Awarded Proposals and Account Setup
Proposals are most often awarded via a formal Notice of Award from the sponsor. These awards are reviewed and set up with a research spending account for each corresponding award by the Office of Sponsored Projects. For questions, contact your post-award grants specialist.
Note: Notice of Awards also may accompany extensions, additional funds, changes of unit codes, de-obligation of funds due to scope reduction or another significant change in the award's terms.
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:
- Complete Spend Available Request Memorandum
- Collect correspondence from the sponsor confirming awarded funds or dates
- 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:
- Complete Award Credit Request Memorandum
- Collect correspondence from the sponsor confirming awarded funds
- 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.
- Complete a Letter of Agreement (LOA) Request form
- Email the completed form to the department’s assigned OSP Grants Specialist for processing
Outgoing Subaward Management
As a prime recipient and a pass-through entity of federal awards, UT is responsible for monitoring subrecipients to ensure proper stewardship of federal funds. In order to maintain consistency and be good stewards of all our funding UT performs the same level of monitoring on all subawards regardless of where the prime funding comes from. For questions, contact your contract negotiator.
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.
If the proposed agreement contains provisions which are not compatible with University practice, policy or state law, OSP must appropriately 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.
Common University Concerns that OSP reviews and negotiates:
- 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. Both funded agreements and non-funded agreements undergo the same level of OSP review. If the proposed agreement contains provisions which are not compatible with University practice, policy, or state law, OSP must appropriately negotiate the provisions with the sponsor.
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. Locate the award’s Grant Specialist or Contracts Negotiator here.
Email the award’s Contracts Negotiator with modification request details.
Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) Preparation and Submissions
The RPPR is used by sponsored project recipients to submit technical progress to their sponsors. RPPR’s may also request financial details. If an award requires a technical report, the award documentation should include due dates or milestones. If you require assistance on determining due dates, please contact your Post-Award Grants Specialist.
Faculty Summer Salary Guidelines
It is understood that as part of their normal work, faculty may participate in other academic, administrative, or research activities during the summer. In addition to sponsored research, these activities may include but are not limited to: advising students (outside the scope of sponsored research effort), unsponsored research, administrative committees, preparing new or renewal proposals, teaching, curriculum development, peer reviews, and/or writing scholarly publications, and/or travel/conferences related to other projects. Effort associated with these activities may never be charged to any sponsored research project, unless explicitly allowed in the terms of the grant.
Effort is limited to 95% on sponsored projects with 5% charged to other less restrictive funds. If a faculty member wishes to charge 100% to grants during the summer, they would need to submit the Attestation Form. Download and complete the Attestation Form. Email a completed version of the form to the Office of Research Support and Compliance at coi@austin.utexas.edu.