Under-recovery Pilot

The information below is for current participants in the pilot of the under-recovery feature of the Research@MIT app. This page will be frequently updated throughout the pilot.
 
If your DLCI would like to participate in the pilot, contact ra-help@mit.edu to learn how to enroll.

The Research@MIT app can be used to submit under-recovery requests for research programs. Under-recovery requests for non-research programs should not be entered into Research@MIT, but should be discussed with the department head, Dean’s Office and the Office of the Provost, with documentation included in KC proposal.

Downloading Research@MIT

Research@MIT is available to download at https://apps.mit.edu. Learn how to get started with the app. 

Roles

Faculty may submit under-recovery requests without being assigned a role in Research@MIT. Reviewing requests and approving requests require specific roles:

  • Dept Admin: May create requests, review and submit requests to Dept Approver
  • Dept Approver: May review and approve the under-recovery request. Dept Approver may be either department head or administrator as proxy for department head.
  • View Only: May view all requests for the department, but cannot create, submit or approve requests.

Contact ra-help@mit.edu to be assigned a role for under-recovery requests in Research@MIT. 

Submitting and Approving Requests

Request should be submitted at the proposal stage. If submitting a pre-proposal, wait to submit under-recovery requests in the app until invited by sponsor to submit a full proposal.

  1. In Under Recovery area of app, faculty or Dept Admin creates the request. If the KC proposal budget is marked "For Submission", under-recovery amounts will automatically appear in the app. 
  2. Faculty or Dept Admin submits request to Dept Admin.
  3. In Under Recovery area of app, Dept Admin reviews and either submits to Dept Approver or returns to requester.
  4. In Under Recovery Review area of app, Dept Approver reviews and either approves request or returns to requester. 
  5. If the request is approved, the approval will be automatically attached to the KC proposal as an internal attachment.

Any returned requests can be edited by the requester and re-submitted for approval.

  • Those with dual roles (Dept Admin, Dept Approver) will need to follow all steps individually. They cannot issue one approval for multiple steps. 

  • Most under-recovery requests should be submitted through the app. However, requests requiring additional approval should be emailed to the dean (or to the VPR, for units reporting to the VPR):

    • Requests for restricted sponsors, including for-profit, foreign government, or federal (other than training programs)
    • Requests from non-faculty PIs
    • Requests that will use most or all DLCI under-recovery allocation funding

    Though under-recovery for NIH K99 and certain Simon Foundations Independence awards is fully funded by the Institute, faculty should still use the Research@MIT app to make requests for these awards.

  • For under-recovery requests involving multiple DLCIs:

    1. Lead DLCI (from KC proposal) creates under-recovery request in app, submits and approves. 
    2. Upon Lead DLCI approval, under-recovery request will be sent to Dept Approver of other DLCI(s). Dept Approvers will receive an email notification that there is a request for review. 
    3. Once all DLCI(s) have approved the request, the under-recovery approval file will populate in KC proposal.

  • When a DLCI prepares a KC Budget SOW Update proposal where under-recovery is different from the original UR approval:

    1. A request is automatically entered in Research@MIT. 
    2. Dept. Approver(s) will receive an email notification there is an updated budget for their review in the app in the Under Recovery Approvals area under Updated Budgets.  
    3. Dept. Approver(s) may either approve or decline the request, or return to Dept. Admin(s) for editing, as needed. 

Department Approver View

Research@MIT screen showing budget breakdown by year, with proposed, committed, and allocated amounts shown in a separate chart for FY2025. FY2025 also shows the budget and remaining amount and approved, pending, and total requests.

Users with the Dept Approver role can view the amounts proposed, committed, and allocated to under-recovery. 

  • Proposed: Equal to under-recovery in KC development proposals.
  • Committed: Equal to under-recovery in KC institutional proposals. Released from Proposed under-recovery.
  • Allocated: Equal to under-recovery in KC awards, and fed to SAP. Released from Committed under-recovery.
  • Total: Equal to under-recovery in KC development proposals, institutional proposals, and awards. 

Features Scheduled for Future Phases

  • Ability for administrators to create a request without being assigned a role
  • Routing requests requiring additional approvals to the dean and/or VPR
  • Custom views for additional insight into requests from individual PIs or DLCIs
  • Reporting support, based on input from pilot users
  • Browser-based application

If you have additional feedback, contact ra-help@mit.edu.

Updated November 22, 2024