graduate students generally do not have this kind of funding provided through a funder. However, some federal opportunities do include F&A. You will know this is the case because they will have asked you to provide those cost in your budget. If not, you can assume there are no F&A monies you have to include. Then click on the Calculate button. Your Increment Direct Costs/Amount of Money your opportunity is worth, will then appear.
Increment Budget F& A Rate: Leave this blank
Master File Key Section: Ignore the eight blanks in the first row of this section.
Total Project Costs: Type in the monetary value of your opportunity.
Do you have a sub-project that you want tracked? For this question, select no.
Financial Report Person or a Budget Contact Person Ignore.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 4-Cost Sharing
Funding from other Sponsors: The answer to question 4 is usually “no” for graduate students. Click on the blue book symbol for more information
Funder requires cost sharing: For most funding opportunities for graduate education, the answer to question 5 is “no” but a few funders do require the university to waive tuition or make other guarantees of support. Click on the blue book for more information, and refer to your funder’s requirements.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 5- Administrative Considerations
Questions 6, 7, 8: Your answer to these will probably be no. Read through these and if you have any questions, please contact us using the information provided on the first page of this document.
Question 9: For graduate students, the answer to the question regarding intellectual property is usually “no” since you will not likely publish this work until after you are no longer affiliated with the university. This question has more to do with work produced by faculty while employed by the university.
Export Controls: Go through the conditions listed in Question 10. If none apply, select “no.” If one or more of these options apply to your work, select “yes.”
Federal Funds: A few federal funding opportunities do provide some F&A support, but in most cases the answer for graduate students to question 11 is “no.”
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corne
Page 6- What Will the Project Involve?
Questions 12 through 18: Go through these questions and answer them as best you can. If your activities will involve “human subject research,” select yes for Question 12. If you have IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval, provide your IRB ID number.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 7-Other Considerations?
Question 19, Conflict of Interest: Usually answer “no.”
Question 20, Space Renovation: Usually answer “no.”
Question 21, U of Iowa Center involved? In general, the answer is “no” since, even if you work in a university center, the funding you are awarded is yours, not the center’s.
Question 22, Courses for Credit: Usually “no”- most graduate funding is for one’s own work, research, or study, and not curriculum development.
Question 23, International in Scope: Answer as appropriate.
Click on the “Save” button on the lower right of the form, and then the “Continue” button in the lower left-hand corner
Page 8- Proposal Submission
This page is focused on obtaining information about submitting/mailing the application to the funder.
Questions 24 and 25: If you want to mail the application yourself, just answer no to questions 24 and 25 and you are done.
If you want us to mail your application for you, you can answer these questions and provide the addresses that are needed. If you would like us to mail your application, you need to have your routing form submitted at least a week before your application needs to be sent out. We cannot provide overnight or expedited delivery service.
After Proposal Has Been Signed: Click on the blue book symbol to read about each of these options. Usually students will select “No additional instructions.”
Click on the “Save” button in the lower right-hand corner.
- Then click on the Save as Template button. A new window will appear.
- Save this material by giving it a name. Type the name into the box provided.
- Then click on the Save as New Template Name button. Now you can go back to the UIRIS site any time you want and pull up all of your responses to the UIRIS form.
- You will now be back on the last page of the UIRIS form, Proposal Submission. Now click on the Submit button.
Final Steps!
There will now be an option to print out your submitted form. Print it out.
At the bottom of the second-to-last page of the printed routing form, and the very top of the last page you will see signature lines.
- You need to sign your name and provide the date in the space listed for the Principal Investigator.
- The “department” signature needs to be from your advisor or from the department chair.
Then take (1) a copy of your grant application and (2) a copy of the signed UIRIS routing form to Gilmore Hall.
First, go to the Graduate College Offices, 205 GILH. Dean Berkowitz or an administrative assistant will sign in the space designated for the Graduate College representative.
Second, take all of these materials to Room 2, Gilmore Hall. Hand these in to the person at the main desk and you are done!
