Post-Award

Roles and Responsibilities
Award Setup
Award Guidance
Outgoing Subawards
Award Closeout

The post-award phase occurs after an award has been received by the university. During this phase DCG will work directly with the sponsor, Principal Investigator, School, and any other necessary parties to negotiate terms in compliance with University Policy and execute the Award.

The University of Southern California is committed to helping its faculty successfully manage their sponsored research agreements. Doing this requires a partnership among faculty investigators, schools (and their departments, research centers and institutes), and central administration. The information below describes the roles and responsibilities of each of these groups as it relates to post-award actions.

Principal Investigator Responsibilities

Principal Investigators play a pivotal role in USC research projects, overseeing their direction, ensuring adherence to ethical standards, and fostering collaboration among team members. Their leadership and expertise are crucial for driving innovation, maintaining research integrity, and ultimately advancing knowledge in their field. Below is a list of common PI post-award responsibilities.

Executing the project as outlined in the funded proposals.
Carrying out the project’s financial plan as presented in the proposal.
Making changes to the project’s financial plan following sponsor and/or USC’s policies and procedures.
Reporting project progress and submitting deliverables to the sponsor as outlined in the terms of award.
Responding promptly to staff requests for approvals, information, or decisions.
Ensuring that an accurate record is maintained of project-related expenses.
Selecting, training, and evaluating project staff and students.
Complying with all USC policies and procedures, maintaining high standards of research integrity, and protecting the welfare of research subjects.
Complying with all applicable sponsor rules, regulations and/or terms and conditions of the award.

Although the PI is usually assisted by administrative staff, the management of project funds and the ultimate responsibility for the financial and administrative management of the project rests with the PI.

Department/Center Research Administrator Responsibilities

Departmental Research Administrators are responsible for managing the administrative aspects of research projects, ensuring compliance with funding regulations, and facilitating smooth communication between researchers and funding agencies. Below is a list of departmental research administrator post-award responsibilities.

Prepare budgets (including any satellite budgets), financial transactions (e.g., cost transfers, payroll, requisitions) and certify that cost sharing is documented.
Review and approve financial transactions.
Complete necessary adjustments to award charges and/or payroll
Review the terms and conditions of the award to determine if any prior approvals are needed and notify DCG if /when prior approvals are requested.
Prepare effort reports.
Initiate supplier contracts and change orders in Workday and ensure all requested information is complete.

School Responsibilities

Schools are responsible for ensuring that administrative support is provided to investigators for the fiscal and administrative management of sponsored projects. In some schools, this support is provided centrally by the school as a service for all of the school’s PIs. In other schools, departments, centers, and/or institutes provide this service locally. It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that no PI is left without administrative support, that all PIs are aware of where to obtain support, and that sufficient resources are available to meet the needs of PIs. Below is a list of school- post-award responsibilities.

Approve re-budgeting requests.
Certify that cost sharing is documented.
In the absence of the PI (e.g., transfer, long-term absence) prepare and submit technical reports to the sponsor and DCG.
Approve PI changes.
Approve PI Transfers.

Department of Contracts and Grants

The USC Department of Contracts and Grants is tasked with aiding Principal Investigators (PIs), Departments, and Schools in negotiating and executing agreements and amendments. They provide guidance on compliance with the terms outlined in sponsored agreements and facilitate the process of seeking sponsor prior approvals when necessary. Below is a list of DCG post-award responsibilities.

Award Acceptance and Set-Up

Negotiate terms and conditions with sponsor.
Confirm acceptance of exceptional terms and conditions.
Approve award terms and conditions and if applicable, execute award/agreement.
Confirm that regulatory compliance approvals are in place.
Enter award information in Cayuse SP system.

Compliance

Forward prior approval requests to the sponsor, when sponsor approval is required.
Obtain sponsor’s decision regarding changes to the project and update university systems, as necessary.
Assist PI/Dept Admins with questions regarding interpretation of terms.
Assist with the non-financial closeout of the Agreement.

Outgoing Subawards

Upon receipt of Workday, request, prepare, negotiate, and sign subcontracts/subawards and subsequent modifications.

Trainings

Complete Grants Management Training:

Required for all USC personnel in a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) role (as defined by the sponsor). Please confirm completion by looking up the PI in the “Admin” section of Cayuse SP and reviewing the section for “Training & Certifications.”

