Congratulations! You received notice of an award!
What’s next?
First, contact the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research to alert us to your award so that we may assist you in the set-up and administration of external funding.
Some funding agencies will make awards to individuals as opposed to the university. In such cases, it is the individual’s responsibility to acknowledge and accept the award, to adhere to the grant guidelines and reporting requirements.
In most cases, grants are made to the university. If a funding agency notifies you of an institutional award directly, make copies of the award documents for your records, and forward the award documentation (and if applicable, checks made out to Spalding University) to grants staff in the Office of Advancement, who will ensure that the internal offices relevant to the management of the award are notified.
The university President, Provost, and COO are the only individuals who can accept a grant or contract agreement on behalf of the university. All agreements must be reviewed by General Counsel and signed by one of the authorized individuals.
When an award letter or award check is received, the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research will share funding information with grants accounting staff in the Finance Office.
Grants accounting staff will assign identification numbers to the award: A general ledger (GL) account number and a projects accounting number (e.g. 22/23-005-G). The PI/PD will receive an email from grants accounting staff in the Finance Office containing the GL account number and projects accounting number for the award, as well as other pertinent information regarding award spend-down, proper grant accounting procedures, and instructions for invoicing or requesting reimbursement payments.
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The PI/PD holds fiscal responsibility for all grant expenditures, and only the PI/PD may request payments from the grant account. The PI/PD is required to authorize all spending from the sponsored award and monitor activity on a monthly basis. Any discrepancies should be communicated immediately to the Finance Office for resolution. PIs/PDs should familiarize themselves with allowable costs and use the approved projects accounting number. Contact grants accounting staff in the Finance Office for more information.
Budget Modifications – Grants accounting staff in the Finance Office must approve all grant budget modifications. Changes to budgets should be requested prior to incurring expenses that differ from the approved budget. Depending on the funding agency, grants accounting staff can modify some grant budget categories without needing agency approval, however, please note that many agencies and situations will require prior approval. Budget modification requests should be emailed to grants accounting staff in the Finance Office with copies to the Senior Grant Specialist. Please include your assigned projects accounting number (e.g. PRJ-00000), the amount you are requesting to move, and which accounts the funds are being transferred between. Please also include the reason for the requested budget modification.
Purchases Made Near Award End– Significant equipment and supply expenses made near the end of an award period are to be avoided whenever possible, as it is difficult to justify how an expenditure benefits the project if it occurs toward the end of the award period. However, it is appropriate that expenditures related to presenting results or publishing come at the end of the award period.
Progress Reports – PIs/PDs are responsible for sending non-financial progress reports to funding agencies. The award letter or agency terms and conditions will indicate reporting deadlines. Grants staff and grants accounting staff in the Finance Office monitor reporting deadlines and may send out reminders to PIs/PDs when reporting deadlines are approaching. A copy of the Progress Report should be sent to OSPRe for inclusion in the grant records.
Financial Reports – Grants accounting staff in the Finance Office prepare and submit financial reports, manage grant cash balances, and request drawdowns from federal funding agencies according to agency regulations. If you are prompted to submit a financial report by a funding agency, please forward this request to grants accounting staff in the Finance Office with copies to grants staff in the Office of Advancement for recordkeeping purposes.
Invoicing – Grants accounting staff in the Finance Office prepare and submit all invoices.
Final Reports – Most funding agencies require final reports at the end of the grant period. The report format and due date will vary depending on the funder. Final financial reports may be prepared by grants accounting staff in the Finance Office. PIs/PDs are responsible for preparing and submitting final non-financial reports.