Award Management

Award management occurs after the grant, contract or cooperative agreement has been awarded to the university and the award(s) have been set up in the Enterprise Accounting System. During this stage, the principal investigator (PI) is fulfilling the proposed project and overseeing financial and personnel activity, all while ensuring compliance with university and sponsor policies and procedures.

Sound management of sponsored projects is critical to maintain the public trust in research results and outcomes. Success of a sponsored project is contingent on both the ability of the PI/project director to carry out the project and the university to ensure proper stewardship of the awarded funds. A school research administrator (SRA) within the relevant research administration pod provides support to the PI in award management activities.

A post-award sponsored projects administrator (SPA) is assigned to each award and works to review and approve activities.

Award Management Activities

Major activities that may occur during award management include:

• expending funds, including purchasing, managing personnel and travel;
• making modifications to the award budget, personnel and timeframe;
• monitoring financial activity on the award, and when necessary, initiating cost transfers in a timely fashion; and
• issuing project reports, including both financial and technical.

If an award has one or more subawards, it is important for the PI to carefully monitor the subawardee's activity as well. Our section on subawards provides more information.