Project Initiation & Setup

Training Video (15min) and Slides are available for the content on this page.

This page explains the process of setting up an award-account in the University systems after a project has been awarded, and signed by contracting if necessary. 

  • Grant (unilateral) awards that do not require contracting signature for acceptance are sent by sponsoring agencies directly to sponsored projects for processing.
  • Contract (bilateral) awards are sent to contracting for signature. After contracting signs the award, it will be distributed to sponsored projects postaward for processing.

For both Types of Agreements, a negotiation identification number in UAccess Research will be assigned for internal tracking. 

The postaward award-account setup process includes recording terms and conditions, verifying compliance requirements including Conflict of Interest where applicable, and reviewing budgets and financial requirements. When the account is established and ready for expenditure, or when the modification has been processed, an email will be sent to the principal investigator and department/college research team.

 

You may track the process in UAccess Analytics by viewing the Research dashboard/Negotiation Log under Award Setup Status (please allow 24 hours for the system to update).  If you wish to view this report but do not have access, please work with your departmental administration to submit an access request via the Access Provisioning Tool using “UAccess Analytics” as the System and “Research” as the Subject Area.

*Award-account processing turnaround time as of 3/11/24 is 1 week or less*

Triage and Hold Notes:

Award-account triage: is first in first out. Only projects with highly sensitive project timelines will be expedited (patient care, large deliverables). Account setup delay outside of a COI hold should not affect project commencement. Department unrestricted funds may be used and correcting cost transfers processed after the sponsored account is established.  

Advance account and backstop requests: should be sent in advance of award receipt. They will not be processed if the applicable award is in queue. 

Proposals: A fully approved proposal must be in UAccess Research for the award to be processed.

Conflict of Interest hold: New Federal and subfederal awards must be verified for conflict of interest requirements by checking the listed PI/Co-PI/Key Personnel/COI Disclosers against the eDisclosure Project-Based Investigator Status dashboard. All listed individuals on the proposal/award must have a clear determination status, which is color coded as green, before the new award-account can be fully processed. If the new award is on hold the PI and department will receive an email connecting them with OROI office to resolve the hold.

 

Other references:

The Award Document page guides you through custodianship responsibilities for the document.

Advance Accounts allow the principal investigator to initiate a sponsored research project and begin incurring associated expenses prior to the official acceptance of an award. This page shows you how to set up an advance account while also explaining the risk involved with this resource.

Loading the Account Budget specifies the process and authority involved with establishing a unique project account and loading the budget. If the most basic element of a project is its budget this step makes your sponsored research real and tangible. Now start your research.

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