Resources

The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) at the University of California, Berkeley is responsible for reviewing and authorizing proposals for submission and for interpreting, negotiating, and accepting contracts and grants for sponsored projects funded by federal and state agencies, foundations, and other public and private sources. SPO prepares and negotiates all subawards for collaborative research. SPO also provides resources for finding funding opportunities.

In Limited Submission Programs, the sponsor restricts the number of applications or proposals a campus can submit to the agency. The guidelines for these programs require institutions to screen preproposals or nominations to determine which applications will be submitted for competition.

The Berkeley Research Development Office (BRDO) provides a range of grant application-related services aimed at increasing research funding on campus while decreasing faculty burden in applying for it. BRDO works with faculty to facilitate team-building, support effective proposal development and writing, assist with broader impact plans, and assess project fit with funding opportunities. BRDO also provides proposal-related training and resources for faculty and postdoctoral researchers. 

Donor and Gift Services (D&GS) provides an end-to-end spectrum of service that picks up from the point of donor solicitation and follows a gift through processing and acceptance, fund creation and management, and donor acknowledgement and recognition. It has delegated authority to accept gifts on behalf of the UC Berkeley Foundation and the UC Regents, has administrative responsibility for all private charitable contributions to UC Berkeley, representing cash and pledges of approximately $400 million annually, and manages nearly 15,000 active current use, capital and endowed gift funds. As an active advocate for donor interest, Donor and Gift Services manages an array of programs that acknowledge and recognize donors in meaningful ways, report to them on the impact of their philanthropy, and engage them with the campus.

When do I need to complete the Research Gift Intake Form?

A research gift agreement needs to be drafted

A UC Berkeley research gift agreement can be drafted by the UDAR Fund Management team when requested by the donor, to establish new gift terms, and/or to confirm gift intent.

Award Letter- A funder sends an award letter regarding a PI's research gift

Some of these letters may require an award agreement to be signed by UC Berkeley in order to issue gift payment. Complete the Research Gift Intake Form to collect campus signatures.

Research Gift Money- A funder sends...

What will I need to complete the Research Gift Intake Form?

The Research Gift Intake Form is used by the UDAR Fund Management and Gift Services teams to review research gift documents and accept the gifts for processing. The form requests the information needed to ensure that a transaction can be accepted by UC Berkeley as a gift and will comply with relevant University policies and guidelines, as well as IRS rules.

Name of funder and amount

Check or wire number (if a gift has already arrived)

The fund...

What is a research gift?

Research gifts are those directed to a specific research topic or project led and/or managed by a specific principal investigator (PI). While some fundraisers do certainly work on and solicit research gifts, many are brought in directly by faculty. A research gift may come about as the result of a faculty member being invited to submit a proposal to a funder, or even as a result of a faculty member giving a talk. Most, but not all, research gift donors are corporations or foundations. Research gifts differ from other gifts in a few ways:

Back-up for all research...

Should I send a chancellor letter?

How do I steward a major gift from a foundation or corporation? Is it the same as stewarding a major gift from an individual donor? When should I send a chancellor letter?

Stewarding corporate and foundation gifts rarely calls for a chancellor letter. It is nearly always at the discretion of the individual fundraiser and/or program director, when one or more of the following criteria is met:

The gift amount is $1M+ The chancellor and the president of the foundation having met It is meaningful for the chancellor to personally author the letter If the unit feels it necessary to send a stewardship letter, it is always recommended that it is sent by the director or program lead. The chancellor letter is held to strict standards the require at least one of...

What is a gift?

UDAR is the only unit on campus who can accept and sign gifts on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley.

In general, gifts are given with no expectation of anything tangible or intangible in return.

Gifts are motivated by philanthropic intent, i.e., the donor intends to make the donation.

While a donor can give to a specific purpose, including a research project, gifts to research should not include a line item budget and/or the requirement for detailed financial accountability back to the donor....

What is a grant?

Only the Sponsored Projects Office (non-profit and federal/state awards) and Industry Alliances Office (corporate sponsored research) may accept and sign grant agreements on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley.

Both gifts and grants may be given for specific research or operating support. However, grants often mandate a very detailed scope of work and time frame, and have expected outcomes....

How do I distinguish between a gift or a grant?

Visit the Gifts vs. Grants Eureka page here or the Research Office guidelines here

UCOP has more detailed guidelines here...