Award Management
AWARD MANAGEMENT and PROJECT ADMinistration
All awards for research and sponsored activities are made in the name of PennWest Clarion. Any award made to an individual staff or faculty member is considered consulting and the faculty member will be subject to taxation laws accordingly. Faculty and staff who have grant or sponsored activity programs under university auspices are responsible for the effective conduct and management of these programs. Only the president or their designee can sign agreements as the authorized institutional representative on an award document.
The following information will help with the management of your project.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT DIRECTOr
- Proper technical conduct of the research effort
- Compliance with the terms and conditions of the sponsored agreement
- Managing project funds within the approved budget
- Timely completion and submission of required technical reports
- Complying with the all university and sponsor policies and procedures pertinent to the award
COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT/CENTER
Sponsored research or programs are conducted as a college and department function. As such, the departments and colleges associated with an award are expected to monitor its fiscal status and assist the principal investigator in resolving problems. The departments receiving facilities and administrative costs return from the award are also responsible for covering any costs incurred beyond the award amount, or any expenditures disallowed as the result of an audit.
GRANT OFFICE/GRANT ACCOUNTING OFFICE
- Reviewing all award documentation and establishing a restricted account
- Obtaining the necessary signatures for awards and compliance
- Meeting sponsor needs for fiscal report
- Providing fiscal accounting for restricted fund accounts
- Being the direct contact for all audits
PROJECT INITIATION
All sponsored activity and research must have a restricted account established. Project directors or principal investigators will receive an award letter with a unique restricted SAP account number and the award document from the sponsor, which will have some information regarding project reporting, expenditure rules, timelines, etc.
SPENDING: Spending money awarded on a grant or sponsored activity must follow certain generally accepted grant guidelines. Costs incurred must be ALLOWABLE, REASONABLE and ALLOCABLE.
Spending on a grant must also conform to state and university policies. Please visit the Purchasing department for more information on purchasing goods and travel for your project.
HIRING PERSONNEL: Any person who is an employee of PennWest Clarion cannot be paid as a consultant using the grant funds. If a project director or principal investigator is being paid from grant funds, their time and effort should be directly appointed to the grant account. This allows for certification of time and effort for federal funds at the time of an audit. For faculty on a nine-month appointment seeking summer pay using their research funds, please complete the supplemental pay form. If an employee needs to be hired using grant funds, please consult the Human Resources staff . All pay must conform to the PASSHE compensation policy.
BUDGET REVISIONS: Principal investigators or program directors must adhere to and comply with sponsor agency guidelines on budget revisions when applicable. In cases where the sponsor guidelines do not address revising the budget, all requests must made to and approved by the Grant Office prior to expenditures being made on the revised amounts.
Proposal budgets are estimates of project expenses and most sponsors recognize the need for revisions as the project is in progress. The Grant Office will determine whether or not Clarion has the ability to revise a budget without prior approval from the sponsor. If a formal request needs to be made to the sponsor, the Grant Office will submit a request in writing on the principal investigator's/project director's behalf.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Principal investigators/project directors are responsible for declaring any portion of their research that may result in a patent or commercialization to the university and state system as soon as they make the discovery. If a PI/PD has this knowledge at the time of application, they should declare it in the university transmittal form and in the application. If, in the course of the research conducted, intellectual property is discovered, please contact the Grant Office as soon as possible.
PennWest Clarion offers Technology Transfer and Commercialization services to all faculty, students and staff through a cooperative effort with the State System and Penn State Research Foundation.
Technology transfer is the process of transferring scientific findings from one organization to another for the purpose of further development and commercialization. The process typically includes:
- Identifying new technologies
- Protecting technologies through patents and copyrights
- Forming development and commercialization strategies such as marketing and licensing to existing private sector companies
Visit the PASSHE Technology Transfer and Commercialization website for guidelines, presentations, forms, faculty technology transfer stories and much more.
For a review of the basics of managing intellectual property, visit the Intellectual Property Training Program.
PROJECT CLOSEOUT
Most final reports are due within the standard 90 days after the end date of the award. Some sponsors, however, may select a 45-day window. This information will be made available to the PI/PD at the time of the award.
In preparation for project closeout, 60 days prior to the project end date, the PI/PD should begin the process by:
- Ensuring that all personnel are moved to another project or a department fund at project end
- Ensuring all required cost sharing is documented
- Reviewing outstanding commitments and informing OSP Purchasing of those that can be relieved
- Reminding any subcontractors that a final invoice must be submitted within 45 days of the subcontract end date
- Ensuring that all project costs are incurred by the project end date
- Resolving any potential project over expenditures
- Completing final technical report or other project deliverables
AWARD MANAGEMENT and PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
All awards for research and sponsored activities are made in the name of PennWest Clarion. Any award made to an individual staff or faculty member is considered consulting and the faculty member will be subject to taxation laws accordingly. Faculty and staff who have grant or sponsored activity programs under university auspices are responsible for the effective conduct and management of these programs. Only the president or their designee can sign agreements as the authorized institutional representative on an award document.
