Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the PI is encouraged to resubmit. However, the PI must include a response to reviewer’s comments and note any changes in the proposal, as well as include[SS1]  copies of the reviews for the most recently submitted application. The PI must restate the reviewer comments from the previous application in the resubmission with the response to those reviewer comments.  OCAST only keeps this information on file for one year, so be sure to keep your copies!

The PI on an Industry Innovation project may budget for a salary but must be only for the time spent working on the project.  OCAST funds may never be used in any way to duplicate other project funding including salaries.  For employees engaged in non-project activities, time-tracking records on project replated activities must be kept by the awardee and available to OCAST upon request.

Reviewers require sufficient detail to evaluate the technical approach, budget, and milestones presented in the application. Information included in the Project Plan and required supporting attachments is kept confidential and is not disclosed to the public as allowed by law. Applicants should avoid including proprietary information in the abstract portion of the application, as the information in the abstract portion may be disclosed as part of Oklahoma Science Technology Research and Development (OSTRaD) Board of Director’s packet of information supplied to them for application approval, which becomes public information following the board meeting.

Matching funds must come from non-State of Oklahoma appropriated funds (e.g., private company matching or even better funds from Texas). Funds used for matching may include cash match or salary and benefits of Project Leads or key personnel or other funds the company has already committed toward the proposed project in the form of supplies, travel, testing, or other expenditures.  Please be aware that salaries or any other funds provided by a State of Oklahoma funded organization such as a state university may not be used as match.  Federal funds via programs such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) may also be used as matching funds with certain provisions. Applicants should ensure the funds proposed as match are directly related to the project proposed and have not already been matched to any other purpose.

Effective 1/1/2022, the start date will be within 30 following the last day of the month in which the OSTRaD Board approved your award. An award recipient may delay the start for up to an additional 30 days, but delaying the start date any more than 60 days may be considered only for well justified reasons. The projected start date will be provided in the Notice of Award document sent via email from the OCAST Contracts Compliance Officer.  Please note that the award contract may only start after all required documents identified in the notice of award have been submitted to OCAST.

Project work (along with related expenses) can begin on the start date of the fully executed contract. To avoid delays, please make sure to provide all required documentation and information to OCAST by the deadlines provided.

Any expenses incurred prior to the start date of an Industry Innovation or Intern Partnership project contract will not be reimbursed by OCAST. Subsequently, any expenses incurred after the end of the contract period will not be reimbursed by OCAST.

All award contracts funded by OCAST are paid on a cost reimbursement basis. It will be necessary for the contracting organization to complete and submit an OCAST invoice for reimbursement on OGX in order to be reimbursed for costs directly related to the research project. Requests for reimbursement may be submitted to OCAST monthly, but at least quarterly. Please refer to the contract for additional information about invoicing.

The Progress Report due date is provided on the cover page of your current year contract for your project, and the deadline for submission of the final invoice for reimbursement is no later than 90 days after the contract funding period end date.  Invoices submitted after the 90 day limit may not be paid

The PI is required to submit a Progress Report no later than 60 days before the end of each contract period, except for the final year of funding. For the final funding period, a Progress Report must be submitted to OCAST no later than 30 days after the ending date of the contract.

Read instructions for submitting a Progress Report for the Health Research program

Read instructions for submitting a Progress Report for the Oklahoma Applied Research Support program

Read instructions for submitting a Progress Report for the Intern Partnership program

Read instructions for submitting a Progress Report for the Plant Science program

OCAST allows for flexibility in the originally approved budget. We recognize that unforeseen needs may arise, or other budget changes may occur after the budget was approved at the onset of the project. To account for any such changes, OCAST allows the contracting organization to make cumulative changes to budget line items in an amount up to 10% of the originally approved contract budget. A Budget Modification Request Form must be completed and submitted for line item changes to the contract budget greater than 10% of the approved amount.

Read instructions for submitting a Contract Modification Request Form

Yes. However, the PI must show a separate scope of work for the OCAST project from that of the federal project. Indicate how the project for OCAST differs from the federal project.

See the Indirect Costs list

OCAST encourages collaborations within Oklahoma; however, if the expertise is only available outside the state, it is accepted. If out-of-state entities are involved, it is very importance to provide assurance that the benefit of the project will remain in Oklahoma.

OCAST does NOT have access to passwords. To change your password, you will need to click the “Forgot Password?” link inside the Login box. You will be directed to a form asking for your username and email address. If you cannot remember your username, please contact OCAST so it may be retrieved for you. If you do not receive an email containing a temporary password, please check your spam folder. An email should be sent almost instantaneously.

Once you receive your temporary password in your email, you’ll only use this temporary password once at the login screen. After you log in, you will be prompted immediately to come up with a new password. You’ll enter that new password twice in the password boxes, and then click Save. Then, the password boxes will clear, and you will see your various tabs (My Home, My Applications, etc.) at the top of your screen. At that point, you are in the system and you are free to explore.

