Research Programs » Research Policies and Procedures

Receipt of Awards and Establishment of Accounts

After the evaluation of the proposal is complete, both the faculty member and the university are generally notified directly of the outcome. If the case of favorable review, the proposal may be funded with or without changes. If changes are required before the award is received, then they must be addressed and submitted by the University to the sponsor. Once the official notification of an award is received by the Office of Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance (SPARCS), that Office proceeds with the contract negotiation. Once the contract is negotiated, the information is directed to the Office of Contracts and Grants to establish an account for the grant (A FAS Account). Notification is then sent to the PAMS Research Office. The PAMS Research Office distributes a copy to the PIs along with a copy of the contract which contains the contract terms and conditions. At this point, funds become available for expenditure.

It is very important that the PIs carefully review and comply with all the terms and conditions specified in the contract. Personnel in the PAMS Research Office encourage the PIs to meet at the beginning of the grant with accounting staff and review the key contract terms and note all restrictions, reporting requirements, cost sharing documentation, special conditions, etc.

 

Grant and Contract Accounting

The PI has primary responsibility for directing the activities of his or her grant or contract, and that includes authorization of all grant expenditures. Additionally, the PI is responsible for complying with the terms and conditions of the grant. All expenditures must adhere to university policies, governing State and Federal Law, and the accounting standards of the university and of the federal government. The University Office of Contracts and Grants is responsible for the fiscal management of the contract and grant funds and the college post-award function reports through this office. This responsibility includes the pre-audit functions for all research expenditures to ensure that they are consistent with the approved budget and that requests are processed accurately and expeditiously and in compliance with federal and state regulations, and the policies of the university. All of the functions for research expenditures are subject to federal, state and university auditing and thus while the primary function of the staff is to assist the PI in managing the grant, it is imperative that the expenditures comply with guidelines and regulations.

The department/college offices are where all actions are initiated and where principal accounting oversight takes place for all grant and contract expenditures in PAMS. The departmental and college post-award accounting personnel provide direct assistance to the PIs. Each department now has an accounting staff member responsible for the details of the post-award process, and this is the place for the PI to start for almost all grant transactions.

It is most important for the PI to maintain good communication with the accounting staff members and those in the PAMS Research Office to insure that the needs of PIs are met, and that issues are handled in a timely manner. Special attention needs to be paid to contract closeout terms and requests that require prior approval, which will vary depending on the terms and conditions of the contract. The PAMS post-awards staff attempts to alert faculty in advance of deadlines for which a response is required. (See PAMS Research Office personnel listing for contact information).

Examples of transactions handled by these staff members are: payroll transactions for graduate and undergraduate students, faculty salary, technician or other personnel; tuition; documenting effort and cost sharing; purchase requisitions (equipment, supplies and services, initiating Purchase Authorizations and Purchase Orders); travel and other reimbursements; summer/supplemental pay; subcontractor costs; coordination of reports to funding agencies; issuing consulting contracts documenting effort and authorizing payment; assisting with budget revisions; conflict of interest resolution; budget revisions; and close-out documentation; working with departmental personnel regarding the appointments of personnel and documenting the VISA status of international students and other personnel.

PIs are given access to the ACS data for accounts (on an inquiry basis) so they have up-to-date information about the status of their accounts. This information is readily available to PIs and may be accessed directly from the web (http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/cng/) under the topic PI Financial Reports.