Activity Types

The major functions of an institution, as defined in Federal Uniform Guidance, include Organized Research, Instruction, Other Sponsored Activities, and Other Institutional Activities. Sponsored Program Activity Type is a factor in determining applicable F&A rate(s) and is used for internal and external reporting. In Kuali Research, the selected Activity Type drives the F&A rate applied to your budget. 

Select the Activity Type that most closely matches the nature of the project work.

In a project that involves more than one activity select the activity type that matches the purpose of the anticipated award (e.g., select Training/Instruction for a Training Grant even if it involves research) or the activity type that represents the preponderance of the project work.

Screenshot of the Kuali Research Activity Types dropdown menu

Organized Research: All research & development activities sponsored by federal or non-federal agencies & organizations.

Research-Applied: Research assessing and using some part of accumulated theories, knowledge, methods, and techniques for a specific driven purpose. Examples: R01, R21, SBIR/STTR Phase II, MIPS, TEDCO

Research-Basic: Inquiry, experiment, or investigation to increase the scholarly understanding of the involved discipline. Includes career development awards. R01, R03, R21, SBIR/STTR Phase I, K99/R00, most, many IPAs.

Research-Development: Systematic application of knowledge or understanding, directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements. Examples:  SBIR/STTR Phase III; MIPS, TEDCO

Clinical Trial: A human subjects research study, the primary purpose of which is to assess the safety and/or efficacy in humans of a drug, device, diagnostic, treatment, preventive measure, or similar intervention through testing of the intervention on patients in a clinical setting. Examples: NIH or Corporate-funded Investigator-initiated Clinical Trials, Exploratory Clinical Trials, Multi-Site Trials

Fellowship: Use for proposals for support of individual pre-doctoral or post-doctoral fellowships. Examples: NIH Kirschstein-NRSA individual fellowships (F31 and F32), AHA fellowships

Instruction:  Specific instructional or training activity established by an award.

Training: Teaching and training activities. Includes curriculum development, institutional training grants, and development of instructional materials such as reference books or software, and instruction. Should not be used for proposals solely in support of stipends for pre- or post-doctoral fellows. Examples:  NIH Training grants (T-series)

Other Sponsored Activities:  Sponsored awards (federal and non-federal) for activities other than instruction and organized research.

IPA: Do not use.

Other Sponsored Activities: Use for sponsored activities not described in the other choices. Includes health services projects, demonstration grants, travel grants, support for conferences, seminars or workshops, support for educating or training individuals or groups other than UMB trainees, support for providing legal or advocacy services, support for projects pertaining to library collections, acquisitions, bibliographies or cataloging, equipment (e.g. NIH S10) and construction grants (e.g., NIH C06)

Services: Use for Professional Service Agreements and other Service Agreements. Examples:  clinical care services, pharmacy services