Award Management

Information provided below helps principal investigators at UT navigate the complex management of awards. Some colleges and schools have internal department research administrators. When available, they are the primary point of contact for award management.

Find your Research Administrator at the Research Administration Directory.

Principal Investigator Award Transfers

The transfer of an award from one institution to another is a complex and time-consuming action, and a number of potential issues should be addressed prior to the transfer.

To initiate a transfer from the current awarded institution, a transfer request must be submitted to the sponsor. If the sponsor approves the request, the sponsor will begin the process of closing out the award.

At the same time, the new institution will submit a proposal to the sponsor for the remaining funds. After completing both the closeout and proposal review stages, the sponsor will issue a new award to the new institution.

Note that while federal grants are often transferred between institutions based on the relocation of a principal investigator, contracts are generally not transferrable, but instead may be terminated completely and re-issued to a new institution. Likewise, sponsors may require that UT retain the original contract and issue a new subcontract to the principal investigator’s new institution. Regardless of the award type, the steps outlined above should be followed. Any questions regarding this process may be directed to the Grants and Contracts Specialist assigned to the award. See PI Award Transfer Guidance for more details.

Modification Requests

A modification is the internal mechanism used in UTRMS to facilitate updates to active projects. These updates may include actions such as requesting a no cost extension, seeking formal rebudget approval, adding a new subaward, change in PI, etc. These types of modifications require prior sponsor approval and are handled by the Post-Award Grants Specialist.

A no-cost extension is the extension of a previously approved project period without additional funds. For details and guidance, see the No Cost Extension guide (PDF).

Spend Available

Spend Available may be an option if there is a remaining balance available in the account and, you are waiting on an amendment to extend the period of performance. The amendment may also provide an increment to the authorized amount. To request spend available, complete the following steps:

1. Complete Spend Available Request Memorandum
2. Collect correspondence from the sponsor confirming awarded funds or dates
3. Email completed Spend Available Request Memorandum, sponsor correspondence and a justification to your assigned Grants Specialist or Contract Negotiator for processing

Advanced Account/Credit Requests

Credit requests may be an option for sponsored projects nearing full execution or if the sponsor is foreign. The credit allows an account to be established and charges to begin posting to the account in advance of the full execution agreement or receipt of foreign funds. This request requires acknowledgement from the PI they are responsible for any charges incurred in the event the award is not fully executed. To submit an advanced account/credit request, complete the following steps:

1. Complete Award Credit Request Memorandum
2. Collect correspondence from the sponsor confirming awarded funds
3. Email completed Award Credit Request Memorandum, sponsor correspondence, and a justification to your assigned Grants Specialist or Contract Coordinator for processing.

Letters of Agreement

Request a Letter of Agreement to allow setup of a separate account for inter/intra-departmental research collaboration for an award. UT Austin researchers can initiate a Letter of Agreement by completing this OSP Letter of Agreement DocuSign Request, or by following the steps below:

1. Complete a Letter of Agreement (LOA) Request form (PDF)
2. Email the completed form to the department’s assigned OSP Grants Specialist for processing

Research Agreements and Contracts

Negotiated funded and non-funded research agreements are contracts that outline the specifics of research, and must undergo OSP review.

If the proposed agreement contains provisions which are not compatible with the University practice, policy or state law, OSP must appropriate negotiate the provisions with the sponsor. Additional discussions with other University offices may be required. Once the terms and conditions are reviewed and accepted by the University and sponsor, an authorized official from OSP will sign on behalf of the University.

Negotiable Funded Research Agreements and Contracts

Funded research agreements and contracts outline terms and conditions required by the sponsor in exchange for the awarded funding. Research Agreements and Contracts can be funded by any organization but most often include federal, state and non-profit organizations. Common University Concerns that OSP Reviews and negotiates include:

• Intellectual Property
• Publication
• Publicity - Use of the University’s name
• Indemnification and Liability
• Insurance
• Governing law
• Export Control
• Confidential/Proprietary Information
• Federal Acquisition Regulations

Non-Funded Research Agreements 

Non-Funded Agreements are agreements that do not involve the transfer of funds, but address the specific needs related to a sponsored project.

Types of Non-Funded Agreements Include:

• Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) - A contract between two parties, to allow the transfer of research material safely from one party to another.
• Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) – A contract between multiple parties to protect the transfer of confidential information in advance of the exchange.
• Data Use Agreement (DUA) – A contract between two parties to protect the exchange of data from one party to another.
• Equipment Loan Agreement (ELA) - A contract between two parties, in which a party desires to transfer equipment to another party to be responsible for the safekeeping and return of equipment for a specific period.
• Teaming Agreement (TA) - A contract between two or more parties used to address the rights and obligations where a party is pursuing research funding via formal proposal to a Prime Sponsor.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)- A non-binding agreement between two or more parties that outlines each party’s intentions pursuant to the agreement.
• Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Allocation of Rights Agreement - An agreement between a small business concern and a university. The agreement facilitates the use and ownership of any intellectual property developed under a Small Business Technology Transfer award.
• Master Agreement (MAG)- An agreement between two parties, in which the parties agree to terms that will govern future agreements. To find award’s Grant Specialist or Contracts Negotiator, check the OSP Constituency List.

Types of Research Agreements

Material Transfer Agreements

All Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) involving the transfer of materials for research purposes, except for those MTAs directly related to an industry-sponsored research agreement, are handled by the Contracts & Agreements team of the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP).

An MTA is a contract between two or more institutions that will define and govern the rights and responsibilities of the institutions relative to the research materials (e.g. biological or chemical samples) that are being provided, received, or exchanged. Establishing an MTA when transferring materials for research purposes can help address future questions regarding intellectual property ownership rights, academic publication and priority, and the authorized use of materials and liability, among others.

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is a UBMTA signatory, which facilitates the processing and execution of MTAs among UBMTA signatories.

To find your Contracts & Agreement Contracts Coordinator, please check the OSP Constituency List. For general questions or for those outside the University wishing to enter into an MTA with UT Austin, please send an email to osp@austin.utexas.edu.

For questions on MTA, see the Materials Transfer Agreements FAQ (PDF).