Complete Conflict of Interest Training:

This training is required for all awards which have funding from a Public Health Service sponsor (e.g. DHHS, NIH, SAMSHA, HRASA) for all personnel in an investigator role. “Investigator” means the project director or principal investigator and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research. This must be completed every 4 years. PI and Dept Admins can confirm completion by checking in Cayuse SP under the “Admin” section and reviewing “Training & Certifications.”

Certification and Regulatory Reviews

Conflict of Interest Review Committee (CIRC) Approval:

Required for all awards where the Cayuse indicates “Yes” to conflict of interest on the Regulatory Compliance Tab. Please request confirmation of Conflict of Interest Committee approval from PI/Dept Admin and provide it to your DCG officer.

Complete Medicare Coverage Analysis (MCA):

Required for all awards where there are patient care costs. Please work with the Clinical Trials Office and route through the Oncore System. Once the MCA is final and the Award/Amendment is final DCG will complete the Consistency Checklist in I-Star so approval of your study can be finalized in Oncore and you can begin to enroll patients.

Complete IRB Approval:

Required for all awards with human subjects. Please promptly provide this to your DCG Officer upon receipt. For additional guidance on how to request IRB approval please visit the IRB website. Please note that all IRB approvals will need to be connected with the Cayuse proposal or award Project # connected to the IRB approval. DCG has created a quick guide to assist: How to Link an IACUC/IRB Protocol to a Cayuse SP Proposal or Award.

Complete IACUC Approval:

Required for all awards where animal subjects are included. Please promptly provide this to your DCG Officer upon receipt. For additional guidance on how to request IACUC approval, please visit the IACUC website. Please note that all IACUC approvals will need to be connected with the Cayuse proposal or award Project # connected to the IACUC approval. DCG has created a quick guide to assist: How to Link an IACUC/IRB Protocol to a Cayuse SP Proposal or Award.

Requirements for Awards with Federal Funding

Complete IP-ACT:

Required for all personnel on federally funded agreement in order to comply with the Bayh-Dole Act. For additional information on this requirement, please review Bayh-Dole Act Obligations for Universities. PI and Dept Admins can confirm completion by checking in Cayuse SP under the “Admin” section and reviewing “Training & Certifications.” In the event that this has not been completed, please contact your DCG Officer and they will generate an e-mail to the faculty/staff member so that they can complete.

Awards with Funding from a Public Health Services (PHS) Sponsor

The HHS regulation42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F, Promoting Objectivity in Research (FCOI regulation), establishes standards that provide a reasonable expectation that the design, conduct, or reporting of Public Health Services Sponsors (e.g. DHHS, NIH, SAMSHA, HRASA) funded research will be free from bias resulting from any Investigator’s conflicting financial interest. HHS requires recipientinstitutionsand their investigators to fully comply with all FCOI requirements.

For more information about this policy please feel free to review:

NIH Financial Conflict of Interest – https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coi/index.htm
42 CFR Part 50: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2011-08-25/pdf/2011-21633.pdf

In order to comply with FCOI requirements the following must be completed:

Complete Disclose:

Required for all personnel in an investigator role. “Investigator” means the Project Director or Principal Investigator and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research. This must be completed annually. DCG can confirm completion by looking up the investigator in the “Admin” section of Cayuse SP and reviewing the “Training & Certifications” section.

Complete Conflict of Interest Training:

This training is required for all personnel in an investigator role. “Investigator” means the Project Director or Principal Investigator and any other person, regardless of title or position, who is responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research. This must be completed every 4 years.

Be Familiar With Award Terms and Conditions

In order to effectively manage an Award it is important to carefully review the terms and conditions of the agreement which are accessible in Cayuse SP. To access your award in Cayuse please visit our Cayuse SP Post-Award Resources page which offers a set of customized web guides that aim to walk users through understanding how to look up Award records and retrieving Award data (including notice of award documentation) directly within the Cayuse SP system.

In order to effectively manage an Award, it is important to carefully review the terms and conditions of the agreement which are accessible in Cayuse SP.

Understanding and Applying Cost Principles

Federal guidance (as outlined in 2 CFR 200) lays out cost principles that should be applied to all awards to ensure compliance and transparency in financial management. These principles dictate that all costs charged to federally funded projects must be allowable, allocable, reasonable, and consistent.

