Award Set Up
Your proposal was selected for funding, now what?
The Office of Research Administration (ORA) negotiates and accepts awards and agreements for all externally-funded sponsored programs on behalf of the University. Any document requiring an official signature must be signed by an authorized representative located in the ORA.
Notification of Award from a Sponsor
The award document is considered an official agreement of the scope of work, the amount of funding the sponsor will provide, and other terms and conditions that govern the project. Sponsors usually send official notification of an award directly to the ORA. However, if award notification has been sent to the PI or to a college/department, the award notice and any agreements or contract materials must be forwarded immediately to the ORA. Remember that the award is made to the University and not to a PI.
New Award Acceptance and Set Up
After negotiation and acceptance of awards, the ORA will set up the award in Workday. A Grant worktag will be established and notification will be sent to the PI, Chair, and Dean. When applicable, the Co-PI(s), Chair(s), and Dean(s) will also receive notification.
Negotiations with business and industry funders can take several weeks and may include final review by the University General Counsel. Please do not indicate to a sponsor that changes in budget, scope of work or intellectual property issues are OK before checking with your Pre-Award Grant Coordinator. The ORA will assist in any negotiations between the sponsor and the PI.
Award Documentation in Cayuse
The award setup in Workday contains the Grant worktag, award amount, period of performance dates, the indirect cost rate, and other important information; however, it is only part of the award package. The full award package saved in Cayuse will also include additional award documentation received from the sponsor, terms and conditions, matching and cost-sharing requirements, reporting requirements, and often the original proposal. It is the responsibility of the PI (and any/all Co-PIs) to review these documents and comply with the terms and conditions set forth. Any questions or issues should be brought to the attention of the ORA immediately.
Requesting an Underwrite for a delayed award
If you need to start work on a project before the official award is fully executed (signed by the ORA and sponsor), you can request an Underwrite so that the ORA can create a Grant worktag in advance. This allows expenses to be properly allocated to the award in Workday and eliminates the need for cost transfers later. An Underwrite can also be requested for an existing award when the continuation or no-cost extension is delayed by the sponsor. The PI, Department, and/or college must assume responsibility for the expenses if the new award or modification is not finalized or accepted.
Complete the Underwrite Request form and submit to the ORA.
Establishing a grant account prior to official receipt of a new award
If a PI needs access to funding for a project prior to receipt of the official award notification from the sponsor, an account may be created in advance to allow the posting of charges to the grant account thus eliminating the need for cost transfers. The PI, Department and/or College must assume responsibility for all charges allocated to the account if the award is not finalized or accepted. This is accomplished through the submission of the Pre-award Request form.
Requesting Underwrite Spending on an existing award
Some grants are incrementally funded and require yearly or more frequent allocations of funding from the sponsor. In order to allow posting of charges that exceed the authorized funding level and/or authorized funding period, the PI, Department and/or College must assume responsibility for all such charges if the anticipated future increment is not received. The Underwrite Request form must be submitted.
