Setting Up an Award
New Award Notice Flow
Sponsored Programs & Regulatory Compliance Services (SPARCS) > Contracts and Grants (C&G) > College Research Office
Even though a PI may be notified that an agency is going to fund a proposal, the referenced flow above cannot take place until SPARCS has a fully-executed award from the sponsor.
If there is an immediate need to appoint a grad student or begin the research, then a “pre- award” is a viable option.
If there are other PIs listed who are outside your department/unit, you will need to ensure they receive a copy of the award notice that you receive from the College. (This is so they can make the request for a segment)
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. In 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 (Ledger 5-Account). Notification is then sent to the Wilson College of Textiles Research Office. The Research Office distributes a copy to the Principal Investigators (PI) along with a copy of the award/contract, which contains the 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 award documentation.
Pre-Award Account Request
Occasionally it may be necessary to establish a project id (an account number) before a sponsored agreement is finalized. When assured that a sponsored agreement is reasonably expected to materialize, a pre-award project number can be established for the purposes of beginning the process of recruitment of project employees, ordering of specialized equipment, etc.
Pre-award requests should be submitted by Department Heads. Requests should be sent to Kina Morgan and include the following information:
- Any and all correspondence received from the sponsor that indicates eminent funding.
- Indicate the spending cap you would like placed on the pre-awardproject number (this should be just enough to get you started pending finalization of an agreement).
- Acknowledge in the e-mail text that you understand that should a sponsored agreement not materialize, any expenditures you make against the pre-award project number will be the responsibility of the department.
In the event that the University is unable to fully negotiate and execute this proposal and make an official award through Sponsored Programs and Regulatory Compliance Services (SPARCS), the Department will retain sole responsibility for all costs incurred under this Pre- Award project set-up. Additionally, should the official project begin date create unallowable costs, the previously designated unit will also be responsible for payment of these costs from other appropriate funding sources.
As a reminder: when one requests a Pre-Award Contract and Grant account, in addition to the financial risks, there may be risks associated with export controls identified within the sponsor’s terms and conditions and made available to us at the time of award notification. For example, if the sponsor prohibits NC State University from employing the services of a foreign national on a research project, we may not be aware of such restrictions until after the award is received and the terms and conditions are reviewed/approved by the University. Therefore, it is recommended that we consider these potential risks, in addition to the financial risk, and proceed with caution at the time the Pre-Award Contract and Grant account is established.