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Grant & Contract Services

The Grant and Contract Services (GCS) team of the Office of Research Administration (ORA) serves as a liaison between the Cedars-Sinai research community and sponsoring agencies to provide administrative and compliance oversight for the acquisition of federal and nonindustry grant funding through expert-level proposal review, grant submission, contract negotiation and award management.

All federal and nonprofit proposals for sponsored research funding (regardless of submission type) are routed through the ORA's GCS team prior to submission. GCS team members are authorized organizational representatives who review, approve, negotiate and sign on behalf of Cedars-Sinai.

Essential Grant Services & Award Oversight


GCS officers work with a range of sponsors, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, American Heart Association and others.

Some GCS services include:

Grants & Contract Training

New research administrators will learn regulatory principles and best practices, as well as how to navigate the complexities of grants and clinical trials.

Frequently Asked Questions

GCS is the primary grant management and proposal development resource for Cedars-Sinai researchers. In partnership with faculty and research staff, the GCS team provides consummate service, support and administrative oversight of federal and nonprofit sponsored research. In an effort to provide useful resources, the GCS team has compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding proposal development and award management at Cedars-Sinai.

Each department is assigned a designated grant and contract officer who is available to assist you in all administrative aspects of your application.

Not always. A response will be required if you are in a fundable range, but some federal agencies, including NIH, will provide a link in their electronic portal for submission of JIT information to all scored applications. It is generally more appropriate to wait for an actual request for JIT information. Your grant and contract officer can advise you on the timing of JIT information.

Sponsors will typically request the following JIT documentation

  • Institutional Review Board approval
  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval
  • Human subjects education
  • Updated other support
  • Other information requested by the awarding institute

In certain circumstances, arrangements can be made to establish a project number for the project in advance of receiving a fully executed award document. Contact your ORA grant officer to discuss your options.

An approved IRB protocol is required to be in place before any work involving human subjects can take place. Without confirmation of this documentation, ORA cannot release the award for a project. If funds are required to start work that does not involve human subjects, please contact the IRB administration to obtain administrative approval.

The recommended timeframe to apply for a no-cost extension is 60–90 days prior to the award end date. This also applies to all subawards affiliated with the prime award.

A grant is awarded and belongs to the grantee institution. The grantee institution has the right to relinquish the grant to the new institution or to retain it and nominate a new principal investigator with sponsor approval.

The principal investigator (PI) initiates the grant transfer process. The PI should discuss the transfer with his/her department chair as appropriate, requesting approval to transfer. PI notifies the NIH grant management specialist and NIH program officer of each grant he/she is intending to transfer prior to departure from current institution. A change of grantee organization request must be made before the anticipated start date at the new organization and preferably several months in advance. Failure to provide timely notification may result in disapproval of the request or a delay in processing.

Every sponsor is different and has different guidelines concerning the transfer of a grant. Some are clearly stated in the terms and conditions of the award document, while others require that you check with the sponsor. Note that some types of grants may not be eligible for transfer due to the guidelines under which they are awarded.

Technology & Innovations

Technology Ventures protects and supports the commercialization of discoveries and technologies. Learn about Technology & Innovations at Cedars-Sinai.

Office of Research Administration

If you have questions or wish to learn more about the Office of Research Administration, please call us or send a message.

6500 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1150
Los Angeles, CA 90048