Award Set Up
Your proposal has been selected for funding. What happens now?
The Office of Research Administration (ORA) negotiates and accepts awards and agreements for all externally-funded sponsored programs on behalf of UA's researchers. 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 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 within the UA system. An account(s) will be established and a Notice of Award (NOA) will be prepared. The NOA will be sent, via email, to the PI, Chair, and Dean when the award is officially set up. When applicable, the Co-PI(s), Chair(s), and Dean(s) will also receive the NOA.
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 grants coordinator. The ORA will assist in any negotiations between the sponsor and the PI.
ORA's Notice of Award (NOA)
The NOA contains the UA account number(s), award amount, beginning and ending dates, the F&A rate, and other important information; however, it is only part of the award package. The full award package will also include the 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.
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.
