Awards
Post-Award Management

Post-award management encompasses many different items that Research Administrator and departmental staff assist faculty with throughout an award’s lifecycle.

Please consult your Research Administrator if there is a post-award request that you will need their assistance on.

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Generic Grant Monitoring and Management

Both faculty and staff are responsible for sponsored project management. Research Administrators will run monthly reports to monitor funding and spending. Meanwhile, faculty may want to work with their Research Administrator and departmental staff on spending plans. It is always important to make sure that awarded funds are being used effectively and as expected by the sponsor. Some important things to keep in mind while reviewing your award are:

Important Details

  • Review your award’s terms and conditions. The award notification often has details on what kinds of budget items are not allowable.
  • Ensure that costs are consistent with the project schedule and are incurred between the start and stop dates of the project. Confirm the availability of project funds as needed, but make sure to avoid overspending, which may cause a deficit and limit further spending.
  • On a monthly basis, review your sponsored project account summary in case there are ever any errors in your budget, encumbrances, or expenditures.
  • Verify that Change Requests, corrections, and cost transfers are being made in a timely manner.
  • Maintain good documentation in case someone needs to revisit the issue at a later date.

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Opening Account Codes / Requesting New Budget Items

Whenever an account code is needed, contact your Research Administrator to discuss what new budget item is needed.

Important Questions

  • What new budget item is being requested and why is it necessary to the project?
  • Was this budget item part of the original budget? If not, why was it not?
  • Are there any sponsor or award-specific restrictions or limitations on this requested budget item?

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No-Cost Extensions (NCE)

A no-cost extension is when a project period is extended (usually for another year) without additional funding from the sponsor. The reasons for a NCE vary and may be due to a delay in the next year of funding or a delay in the research progress. It is especially important to pay attention to when a project is ending so that you can request a no-cost extension in a timely manner.

Please consult your Research Administrator if you plan on requesting a no-cost extension.

Important Questions

  • What number no-cost extension is this (first, second, third, etc)?
  • What is the remaining unobligated balance on the project?
  • Has there been any communication with the sponsor on this request yet?
  • Why is a no-cost extension needed? (Please note that leftover funds is NOT an acceptable justification)
  • What will be done with the extra time requested?
  • Is the latest ACUC/IRB protocol approval letter(s) current AT LEAST through the next three months?

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SubAwards

As detailed in the proposals page, a subaward is a component of a sponsored project where another university, company, or organization (known as the sub-recipient) is performing work and is responsible for a portion of the technical work.

You can also find additional information on outgoing subawards with the Office of Sponsored Research’s subaward webpage.

Please note that when a project is awarded, a subaward is not automatically established. It requires additional steps including contract negotiations with the sub-recipient.

Please contact your Research Administrator when you need a subaward contract.

Important Questions

  • Do we have the subawardee’s letter of intent (LOI) and statement of work (SOW)?
  • If applicable, do we have the subawardee’s current Institutional Rate Agreement (includes F&A and fringe rates & agency)?
  • Do we have the subawardee’s budget and budget justification? Do their project dates line up with our awarded project dates?
  • If applicable, do we have the subawardee’s conflict of interest (COI) disclosure management or is the subawardee listed on the FDP Clearinghouse?

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Federal Demonstration Partnership/Research Terms and Conditions

Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) awards are part of a cooperative initiative among federal agencies and institutional recipients of federal funds. This helps to increase research productivity by streamlining the administrative process and minimizing the administrative burden on principal investigators while maintaining effective stewardship of federal funds.

FDP/RTC awards implemented standard terms and conditions, allowing flexibility with project management. For specific examples of allowed flexibility, please see the RTC prior approval matrix.

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Award Closeout

The last step in an award’s lifecycle is award closeout. This is when the project chartstring is closed, and all final technical and financial reports are submitted to the sponsor.

ASRSP has useful information regarding the process of closing out awards.

If you have other questions, please contact your Research Administrator.

Fixed-Price Contract

When an award mechanism is a fixed price contract, an additional step in the closeout process is required.

Before ASRSP can close out the project, the department needs to submit a completed Fixed-Price Contract Closeout Checklist to the McCormick Office of Research Administration. Once it is approved, the department can proceed with closeout.