Sponsored Programs Finance Administration and Compliance

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Award Negotiation

Award Notification From Agency

Once a proposal has been approved for funding by the sponsoring agency, the agency will send a notification award letter to the university, either directly to you as the PI or to SPFAC. Other related documentation may accompany the award notification, including an award acceptance letter or contract, which need to be approved and signed by the appropriate institutional representatives before activity on the project can begin. Please forward to SPFAC any award, contract, notification, rejection, or any other official correspondence you receive directly from the funding agency.

Prior to accepting the award on behalf of the University, the Post Award Grants Specialist reviews the award to determine if it is consistent with the proposal. After this review, the Specialist sends an e-mail to the PI, with a copy of the award attached, notifying the PI of the award. If there were changes discovered in the review, or questions of a scientific/technical nature, these changes or questions are highlighted for the PI in the notification e-mail. If the agreement’s terms and conditions are unacceptable, see the Award Negotiation section below for direction.

Award Negotiation

An award must be negotiated when there are terms and conditions that are not considered to be in the best interest of the University or the PI. The Post Award Grants Specialist is the negotiator for this process, with assistance from the PI, VP for Research, Operational Review, and/or other administrative units. The Specialist will provide periodic updates to the PI as the negotiation progresses. When all terms are acceptable to both parties and authorized officials of both parties have signed the agreement, the agreement is considered fully executed.