Post-Awarding Steps
Once a proposal has been awarded and fully executed by the Office of Sponsored Programs, IST's Office of Research and Graduate Affairs will:
- Ensure compliance with Penn State and federal spending policies.
- Complete the internal forms needed to establish a new budget and fund number for your project—these numbers will be referenced frequently throughout the project.
- Set up subawards as needed and approve related invoices for payment.
- Assist with required financial reporting to the funding agency.
- Request and confirm receipt of no-cost extensions, if necessary.
- Revise budgets at the Principal Investigator’s request.
- Submit budget modifications to the sponsor, when applicable.
Award Negotiation and Receipt of Funds
There are several steps and additional requirements to be met by both the Office of Research and Graduate Affairs and Penn State to successfully negotiate the award and receive funding.
Monitoring and Oversight
Maintaining communication with your grant’s technical or program officer is essential. It's critical to keep them informed of any project changes or questions that may arise.
As the Principal Investigator (PI), you are responsible for ensuring that all project expenses meet the following three criteria:
- Allowable – Is the expense permitted under OMB Circular A-21 guidelines, and was it included in the approved budget?
- Allocable – Is the cost necessary and directly related to the success of the project?
- Reasonable – Would a prudent person consider the expense appropriate and justifiable under the circumstances?
Timely submission of technical progress reports is also essential. Many sponsors will not release funding for the next project year until they have received and reviewed these reports.
