Post-Award Management

The Office of Grant Services is responsible for the overall post-award management of an externally sponsored project. Several parties are involved in the management of an award: the project director, the Controller's Office, Grant Services, and others, depending on the type of project. Grant Services will coordinate the activities of these parties to ensure that the project adheres to the funding source's guidelines (i.e., progress reporting requirements, financial reporting requirements, expenditure restrictions) and that all compliance issues are met.

Upon award, the Grant Services Officer will meet with the project director to discuss questions about grant award management.

Fiscal management

The project director exercises primary responsibility for oversight of the project budget. While the University serves as the fiscal manager of each award, direct responsibility for project management rests with the project director.

The University wishes to allow maximum flexibility to the individual project directors in the management of their projects. However, because the award is made to the University and not to an individual project director, both the University and the project director share responsibility for programmatic accountability. Expenditures on sponsored projects must be consistent with the actual progress of the project, as proposed to the funding source. Every effort should be made to incur expenditures in a timely manner that reflects consistent programmatic progress.

Matching funds are often included in grant proposals in order to demonstrate University commitment to the project. When a grant is awarded, if matching funds have been committed, a separate account will be set up to hold these funds. The sources of committed matching funds must be determined before project proposals are submitted to funding sources.

Having individual accounts for grants and their matching funds allows for proper accounting of the project's expenditures. If the grant award were audited, the University would have to demonstrate that the funding source's award had been expended properly and that the University had fulfilled its matching funds commitments.

Reports

The project director is responsible for adhering to the reporting requirements specified in the grant award. The project director is expected to write the narrative reports that describe how the project was carried out, its results, and its expenses. A Grant Services Officer will review and assist with the submission of the reports. If separate financial reports are required by the funding source, the Controller's office can assist with their preparation.

Federal policy requires recipients of federal funding to maintain a system that documents and certifies the percentage of effort for all key personnel funded or working under the terms of grant projects. The University must assure that effort expended on federally sponsored projects justifies the salaries charged to those grants and that committed effort as part of cost-sharing is fulfilled. Therefore, a Grant Services Officer will send time and effort reports to project directors and other key personnel for completion and certification throughout the project period.

Central Procurement and Accounts Payable

Questions regarding procedures for the procurement of equipment, supplies, services, etc. should be directed to Central Procurement and Accounts Payable (ext. 3676). Central Procurement and Accounts Payable can answer questions about the following:

• completing a purchase requisition;
• obtaining a purchase order number;
• processing payments from invoices;
• conducting a competitive bidding process.

Questions about check requests and University travel policies should be directed to the Office of the Controller (ext. 3434).

Hiring New Personnel

If new faculty or other personnel are to be hired to work on the funded project, the project director must first contact human resources (ext. 3638) for appropriate procedures. No person will be hired until the grant has been formally awarded.

If student personnel are to be hired to work on the funded project, the project director must first contact the Coordinator of On-campus Employment in the Career Services Center (ext. 4880) for appropriate procedures.

Rebudgeting Procedures

Rebudgeting or transfer of funds between account lines must be approved internally by the Office of Grant Services and the Comptroller's Office. For further information regarding budgeting procedures, contact the Office of Grant Services (ext. 1909).