Grant-Admin-News: Expediting Delivery of Proposals

[Research Services <Research_Services@orsa.uoregon.edu>]

ORSA has been watching for announcements on mailing proposals to
agencies located in areas that are experiencing mail processing
back-logs, impounded mail, or cancelled deliveries.  Very little
guidance has been received from agencies so far, but several main
processing stations in or near Washington D.C. have been closed
temporarily or had mail diverted for inspection.  Therefore, ORSA is
recommending that all proposals be sent by Federal Express or UPS,
rather than through the U.S. Postal Service, for the next few months,
unless the agency has issued specific directions otherwise.  It is also
advisable that proposals be sent early, rather than on the day of or day
before a deadline, as the increased volume in express mail may result in
unexpected delays for next-day delivery. 

Specific agency information received to date includes:

The U.S. Department of Energy has sent out to PIs an email indicating
that their proposals must be sent via UPS, and any sent by Federal
Express or U.S. Postal Service will not be accepted.  

Postal service has been disrupted at the Hamilton and Princeton post
offices, which handle mail to many East Coast foundations.  The Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation has not received any mail sent between October
21 and October 24 and recommends that it be re-sent using an express
mail service.  PIs are encouraged to contact (either by e-mail or
telephone) the person for whom it was intended to determine whether or
not a proposal was received.  

ORSA is now handling Federal Express pick-up and delivery of grant
proposals directly in our office, rather than sending the proposal to UO
Mail Services for processing.  We can track the proposal's routing and
delivery.  There is no additional charge to departments for this service
beyond the usual delivery costs for a Federal Express package, which are
billed out to departments monthly.  Please contact ORSA at 6-5131 with
any questions.


-------------------------------------------------------------------
To be removed from this list, forward this message

     to: Research_Services@orsa.uoregon.edu
subject: unsubscribe grant-admin-news
   text: Please add your name and telephone number to the beginning of
the message