“Allowable” means the costs meet specific criteria outlined by regulations or the terms of the award.
“Allocable” signifies that costs are directly associated with the project and can be assigned to it in a reasonable manner.
“Reasonable” denotes that costs do not exceed what a prudent person would incur under similar circ*mstances.
“Consistent” indicates that costs are treated uniformly across projects and in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.

Adhering to these principles helps ensure responsible stewardship of federal funds and promotes accountability in research expenditures.

Allowable

A cost is allowable if it is permitted as a cost withingeneral award regulations, the terms of a specific Award, and/or USC’s F&A rates.

To be allowable, a cost must comply with the below standards:

Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award and be allocable thereto under these principles.
Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in the agreement as to types or amount of cost items.
Be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
Not be included as a cost or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other federally financed program in either the current or a prior period.
Be adequately documented.
Be incurred during the approved budget period.

Costs expressly unallowable or mutually agreed to be unallowable should be identified and excluded from any billing, claim, application, or proposal related to the Sponsored Award. Inclusion of an unallowable cost in a proposal does not make the cost allowable. Adding a justification to an unallowable cost in a proposal also does not make the cost allowable and sponsor explicit written approval will be required.

Allocable

A cost is allocable to a particular Award if the goods or services involved can be directly allocated to the Award it is being charged to without undue difficulty.

To determine if a cost is allocable, ask the following questions:

Is the cost incurred specifically for this award?
Can it be easily justified as allocable to this award without undue difficulty and with a high degree of accuracy?

If a cost benefits two or more projects or activities in proportions that can be determined without undue effort or cost, the cost must be allocated to the projects based on the proportional benefit. If a cost is not allocable then it cannot be directly charged to a sponsored agreement could be considered an indirect cost and so should not be charged as a direct cost.

Reasonable

A cost is considered reasonable if the nature of the goods or services, and the price paid for the goods or services, reflects the action that a prudent person would have taken given the prevailing circ*mstances at the time the decision to incur the cost was made.

To determine if a cost is reasonable, ask the following questions:

Is the cost necessary for theperformance of the Sponsored Award?
Does incurring this cost violate the restraints or requirements imposed by federal and state laws and regulations, or Sponsored Award terms and conditions?
Is the price of the goods or services comparable from multiple vendors/sources that have no vested interest or relationship to the Award or to the person involved in the purchase?
Have the individuals incurring this cost acted with due prudence (discretion and good sense) in the circ*mstances? Have they considered their responsibilities to the institution, its employees and students, the federal government, and the public at large?
Were the actions that were taken in respect to incurring the cost consistent with established institutional policies and practices applicable to Sponsored Awards?

Consistently Treated

All costs incurred for the same purpose and in like circ*mstances must be treated uniformly either as direct costs or as indirect (facilities and administrative or F&A) costs. All costs must be treated consistent with University policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both federally financed and other activities of the non-Federal entity.

Common Post-Award Actions

This section offers a comprehensive overview of post-award actions that might come up during the life of the Award. Whether you need to modify your budget, transfer funds between accounts, or make personnel changes to your project, this guide facilitates seamless navigation through these post-award protocols.

Carryover/Carryforward of Funds

Carryover is a process through which unobligated funds remaining at the end of the budget period may be carried forward to the next budget period. The carryover of funds allows a USC PI to use the unused prior year funds in the current budget period.

The award document will contain clear guidance specifying if carryover of funds between budget periods is allowed or requires sponsor prior approval. If prior approval of carryover is required by the sponsor and the PI wishes to carryover funds to the new budget period, please promptly notify your DCG Officer so that they can work with the sponsor to get approval.

Documentation required by the sponsor to request carryover approval may vary and so you will want to review the award and work with your DCG Officer to determine what is required.

Generally, the following documents are required for carryover requests:

A programmatic justification for the requested carryover.
The amount of funds requested to be carried over from the current period to the new period.
A budget and justification for the carryover funding.

Once the required documents have been provided, your DCG Officer will reach out to the sponsor to request approval. When approval is received, your DCG Officer will request that the award amount for the current period is updated in Cayuse SP.

Change in Scope

All sponsors will require prior approval for changes to the approved scope of work. Documentation required by the sponsor to request approval may vary and so you will want to review the award and work with your DCG Officer to determine what is required.

Generally, the following documents are required to request a change in scope:

Justification for Requested Changes to the Scope of Work
A Revised Scope of Work
A Revised Budget and Budget Justification
If this change includes change in cost share amounts, change in F&A rate, change in PI, or an increase in the award amount, a revised Cayuse SP record might be needed.
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Once you have provided the required documents, your DCG Officer will reach out to the sponsor to request approval. When approval is received, your DCG Officer will request that the award be updated in Cayuse SP.

