Sponsor Award Management Requirements

Here are some special things to consider when receiving a sponsor's award.

When the award is made...

The sponsor award letter is official recognition for you to begin serving your sponsored activity during the grant term (What is a "grant term"?) dates. Note: You may not begin spending against the grant funds until ORGA has issued you an account number. While this marks your sponsor's official approval it also serves as a binding contract. You agree to serve the interests of the sponsor in managing your program effectively and efficiently. You also agree to meet all sponsor requirements outside of mere funding obligation, and pay specific attention to the following:

Your reporting requirements

Most sponsors require yearly and end-of-project reports that gauge programmatic performance, outcome and financial activity. The Grant Accounting Office produces and manages financial reports, though you may be called upon to review them for accuracy. Also, these reports are typically due 90 days after the end of your program. Just as you are responsible for knowing your sponsor's fiscal requirements and the status of your budget, so are you responsible for knowing the sponsor's reporting needs as well. The specific reporting cycles should all be noted in the award documentation that was provided to you at the time of the award; please contact us if you require a copy.

Fiscal responsibility

One final important note on an awarded budget: While most understand that an awarded budget cannot be overspent (and we must be contacted in advance if you anticipate any overexpense), it should not be underspent as well. In short, you should make sure to set out and accomplish that which you laid out in your proposal without deviating from the approved budget. Your purchases should match the tone of your proposal: realistic, logical and efficient. Significant changes to the budget will require a budget modification, to be discussed later. Finally, this does not necessarily mean you should expend funds because they exist and the grant term is about to end. Large purchases at the end of a grant's life indicate poor or mismanaged spending practices to the sponsor.

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