Procedure Library

OSP Business Practices - General Communication

Purpose

Clarify correspondence and notification expectations.

Applicability

Principal Investigators (PIs) and department administrators who communicate with OSP during the pre- and/or post-award stages of sponsored project administration. 

General Communication:

1. OSP will acknowledge receipt of each request for support via telephone or email within 2 business days.
   1. When telephone calls result in action items for OSP or the department or creates a need for documentation, OSP may choose to follow-up with an email regarding the discussion.
2. For non-urgent issues, OSP will either resolve, or communicate a plan to resolve requests for support within 5 business days.
3. The escalation of correspondence from departments to OSP shall be handled in a manner and timeframe appropriate to the urgency of the request. Correspondence to OSP will occur in the following order:
   1. 1st request to OSPawards or to a specific team member (if triaging of action has already occurred)
   2. 2nd request, the respective OSP Associate Director is copied
   3. 3rd request, the OSP Director is copied
4. Upon receiving questions in the OSPawards email box, the below steps will be followed:
   1. Questions received will be reviewed that same day. OSP will respond to the department within twenty-four (24) hours, excluding weekends and holidays. If the question is complex and requires additional research, OSP will respond to alert the department of the complexity and that a response is being drafted.
   2. If a response to a question is needed the same day, the department should indicate "URGENT" in the subject line. If there is a specific time the answer or response is needed, that should also be highlighted.
   3. If OSP sends a communication to the department that requires a response, it is expected that administrators respond within two (2) business days, or sooner, unless marked "URGENT". OSP will not abuse the designation of an email as "URGENT".

Related Policies and procedures

• Procedure Library > OSP Business Practices - Proposal Review & Submission
• Procedure Library > OSP Business Practices - Proposal Preparation