Process for Extramural Grants Submission

The success of a project application depends on the collective efforts of researchers and research support teams. At the Aga Khan University, the standardised grants submission process ensures coverage of all aspects of an intended proposal.  

All funding proposals must be vetted through the pre-award approval system of the University. The Office of Sponsored Research facilitates a review to ascertain that the proposal protects AKU’s integrity and the commitments made in the proposals can be fulfilled by the Principal Investigator (PI), the lead researcher of the project. It also ensures that proposals comply with relevant University policies and guidelines and the approval is considered for space, legal, health & safety, finance and human resources.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS​​

Some funding agencies require electronic submission of applications.  For electronic submissions, the applicant/PI should ensure the following:

  • Strict adherence to the guidelines of respective funding agency.

  • Allow ample time to the OSR after completing the “Checklist” to address any possible challenges.

  • Immediately respond to queries highlighted by the OSR to ensure timely submission of the proposal. 

  • Submit the final application to OSR 5 business days prior to the given deadline of the funding agency.  

  • Send softcopies of the project proposal to sponsored.research@aku.edu.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF FUNDING AGENCY

National Institutes of Health, USA | eRA Commons (Electronic Research Administration)

Although AKU is registered with the eRA Commons,  NIH requires the PI to register with eRA Commons to apply for an NIH grant. Office of Sponsored Research can facilitate PI’s registration with eRA Commons and submission of grant application to NIH. 


NIH Centre for Scientific Research has a series of videos that can empower to improve applications and increase their chances of receiving a more positive review. To view video, click here.

To complete the online NIH grant application you may require AKU's data universal numbering system (DUNS) and federal wide assurance (FWA) numbers:

AKU, East Africa

DUNS:  535118889

FWA:  FWA00015601 (Nairobi, Kenya)

FWA:  FWA00029194 (Kampala, Uganda)

AKU, Pakistan

DUNS:  645366253

FWA:  FWA00028357 ​

Research Councils UK | Je-S (Joint Electronic Submissions)​

​The Je-S system is a way to submit grant applications to Research Councils UK (RCUK) and Aga Khan University is registered with Je-S and has a single RO (Research Organization) Master ID. Office of Sponsored Research acts as a central administration to submit research proposals to the approver pool within the Je-S research councils through its RO Master ID. 

To create an individual account and view upcoming grants, click here.

European Union – Participant Portal​ | ECAS​ (European Commission Authentication Service)​​

The university maintains an institutional ECAS account to access the Participant Portal for Horizon 2020 and FP7 funding database. AKU has a profile on PADOR (Potential Applicant Data Online Registration) database which is managed by EuropeAid and contains information about organisations who can apply for grants of the European Commission.

Wellcome Trust | eGrants - Online application​

The Wellcome Trust offers more than £700 million a year to support bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine. AKU is registered with the new system – WT Grant Tracker – which is replacing eGrants, the current electronic system.

WT Grant Tracker will be rolled over the coming months.  If you are planning to submit an application, you must ensure that you use the appropriate system. This will depend on the scheme you are applying to and the deadline.