Frequently Asked Questions

Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support is committed to providing guidance in grant evaluation and statistics to LMU’s faculty and staff (internal clients) and non-LMU personnel (external clients).

External clients that do not fulfill or serve in any capacity employed by LMU still have the option to request and utilize services offered through Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support. 

No, Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support extends their offerings to non-LMU personnel too. External constituents who seek support in evaluation or statistical methodologies can utilize all of the same services available to the LMU community.

No, GESS services do not apply to doctoral, master, and undergraduate students.

Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support has created short videos that are shared on their YouTube channel called "LMU GESS”. Please subscribe to LMU GESS to be notified of new videos. Also, GESS offers free workshops on statistical software and statistical analyses to LMU faculty and staff. Announcements for upcoming workshops are typically sent out via email, LMU news, and published on the university calendar and GESS website. Keep your eyes open for future workshops! 

All potential clients, internal and external, who are seeking Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support services can request services using one of the two methods:

1. For sponsored projects, complete the Office of Research and Sponsored Project’s Intent to Apply by completing all the solicited and relevant information pertaining to the PI/researcher and project, and selecting “Yes” or “Unsure” to the question asking if the proposed project will be requiring grant evaluation and/or statistical support.
2. For scholarly research, complete the Appointment In-take form by entering appropriate and relevant information pertaining to the PI/researcher and project.

Once submitted, the form (Intent to Apply or Appointment In-Take) is routed to Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support, who will review the form and follow up by contacting the applicant to schedule an initial, complimentary consultation.

Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support operates on a 2x2 model. Two hours are dedicated to the initial and final consultation to discuss results (i.e., in-person, phone, or online) and the additional two hours are dedicated to the project ideation. The initial consultation or meeting with the client is intended to discuss the scope of the project and gain an overall better understanding of the project, expectations of the client, and the time needed to carry out the project and is estimated to be one hour. An additional hour will be utilized as a final consultation with the client. It is strongly encouraged that clients send all necessary and relevant documents that pertain to the project ahead of time, as this will give GESS staff an opportunity to begin reviewing the documents in advance and help maximize in-person meeting time.

The other two-hours (after the initial meeting and prior to the final meeting) are used for non-meeting and personnel’s time to perform what has been outlined and agreed upon during the initial consultation with the client. GESS will provide support and guidance within their areas of expertise and will not oversee or participate in data collection – this responsibility relies solely on the client and the appointed research team.

After the client has utilized their complimentary hours and it is determined that the project will require on-going support, then GESS will provide the client with a fee-for-service contract agreement and quote. While the service rate is largely dependent on the sponsor, in situations where the rate has not been previously advised, GESS will charge $100 per hour. The hourly rate establishes the time invested for the project and needed for consultation. If the sponsor has advised on how to charge external evaluation, then this guidance supersedes the proposed $100 hourly rate. The quote will reflect the estimated number of hours needed to complete the work, rate per hour, and total dollar amount to complete the work.

Contact the Grant Evaluation and Statistical Support office by email gess@lmu.edu or phone (310) 338-6514.