Award Management
Once a formal award letter, check, or contract has been received and executed by the university through the Office of Sponsored Programs and a fund number has been issued, principal investigators can begin the work outlined in his/her externally funded project and expending research funds.
Managing the work of the award, tracking expenses, and complying with an award’s federal, university, and/or sponsor requirements is post-award administration. Post-award administrators play an integral role in successfully performing funded research projects by offering expertise in financial accounting and contract administration and serving as liaisons with academic departments and sponsors, the pre-award office, the Controller’s Office, and the purchasing department.
Their various duties include sponsor billing, post-award budget revisions, administering no-cost time extensions and cost transfers, subcontract processing, cost share monitoring, and award and contract close-out.
Responsibilities
Principal Investigator
- Monitor day-to-day fiscal performance of project
- Monitor progress toward technical research objectives
- Understand any restrictions placed on expenditures by sponsors
- Along with department, ensure cost share commitments are fulfilled and expenditures documented
- Complete Request to Issue Subcontract, if appropriate
- Prepare and submit final technical report
Post-Award
- Review and approve cost transfers initiated by principal investigator
- Review project account statements for allowable charges
- Secure prior approvals from sponsor
- Review, approve, and set-up cost sharing fund and documentation for sponsor
- Prepare and execute subcontract agreement
- Prepare and submit final fiscal report
Post-award administrators are assigned by sponsor and by your institution, college or department organization number.
There are a couple of ways to determine who your post-award administrator might be on a particular project:
- The project authorization notice will have the administrator’s name at the bottom of the notice.
- Contact page for the Office of Sponsored Programs
- View list of post-award administrator department, center, and institute responsibilities