Initiating the Project Award Notification When a proposal has been approved by a sponsor for support, ORS will usually receive notice that an award has been made or a contract is being prepared. If the PI receives such a notice, s/he should contact ORS immediately to ensure that ORS has also received the notice. ORS cannot administratively initiate the project without formal sponsor notification. Many award instruments are received which require both sponsor and University signatures (bilateral agreement) before they become effective. Principal Investigators are not authorized to sign award documents on behalf of the University. When an document is received which requires University signature in order to be effective, it is the responsibility of ORS, PCI or OCR to return signed copies to the sponsor. Upon receipt of the fully executed documents, ORS will process the award. On occasion, a sponsor may award support for an investigator without a formal proposal being submitted through the University. In such cases, formal approval of the project as described in University Review of Proposals must be completed prior to acceptance of the award. What to Look for in a Notice of Award Most notices of award address these points: Period of Performance. These dates may not coincide with the dates of the total project period. Name of the Principal Investigator. This individual is responsible for conducting the project in accordance with University policies and sponsor requirements. Dollars Committed and/or Obligated. Not all project funds may be released at the beginning of the project but may be obligated incrementally. The sponsor is under no legal obligation to pay dollars not yet obligated. Future Year Commitments. These funds are contingent on their availability and on satisfactory progress on the project. Use these amounts for planning purposes. Cost Sharing. If the sponsor requires the University to contribute its own resources to the project, it usually specifies those requirements in the award notice. Accounting and reporting on these costs is a formal requirement for the University. Accounting and Reporting Obligations. Virtually all awards require technical and financial reports. Most awards require patent and property reports.
Initiating the Project Award Notification When a proposal has been approved by a sponsor for support, ORS will usually receive notice that an award has been made or a contract is being prepared. If the PI receives such a notice, s/he should contact ORS immediately to ensure that ORS has also received the notice. ORS cannot administratively initiate the project without formal sponsor notification. Many award instruments are received which require both sponsor and University signatures (bilateral agreement) before they become effective. Principal Investigators are not authorized to sign award documents on behalf of the University. When an document is received which requires University signature in order to be effective, it is the responsibility of ORS, PCI or OCR to return signed copies to the sponsor. Upon receipt of the fully executed documents, ORS will process the award. On occasion, a sponsor may award support for an investigator without a formal proposal being submitted through the University. In such cases, formal approval of the project as described in University Review of Proposals must be completed prior to acceptance of the award. What to Look for in a Notice of Award Most notices of award address these points: Period of Performance. These dates may not coincide with the dates of the total project period. Name of the Principal Investigator. This individual is responsible for conducting the project in accordance with University policies and sponsor requirements. Dollars Committed and/or Obligated. Not all project funds may be released at the beginning of the project but may be obligated incrementally. The sponsor is under no legal obligation to pay dollars not yet obligated. Future Year Commitments. These funds are contingent on their availability and on satisfactory progress on the project. Use these amounts for planning purposes. Cost Sharing. If the sponsor requires the University to contribute its own resources to the project, it usually specifies those requirements in the award notice. Accounting and reporting on these costs is a formal requirement for the University. Accounting and Reporting Obligations. Virtually all awards require technical and financial reports. Most awards require patent and property reports.
Sponsored%20Projects%20Handbook%20rev%202017%20final.docx