The following information will help with the management of your project:
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT DIRECTOR:
- Compliance with the terms and conditions of the sponsored agreement
- Managing project funds within the approved budget
- Timely completion and submission of required technical reports
- Complying with the all university and sponsor policies and procedures pertinent to the award
COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT/CENTER
Sponsored research or programs are conducted as a college and department function. As such, the departments and colleges associated with an award are expected to monitor its fiscal status and assist the principal investigator in resolving problems. The departments receiving facilities and administrative costs return from the award are also responsible for covering any costs incurred beyond the award amount, or any expenditures disallowed as the result of an audit.
GRANT OFFICE/GRANT ACCOUNTING OFFICE
- Reviewing all award documentation and establishing a restricted account
- Obtaining the necessary signatures for awards and compliance
- Meeting sponsor needs for fiscal report
- Providing fiscal accounting for restricted fund accounts
- Being the direct contact for all audits
PROJECT INITIATION
All sponsored activity and research must have a restricted account established. Project managers or principal investigators will receive an award letter with a unique restricted SAP account number and the award document from the sponsor, which will have some information regarding project reporting, expenditure rules, timelines, etc.
SPENDING: Spending money awarded on a grant or sponsored activity must follow certain generally accepted grant guidelines. Costs incurred must be ALLOWABLE, REASONABLE and ALLOCABLE.
Spending on a grant must also conform to state and university policies. Please visit the purchasing department for more information on purchasing goods and travel for your project.
HIRING PERSONNEL: Any person who is an employee of PennWest Clarion cannot be paid as a consultant using the grant funds. If a project director or PI are being paid from grant funds, their time and effort should be directly appointed to the grant account. This allows for certification of time and effort for federal funds at the time of an audit. For faculty on a nine-month appointment seeking summer pay using their research funds, please complete the supplemental pay form. If an employee needs to be hired using grant funds, please consult the Human Resources staff. All pay must conform to the PASSHE compensation policy.
BUDGET REVISIONS: Principal investigators or program directors must adhere to and comply with sponsor agency guidelines on budget revisions when applicable. In cases where the sponsor guidelines do not address revising the budget, all requests must made to and approved by the Grant Office prior to expenditures being made on the revised amounts.
Proposal budgets are estimates of project expenses and most sponsors recognize the need for revisions as the project is in progress. The Grant Office will determine whether or not Clarion has the ability to revise a budget without prior approval from the sponsor. If a formal request needs to be made to the sponsor, the Grant Office will submit a request in writing on the PI/PD’s behalf.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PI/PDs are responsible for declaring any portion of their research that may result in a patent or commercialization to the university and state system as soon as they make the discovery. If a PI/PD has this knowledge at the time of application, they should declare it in the university transmittal form and in the application. If, in the course of the research conducted, intellectual property is discovered, please contact the Grant Office as soon as possible. PennWest Clarion offers Technology Transfer and Commercialization services to all faculty, students and staff through a cooperative effort with the State System and Penn State Research Foundation.
Technology transfer is the process of transferring scientific findings from one organization to another for the purpose of further development and commercialization. The process typically includes:
- Identifying new technologies
- Protecting technologies through patents and copyrights
- Forming development and commercialization strategies such as marketing and licensing to existing private sector companies
Visit the PASSHE Technology Transfer and Commercialization website for guidelines, presentations, forms, faculty technology transfer stories and much more.
For a review of the basics of managing intellectual property, visit the Intellectual Property Training Program.
PROJECT CLOSEOUT
Most final reports are due within the “standard” 90 days after the end date of the award. Some sponsors, however, may select a 45 day window. This information will be made available to the PI/PD at the time of the award.
In preparation for project closeout, 60 days prior to the project end date, the PI/PD should begin the process by:
- Ensuring that all personnel are moved to another project or a department fund at project end
- Ensuring all required cost sharing is documented
- Reviewing outstanding commitments and informing OSP Purchasing of those that can be relieved
- Reminding any subcontractors that a final invoice must be submitted within 45 days of the subcontract end date
- Ensuring that all project costs are incurred by the project end date
- Resolving any potential project over expenditures
- Completing final technical report or other project deliverables