Award Negotiation
Award contracts are legal documents. In some instances, before an award is accepted, the terms of the award need to be negotiated by RSP. This negotiation can take weeks or months, depending on the scope of the project and the nature of the agency request. The agency or sponsor considering your proposal or contract will typically send an email to the PI communicating the specific request — usually with a deadline. This deadline needs to be met for your proposal to remain in consideration for funding.
Common proposal revisions include budget adjustments, modification of project activities, and collecting supporting documentation as required by law in order to implement your project. As part of the negotiation, the University also determines whether the terms and conditions of the award contract are acceptable or not and communicates this to the sponsor.
When negotiations are concluded, a Notice of Award (NOA) is issued by the sponsor to the University. The institution usually receives this NOA by a letter or email.
You Got Funded!
Congratulations! Your proposal has been funded. All the hard work has paid off, and RSP is here to help facilitate the successful implementation of your project to meet its stated goals. From this point forward, it is important to ensure that your grant funds will be properly set up, spent, and accounted for as required by the sponsor. Here's what comes next as we set up your award:
Review of Award Documents
Once RSP reviews the information present in the award document, the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) signs and return all documents accepting the grant award and agreeing to reporting and fund draw-down requirements, as well as any other special requirements that have been attached to the funding. Please note: the AOR is a designated member of the administration with the authority to sign contracts on behalf of the university. PIs do not have this authority, and your signature on award documents will not be considered binding!
Award Set-Up in Cayuse
Every award accepted by the institution needs to be set up in Cayuse. The RSP pre-award and post-award liaisons will work together to set up the project by budget period and according to the funds approved by the sponsor.
In addition to the required files maintained by RSP, we recommend that PIs create both an electronic and hard-copy file for each grant you receive. As many funding decisions are communicated electronically, be sure that e-documents and emails are organized for easy access — and be sure your electronic documents are backed up in case of a failure in technology.
As soon as RSP completes the setup of your award, you and your research team will receive an award letter, which also serves as the official notification to the people within the institution that will support your implementation during the life cycle of your project.
After the award letters are sent, your post-award analyst at TUC will take over account creation and maintenance for the financial accounts associated with your project! Reach out to your post-award liaison to learn more or schedule a new PI orientation.
