CHS-SPO strives to provide exemplary service to all faculty and investigators through expediting and assisting in the following areas:

• Identification of current and relevant funding sources.
• Assistance with the development, preparation, and adjustment of application budgets.
• Aid in improving proposals based upon federal, state, and local laws and regulations, sponsor guidelines, and university policies and procedures.
• Formatting and editing support; and grant writing of non-scientific proposal sections.
• Assistance in completing required internal and external forms, and electronic application packages (such as RAMS-SPOT, FastLane, Research.gov, Grants.gov/Workspace, ProposalCentral, and other electronic systems).
• Initial review, approval, and transmission of all sponsored programs to VCU’s central Office of Sponsored Programs (Office of Research and Innovation) for processing and institutional submission approval to the sponsor.
• Drafting and approval of letters of support from the Dean and Associate Deans.
• Coordination of effort reporting, certification, and processing.
• Oversight of post-award and financial grants management.
• Education and training on sponsored programs-related topics for faculty and staff.

We are committed to promoting and enhancing research and scholarly activity by providing service to all constituents by building relationships with the people we serve, being responsive to their needs, and being proactive in our approach.

CHS-SPO will continue to operate in a culture that promotes honesty, integrity, fairness, and exemplary professional conduct. Further, we will encourage our employees to develop expertise through training and experience to ensure that end-users obtain excellent services with practical results.

While CHS-SPO overall seeks to support the College’s strategic plan Excellence Beyond Boundaries, we have a particular stake in Strategic Focus Area III ('Develop and enhance nationally recognized student and faculty scholarship, research and creative initiatives committed to addressing challenges in our urban Richmond community and beyond').

CHS-SPO is a fully integrated support function for the College’s research initiatives. We will contribute to grant development and improvement, collaboration support, and tracking of initiatives that display and exemplify the College’s rich wealth of research and scholarly activity. The office will offer reference materials, lead proposal development and review, facilitate training for new and current principal investigators, perform accounting operations and compliance services for individual grants, and other pertinent duties related to grants administration.