Project Management
You have received news that an external sponsor will fund your grant proposal. Congratulations!
So what’s next? Here’s information on roles and responsibilities and support you will receive to help you manage the sponsored project.
Roles & Responsibilities
Resources for managing an award
- If a sponsor sends award information to you, instead of the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs, please forward them immediately to the Grants Coordinator.
- A grant award may come with contracts or agreements. Representatives from Business Services and Grants and Sponsored Programs will review the terms and conditions and will negotiate with the sponsor if changes are proposed. The Grants Coordinator can route documents for signatures.
- Note: Only authorized representatives can sign grant agreements and contracts on behalf of MSUN. Individual faculty and staff are not authorized to provide these signatures.
- Once your award has been processed, the Grants Coordinator will set up a New Award Meeting.
- The meeting will include the Grants Coordinator and Controller and others as appropriate.
- You will receive customized information for your project needs.
- You will receive a Project Director/Principal Investigator handbook with details on managing an award.
- You will help provide information that Business Services needs to set up and account for your sponsored funds.
- Everyone will review the requirements for either billing the sponsor or drawing down funds.
- Everyone will review who is responsible for what during the management of your sponsored project. This includes effort reporting, re-budgeting, sub-recipient monitoring, financial and technical reporting, and closing out your project when it is finished.
- Everyone will review specific needs to start the project such as hiring new employees or purchasing capital equipment.
- Business Services will handle the financial post-award processes.
- They will establish a 72XXXX fund number to account for the project’s expenses.
- Business Services is responsible for collecting funds from the sponsor.
- Each project has specific requirements for either billing the sponsor or drawing down funds from a designated web portal. (Your award document should include these requirements).
- Business Services and the Grants Coordinator can help you use procurement methods correctly.
- You may also be able to get help from your college administrative assistant to purchase items.
- If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Grants Coordinator.
- The responsibility for monitoring all grant and contract expenditures belongs to the Project Director/Principal Investigator.
- All expenditures must comply with the sponsor’s and University’s guidelines and be aligned with the approved budget in the proposal application.
- Business Services recommends that the PD/PI review all expenditures on a monthly basis
at a
minimum. - If you would like help, contact the Grants Coordinator.
- If your award necessitates hiring new staff or re-allocating existing staff: Contact Human Resources as soon as possible.
- All hiring must be conducted and approved in accordance with MSUN policy.
- Obtain authorization approvals before the work commences.
- The process for paying human subjects in your research projects depends on the method
in which you
are distributing funds and the amount of the payment. Find the method that best fits your project, and
follow the University policy and procedures. - If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Grants Coordinator.
- The purchase of capital equipment, especially using Federal funds, includes several regulations. These include transfer of title and disposal requirements. The regulations are typically included in the Notice of Award.
- The Grants Coordinator can assist in procurement of capital equipment.
- Contracts and/or Service Agreements for equipment must be reviewed by Business Services.
- Contact Facilities as soon as possible if renovations or upgrades are needed.
- Follow Purchasing Policies: See Policy 840.16 Agency Requisitions and Purchase Orders
- Contracts and/or service agreements for speakers coming to campus will be done in SmartBuy and reviewed and approved by your supervisor, Business Services, and the Chancellor.
- See Policy 850.1 Personal Services Accounting Grants & Contracts.
- All employees being paid from a state or federal grant or contract are required to complete the Time & Effort Certificate and submit to Business Services on a biweekly schedule. For certain awards (such as Perkins), there may be additional documentation required.
- Students are excluded.
- This form will be signed by the employee and their supervisor (electronic signatures are acceptable).
- The PI/PD is responsible for each person being paid by the grant to complete time & effort.
- If your award requires a cost share or cost match, the Grants Coordinator will help you set up a tracking and documentation system.
- Cost share and cost match must be documented for the sponsor according to terms of the award.
- You must request approval to change your budget.
- Contact Grants Coordinator for the request form.
- Your request will be reviewed by Grants and Sponsored Programs and Business Services.
- You must request approval for no-cost extensions.
- Contact the Grants Coordinator as soon as possible to coordinate the request.
- The Notice of Award or other guidance from the funding sponsor typically includes instructions for reporting.
- The PD/PI is responsible for technical reporting on the project.
- Business Services and the Grants Coordinator can provide financial reports.
- Closing out an award is the final stage of a grant award.
- Several weeks prior to the end of the final budget period, the Grants Coordinator will schedule a series of meetings to check on the status of expenditures to ensure you will spend all of the grant award in a timely manner, if possible, and that the project itself can be completed by the end of the budget period.
- Note that if funds remain in the account after the final budget period (and any no cost extensions), the account cannot be closed. The Grants Coordinator will contact you with options about the remaining funds, including sending funds back to the sponsor.
NIH Post-Award Information
The NIH has excellent information for post-award budget issues, reporting and management.
Perkins Equipment Requirements
Equipment (purchase price $5,000 or more) purchased through the Montana Perkins grant must be managed according to federal regulations (eCFR 200.313).
The Perkins Coordinator and Grants Coordinator are responsible for maintaining property records and doing biannual physical checks on the equipment.
Equipment must be given away, sold, or disposed of following the Perkins regulations. Contact the Perkins Coordinator or the Grants Coordinator before disposing of Perkins equipment.