Grants Office

OSR&G General Information

General Information on Management and Recording of External Funds

The Office of Sponsored Research & Grants (the Grants Office) provides assistance to faculty members and others on campus seeking external funding. All sponsored programs external funding, regardless of source, must be booked through this office in order to ensure good University accounting practices and regulatory compliance. External funding includes money and equipment.

Correct classification of funds within the Grants Office is important to ensure the University's compliance with any terms specified by the sponsor/donor, proper recovery of indirect and direct costs, and compliance with Federal and State laws.

The Grants Office

The Grants Office is involved in all requests for funds intended to support "sponsored projects." This term refers to projects supported by contracts involving highly detailed agreements for which deliverables are required. Sponsored projects may also include grants carrying a significant number of conditions.

In a "sponsored project," the contractor or grantor declares intent to monitor the project closely and is likely to expect detailed reports for the purpose. The budget typically may have restrictions. There are objectives identified for the use of the funds, there is a time period of performance, and there are statements regarding the ownership of the results. All proposals to government agencies, including government established foundations that are Federal agencies (such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Science Foundation) automatically fall within the purview of The Grants Office. These agency funding agreements are very specific, and require compliance with Federal laws and regulations.

As a rule, The Grants Office processes any award requiring specific performance objectives, detailed budget commitments, intellectual property or confidentiality terms.

As a rule, the Grants Office processes funding or equipment awards for which there are detailed budgets, specific deliverables, or intellectual property or confidentiality terms.