When will I hear if I’ve been awarded my grant?

The external sponsor usually sends an email or letter to the PI, to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), and/or to the University President indicating a project has been funded. This email or letter normally includes a “Grant Award Agreement” or contract, which typically includes the amount of the award, the award period, the funding agency’s grant number, terms and conditions specific to the grant, reporting requirements, names of grant or program officers, and other fiscal information.

Once an award has been fully executed and signed by the authorized official of both the external sponsor and GVSU, OSP’s GCS will compose an award email that is sent to the PI, the PI’s Grants Accountant in in GVSU’s Business and Finance Office, and other stakeholders.

Who signs the award paperwork?

The PI’s Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) in OSP will review the award/grant agreement and provide it to the Director of Sponsored Programs for review and signature. PIs are not authorized to accept awards or sign agreements on behalf of the University and should send all award documentation and materials they receive from the funding agency to their GCS. Do not sign any documents or attempt to provide the contract directly to the President.

When and how do I spend my grant funds?

Once an award has been fully executed and signed by the authorized official of both the external sponsor and GVSU, your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) in the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will compose an award email that is sent to the PI, the PI’s Grants Accountant in in GVSU’s Business and Finance Office, and other stakeholders. You will be introduced to your Grants Accountant who will set up an expense account for the project and provide the PI with “worktags.” Worktags allow Grants Accounting and project teams to describe and categorize transactions and are required for a project to be able to spend funds. In addition to setting up accounts and worktags the Grants Accountant will also meet with the PI to discuss next steps. This happens at a time that is mutually convenient, usually within a couple of weeks of the notice of award. The PI should always feel free to contact their Grants Accountant with questions or if unsure about next steps.

What is Grants Accounting?

Grants Accounting is part of GVSU’s Business and Finance Office, and your grants accountant is an expert in accounting AND specifically in accounting as it relates to grant expenditures. They are the Office of Sponsored Programs’ partner in making sure your project conforms to the financial terms and conditions of the sponsor, GVSU, and the federal government. Grants Accounting receives and processes payments from sponsors and sets up the expense account and worktags that allow you to spend grant funds. Please note: Grants Accounting does not providing accounting services on the incoming Contracts that are also processed by OSP.

Do I need to worry about compliance? (eg. IRB, IACUC, etc)

Sponsored-program compliance refers to measures taken by an organization to ensure grants and other sponsored activities confirm to federal, state, sponsor, and institutional laws, rules, and mandates. This includes human subject research, animal care and use, conflict of interest, export controls, responsible conduct of research, and more. When you submitted your proposal for internal approvals at the pre-award stage, you already alerted the Office of Research and Integrity (ORCI) about potential compliance areas of your project, and now that the project has been awarded, you will need to finalize all compliance plans with them. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) works closely with ORCI and other University units to ensure adherence to the regulations that govern research.

Please direct all compliance issues to the GVSU ORCI. Major areas of compliance responsibility include the categories below:

What if I need to make a change to my project or budget?

There are two primary reasons you may need to change your project: The sponsor requests a change, usually communicated at the time of award, such as a reduction in budget or clarification of project details. And/or: The Principal Investigator (PI) desires to make changes to the project because the originally proposed project activities, budget, or personnel no longer fulfill the goals of the project. Perhaps a team member needs to leave the project, or changes to material costs or wages necessitate a change to the budget. Sponsors have different requirements for when and how to initiate a change to the project and budget, so you should review the terms and conditions in your award letter and also reach out to your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS). Your GCS, in consultation with your Grants Accountant, if applicable, will determine whether and how to request the changes with the sponsor.

What if I’m collaborating with another institution?

Many projects include partnerships with other institutions, with a variety of configurations: GVSU may be a subaward to another institution, or GVSU may be subawarding out to a another institution. You may have a contractor or consultant in your budget. These relationships were already initialized when you submitted the proposal, and will be formalized now that you have received the award. Your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) will coordinate the subaward agreement with the other institution, if applicable. If you are contracting out work on the project, your unit coordinator or procurement will assist in setting up those payments.

What are my responsibilities as the Principal Investigator (PI)?

A funded grant has specific deliverables that must be accomplished within a specific budget and timeline. The Principal Investigator should not make any grant expenditures until the College has an official agreement with the agency and the grant accounts and worktags are established. The Principal Investigator serves as the project director and steward of the project, provides overall leadership for the project, and is responsible for the grant implementation. See here for a full list of PI responsibilities.

How do I measure my progress on my grant?

Your initial proposal included a description of what activities you would complete to fulfill your project goals. This may have been very simple or an elaborate timeline of deliverables, depending on the sponsor requirements. Overall, you should make sure that you are completing the scope of work and deliverables of the project in a quality manner, on time, and within budget. Your sponsor likely requires periodic reporting and final reporting. See here for a full list of aspects of your project you should be monitoring.

Can you connect me with partners at GVSU to help with my grant?

A number of offices across the university can help you with various aspects of implementing your project.

What happens at the end of my grant?

When your grant reaches the end of the agreed-upon project period, it is time to close out the grant. Your sponsor will have described their expected process at the time of award, so review your award letter for details. You likely have to provide a final narrative report and a final financial report, and may also need to provide other documents, like disclosures of inventions. Your Grants Accountant will assist in preparing the financial report. Depending on the sponsor, the Director of Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) may also need to sign off on final project documents. Your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) can help coordinate this signature. OSP would also appreciate if you shared your final project reports with us for our files.

What if I need more time to complete the project?

If you have remaining unspent project funds, and uncompleted project activities, you may be able to request a No-Cost Extension (NCE), depending on the sponsor policies and procedures. Please reach out to your Grants and Contracts Specialist (GCS) as soon as you think this may be necessary, and we will help you determine if you are eligible for an NCE and help you make the request.