A frequently asked question in the Pre-Award Office is, "Does Montana State University qualify as a 501(c)(3) organization?" In reality, there are two answers. The first answer is "no." The university per se does not fit under that particular Internal Revenue Code section that exempts an organization from federal income tax. These organizations are non-profit private corporations, such as a private foundation. Often, it is worth a call to the granting foundation to find out if they use the designation loosely to mean all tax exempt organizations or if they specifically target only non-profit private corporations.

The second answer is "yes." The university is, however, tax exempt as an agency of the State of Montana. If the sponsor requires that the recipient is a 501(c)(3) organization, the University can submit a collaborative proposal with one of our affiliated non-profit private corporations. If the deliverables from the proposal will be research results, the Research and Development Institute Inc. (RDI) in the Advanced Technology Park may be an appropriate collaborator. In other cases, it may be appropriate to request the MSU Foundation to collaborate on the project. If collaboration with a 501(c)(3) is sought, the principal investigator should contact the designated Grants and Contracts officer.

When the proposal is successful, the MSU Foundation or RDI will be the recipient of the grant, and MSU will perform its responsibilities as a subcontractor subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the written agreement between the parties.

If you have questions, call Rebecca Mahurin, 994-2752.

In other funding news, two updated Public Health Service forms are now available. The new PHS 398 and PHS 2590 application instructions and forms are available on the National Institutes of Health Web site at www.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. Paper copies will be available in January in the Pre-Award Office, 303 Montana Hall.

And finally, MSU faculty will be receiving a form requesting keywords that correspond with individual research interests. Please complete and return this form to our office.Opportunities will be forwarded directly to the faculty member, based on these keywords.

The Pre-Award Office will be closed between Christmas and New Year's. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Kath Williams is Assistant to the Vice President for Research for Special Projects. She is assisted in the Pre-Award Office by Audrey Thurlow and intern Betsy White.

A program funded through the Office of the Vice President for Research, Creativity, and Technology Transfer supports scholarship and creative activity in the arts, humanities and social sciences at MSU. It is open to full-time, tenurable MSU-Bozeman faculty with terminal degrees. In addition to artists and scholars from departments or colleges normally associated with these disciplines, representatives from other departments may be awarded grants if their projects fit accepted criteria for these fields.

Applicants may request funds for salary and benefits, supplies, travel, and other expenses for between one and three years. The award amount will range from$5000 to $20,000.

The dead line for proposals is Feb. 1,1999. Awards will be announced by March 1. Questions about applications may be directed to Sara Jayne Steen, current committee chair, at 994-3768. Hard copies can be obtained in the Pre--Award Office, 303 Montana Hall.

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