If you are responsible for the administration of awards at your organization (Contract Official, fiscal agent, grant administrator, research administrator, etc.) go to the OGX website and click the New User link to begin the registration process. If you are an investigator, co-investigator, etc. you must contact the grant/contract administrator for your organization to request to be set up.

Go to OGX website

You will need to contact your organization’s Agency Administrator to get an account with OGX. OCAST is unable to approve registrations from organizations that already have an Agency Administrator in place. Go to the OGX website and click on the link below the login box that says “Agency Administrator Registration”. This will direct you to a form which needs to be completed in its entirety, and click on the Save button at the top of the page when you have finished. OCAST will receive a notification that your registration has been created, and will either approve or deny it. If your organization already exists within OGX, you will be added to your organization. If it does not, your new registration for yourself and your organization will be approved.

Go to OGX website

On your home screen on OGX, check to see what your role is, found directly underneath the “Welcome” box. In the example below, the user is logged in with their Agency Administrator role. If you are logged in under an Agency Administrator role, you will NOT be able to see the “View Available Opportunities” option. Only those logged in as Authorized Officials will be able to view that option.

No. You must obtain a separate username and password for each role within the system. To be both Contract Official and Principal Investigator, you must set up two usernames assigning one the Agency Administrator role and the other the Authorized Official role.

That depends. If you are affiliated with a university or large organization, your account will need to be handled by that organization’s Agency Administrator. If you are part of a smaller company, OCAST will approve your account.

Agency Administrators (also known as Contract Officials):

• Must approve the application before it can be submitted
• Must be the last person to make any changes to an application
• Is the only one with access to My Organization links
• Can view, edit, and submit all applications for the organization
• Can view, edit, and submit a Request for Payment
• Can view, edit, and submit a Contract Modification Request
• Are linked to all project numbers associated with the organization

• Are the only ones that can start an application
• Are the only ones that can submit Progress Reports
• Are linked only to their specific project numbers
• Cannot see other applications associated with the organization
• Have access to view and edit a Contract Modification Request

The easiest way to find your Progress Report due date is to look at the cover page of your current year contract. Otherwise, if you know the funding period for your current year contract, the Annual Progress Report is due 60 days before the end of the contract period, except for the final year of funding. For the final funding period, the Final Progress Report must be submitted to OCAST no later than 30 days after the ending date of the contract.

Only the Principal Investigator (Authorized Official) may initiate and submit a Progress Report through OGX.

Read instructions for submitting a Progress Report

OCAST sends the Progress Report to an external reviewer for evaluation. The reviewer is likely one of the persons who evaluated the original research proposal at the funding competition. The reviewer will compare the stated accomplishments from the Progress Report to the research aims in the original proposal to determine if satisfactory progress has been made. Continued funding of the research project is contingent upon a satisfactory performance evaluation that verifies that the PI is complying with the terms of the contract and achieving project objectives.

After the annual Progress Report is deemed satisfactory, the contract process for the second year of the award will be initiated. A copy of the contract will be sent to the Contract Official and all other parties on the contract to sign and return. The contract will have the new contract start and end date. In most cases it will be the same month start and same month finish as the first contract. Progress Reports that are submitted past their deadline may delay this process and result in a later start date for the subsequent contract.

This is how you request money from OCAST for reimbursement for work accomplished for your Industry Innovation or Intern Partnership award.

Only the OCAST award recipient’s Fiscal Agent (Financial Officer) or Contract Official (Agency Administrator) may initiate, complete, and submit a request for reimbursement.

The OCAST award recipient’s Fiscal Agent (Financial Officer) or Contract Official (Agency Administrator) should log in to OGX for their project and initiate a new request for reimbursement form. Fill out that form, making sure to save often, address any errors detected, and submit the form to OCAST by changing the form status to “Request for Reimbursement Submitted.” 

Read instructions for submitting a Request for Payment (RFP) on OGX

Remember that requests for reimbursements are the mechanism by which you are request money from your OCAST funded award for expenses you have already incurred while performing approved work on the OCAST project. Requests for reimbursement need to be submitted to OCAST for expenditures on a monthly or at the very latest a quarterly basis. All requests for reimbursement, except the final one, must be submitted to OCAST during the contract period, and the final payment request must be submitted to OCAST no later than 60 days beyond the end of the contract period. Any reimbursement request received at OCAST more than 60 days beyond the contract end date may not be paid.

To submit a final request for reimbursement, you simply follow the same procedures you have with the previous requests. The difference is, on this final request, you must click "YES" for final request for reimbursement in OGX when completing the request form. Please note that a Progress Report for the current contract year must be received by OCAST before final requests for reimbursement are processed. Final requests for reimbursement may take a slightly longer time to process than other requests for payment. If OCAST does not receive a request for reimbursement form that is marked as “final,” we may remove any remaining project funds from the contract 60 days after the contract end date.