Q: Who is my post-award administrator?
A: Post-award administrators are assigned a departmental portfolio. You can check find your post-award administrator here: Meet the Team | A&S Research Administration (virginia.edu)
Q: I received an email from my program officer letting me know my NOA is forthcoming but I need to start work now on my grant. Can I set up an advance account so I can start working on my grant?
A: The A&S advance account policy is here: Policies & Processes | A&S Research Administration (virginia.edu). Please reach out to your post-award administrator for support in gathering the required compliance documents and developing the required justification. Minimum requirements are: sponsor confirmation of forthcoming award, department chair approval, backup department worktags, approval of Director of Research Administration and Development.
Q: Can PIs sign for contracts and grants?
A: Grants and contracts are typically agreements between UVA and the sponsoring agency or foundation. This is why OSP signs off on behalf of the university for proposal submissions and for contracts. If you are unsure about signatory authority, please reach out to your post-award administrator.
Q: How do I know if I’ve received a gift or a grant?
UVA’s policy on distinguishing gifts from sponsored projects is here: https://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/FIN-001 If you’ve received funding and aren’t sure if it’s a grant, a gift, or some other type of funding mechanism please reach out to your post-award research administrator and they can help make that determination.
If you’ve received a gift and need assistance in managing it please reach out to A&S finance at: as-finhelp@teams.virginia.edu
The A&S business manager’s sharepoint also contains directions for a variety of deposits: https://myuva.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/sites/AS-BusinessManagers/Shared%20Documents/General/Budget%20%26%20Finance/Deposits?csf=1&web=1&e=rPoeIh
Q: I received a notice of award but don’t see a budget in Workday, when will my worktags be available to start work?
A: Please contact your post-award administrator with a copy of the NOA. They will follow up with OSP to confirm when worktags will be available, and will send a new award overview message to the PI and department manager once it has been activated in Huron and Workday.
Q: My grant has a subaward in it, what are the next steps to get the subaward issued?
A: Please work with your post-award administrator. They will initiate the subaward setup request with OSP via Huron, including ensuring all UVA compliance information is completed, working with the PI to confirm the subaward budget, justification, and scope of work are accurate, and that the associated agreement is negotiated and executed with the subawardee via OSP.
Q: I need to reduce my effort on an award, how do I do that?
A: Different sponsors have different requirements for changes in PI effort, you may not be able to reduce effort without prior approval from the sponsor. In advance of the reduction, your post-award research administrator can assist in the preparation and submission of a formal prior approval request if needed.
Q: I have expenses I need to move onto/off of my grant, how can I move them?
A: UVA has a cost transfer policy here: https://research.virginia.edu/office-sponsored-programs/cost-transfers-sponsored-awards Cost transfers processed within 90 days of the original accounting date are managed different than retroactive cost transfers (processed after 90 days of the original accounting date or pay period end date). Retroactive cost transfers are allowed only in unique circumstances and require additional justification to ensure compliance with sponsored program rules and regulations. Please work with your post-award research administrator to determine an appropriate justification and course of action on retroactive cost transfers.
Q: Can someone assist with revising my grant budget?
A: Some budget revisions require sponsor approval before budgets can be revised and updated in Workday. Please work with your post-award administrator to determine if sponsor approval is required for your budget update/adjustment.
Q: What happens if I have an unexpected balance at the end of the project?
Depending on the type of grant, funds will either be returned to the sponsor or the balance may be forfeited. Extra funds available is not a sufficient justification for a no cost extension request.
Q: What happens if my project is not completed at the end of the project period?
A: As soon as you anticipate the need for additional time for your project work, please contact your post-award administrator. Sponsors generally require 30-60 days notice to extend a grant period. In addition, different types of granting mechanism, even within the same sponsor, may require different levels of approval for no cost extensions.
Q: How do I know how much money I have left on my grant?
A: There are several resources available for PIs to view grant balances. The PI research administration dashboard RAD) can be accessed here: Research Administration Dashboard (RAD) Reporting | Research (virginia.edu)
There are also budget v. actuals reports available in Workday. If you’re unsure of how to use RAD or Workday reports, please reach out to your post-award administrator for guidance on accessing and reading these reports/dashboards.
Q: What is a prior approval request and how do I know if I need to submit one?
A: Some sponsors require a formal request and sponsor approval for specific types of grant changes. Examples may include: no cost extensions, budget carryover, scope of work changes, PI reduction in effort or PI changes. Your post-award administrator can assist in determining the necessity of a prior approval request and helping develop the prior approval content for submission to the sponsor.
Q: What happens during grant closeout?
A: The grant closeout period requires engagement from department managers, the principal investigator, and post-award OSP and research administrators. During the closeout period, UVA liquidates remaining financial obligations under the grant, processes and closes out subaward invoices, and prepares required financial reports. PIs should finalize program documents and complete required technical reports, and work with your Department Manager to confirm that all final expenses have posted to the award. Your post-award research administrator will be in touch with any additional, sponsored-required close out documents.
Q: I am leaving UVA/coming to UVA, can I transfer my grant to my new institution/to UVA?
A: Sponsors have different processes for transferring grants between institutions. Please contact your pre-award administrator as soon as possible to discuss the grant transfer process.
Q: How do I track or process required cost share on a grant?
A: UVA’s cost share policy is here: https://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/FIN-051 If you have further questions about cost share, please contact your post-award administrator.
Q: What are allowable and unallowable costs?
A: Allowable costs are expenses that can be paid by your sponsored project. A cost is allowable if:
- The cost is allocable. This means your project directly benefits from the expense and costs for goods, services, and salaries are propriate to the benefits received by the project.
- The cost is reasonable. The expenses is what a prudent person may pay.
- The cost is allowable. This means the expense is permitted by sponsor and UVA regulations
Unallowable costs are expenses that are not permitted on sponsored projects. Expenses may be unallowable due to sponsor policy, UVA policy, or both. Examples include:
- Alcohol: all alcohol must be purchased using local funds
- Fundraising: sponsored projects funds can not be used for fundraising purposes
- Entertainment and public relations costs
If you’re not sure if your cost is allowable or unallowable, please reach out to your post-award administrator before the expense is incurred