“SRO-Trackit” for Grant Application Support Requests 

Effective as of March 2023, researchers who wish to become Principal Investigators (PIs) in a proposal prepared for an external grant application will have to submit a Grant Application Support Request via the new SRO-Trackit service, to be processed by the Sponsored Research Office (SRO).

We organized a webinar on 14 April 2023 on SRO-trackit usage, download/stream here:

“Trackit Usage and PI Approvals”

Click here to submit an SRO-Trackit.

Download documents (you can upload more than one document to your SRO-trackit):

Grant Application Interest Form (all PIs)

PI Approval form for research faculty and postdoctoral researchers

PI Approval form for PhD candidates

Who needs to use SRO-Trackit?  

Principal Investigators. If you are planning to develop a national or international funding application as a PI, you have to open an SRO-Trackit. 

Who can be a PI for an external funding application? 

All Faculty can apply for external funding as PIs with the knowledge of their Dean’s Office (Faculty’s Grant Application Support Requests are digitally approved by Deans).

Research faculty can apply for funding with consent by their directors. For those funding schemes that allow postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates to become PIs, similar consent is required by their advisors /supervisors / directors. Such consent for research faculty, postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates is expressed by a signed approval letter that is to be uploaded to your initial SRO-Trackit (templates below).

For a detailed explanation of SRO requirements about PI approvals, please click here.

Approval forms

• For research faculty and postdoctoral researchers: click to download the template 
• For PhD candidates: click to download the template

When do I use SRO-Trackit?  

The Grant Application Support Request service should be used at least 10 business days prior to the closing date of any national/international call for proposals. (For example, with the application deadline of 3.4.2023 for the first round of TÜBİTAK 1001 applications, PIs intending to submit a proposal should raise a support request through SRO-Trackit latest by 20.3.2023. )

Special case for Horizon Europe (HE) coordinatorships: If you are going to coordinate a cooperative Horizon Europe proposal and want to procure “proposal writing services” from an external consultant, an international tendering process will be required. You have to open an SRO-Trackit and inform us of your coordinatorship plans at least 4 months prior to the HE call deadline. 

Where do I access SRO-Trackit?  

The service is accessible under the title “SRO-Trackit” on Koç University’s main trackit portal. 

How do I complete a request at SRO-Trackit and what happens next?

The system requests basic information about you as the PI and your planned grant application. All PIs upload a brief Grant Application Interest Form, that can be downloaded here. As mentioned above, research faculty, postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates as PIs upload an additional advisor / supervisor / group leader approval form. SRO processes the request and checks for PI eligibility. Faculty requests are forwarded to their Deans’ digital approval before SRO contacts the PI to plan proposal development services. An eligible (and approved, via the uploaded form) PI who is a research faculty, postdoctoral researcher or a PhD candidate is directly contacted by SRO for support services. SRO will process trackit requests within 3 business days.

Why do I have to use SRO-Trackit? 

The service enables SRO to serve your proposal preparation needs in a timely and effective manner. It helps SRO prioritize and classify requests, increase the pace and quality of its services, and minimize errors during the proposal preparation and submission process. Additionally, the system will expedite the approval process by Deans of Colleges, research center directors, laboratory heads or dissertation advisors, depending on the status of the applicant. Starting with new proposals submitted after 20.3.2023, VPRD approval of proposals cannot be completed without a corresponding SRO-Trackit.