Budget Changes/Rebudgets

The budget is the financial plan for the project or program that the sponsor approves during the proposal and award process. During the course of the award, revisions to the budget might be necessary. Rebudgeting requests not requiring sponsor prior approval should be sent directly to Sponsored Projects Accounting for processing. Rebudget requests requiring sponsor prior approval should be directed to your DCG Officer to secure sponsor prior approval prior to requesting Sponsored Projects Accounting modify the Award budget in Workday.

Generally, the following documentation are required for rebudget approvals:

A programmatic justification for the requested rebudget.
A revised budget and justification using the template required by the sponsor.
Confirmation that this does not represent a change in the Scope of Work.
If this change includes altering cost share amounts, change in F&A rate, a change in PI, or increase in the award amount, a revised Cayuse SP record might be needed.

Upon receipt of the documentation required by the sponsor, your DCG Officer will review and let you know if any additional documentation or action is required. DCG will request approval of the rebudget. Once approval is received, you can work with Sponsored Projects Accounting to have the budget modified in the financial system.

Here are some common rebudget issues you might encounter that might require prior approvals:

Award Reduction

Occasionally a sponsor will request to reduce the amount of funds that have already been committed to a sponsored project. Upon receipt of such a notification or amendment from the sponsor, please notify your DCG Officer and provide the following information:

The documentation or request from the Sponsor and any related communications with the sponsor (e.g., revised budgets, revised scopes).
Confirmation from the PI that this reduction is either acceptable or not acceptable.
Confirmation from the PI that the scope of work either has or has not been revised or reduced.

Upon receipt of the above, your DCG Officer will work with you and the sponsor to resolve and finalize this change to the award and have the award updated in the Cayuse SP system.

Rebudgeting - Add Equipment

Sponsor requirements regarding the allowable purchase of equipment funded with grant and contract budgets are dependent upon individual sponsor regulations and/or type of award. In the event equipment was not budgeted at proposal stage and now needs to be purchased, it is common for sponsor’s to require prior approval for this change.

Normally the sponsor will request the following information:

Description/Quote for the Equipment
Revised Budget
Justification for the Purchase

Purchase of Equipment in Last 3 Months of a Project
The purchase of equipment in the last three months of a project requires prior University approval even if the sponsor-approved budget included funds for the equipment. Extraordinary justification will be necessary for such purchases, except in cases where a renewal award is imminent.

All requests must include:

A description of the equipment.
An estimate of the cost.
An indication of whether the equipment is in the sponsor-approved budget.
A description of why the equipment is necessary to complete the project.

All requests must be approved by:

The Principal Investigator
Chair/Unit Head or Designee

Please provide approval to Sponsored Projects Accounting once received.

Rebudgeting - Add Subaward

Often, the addition of a subaward to the budget will require prior approval. If prior approval is required, you will need to notify your DCG Officer.Documentation required by the sponsor to request approval may vary and so you will want to review the award and work with your DCG Officer to determine what is required.

Generally, the following documents are required in order to add a Subaward(s):

Justification for the requested addition.
Subrecipient Scope of Work, Budget/Budget Justification and Subaward Certification Form or Letter of Commitment.
Revised USC Budget (incorporating the Subaward).
Confirmation that the Subaward(s) either do or do not represent a change in the Scope of Work.

Significant Rebudgets - Possible Change in Scope

Significant award rebudgets could indicate a change in the Scope of Work, which would require sponsor approval. Please note that University Policy requires any cumulative rebudget of greater than 25% of the sponsor approved budget to be reviewed by DCG for possible change in scope. DCG requires confirmation from the PI that there has been no change in scope or, if this does represent a change in scope, will assist the PI with getting approval.

Generally, the following documents are required to request a change in scope:

Justification for Requested Changes to the Scope of Work
A Revised Scope of Work
A Revised Budget and Budget Justification
If this change includes change in cost share amounts, change in F&A rate, change in PI, or an increase in the award amount, a revised Cayuse SP record might be needed.

Changes in Key Personnel

Key personnel changes can significantly impact the trajectory and execution of an award and often require sponsor prior approval. Managing these personnel changes effectively requires clear communication and proactive planning to ensure project continuity and success. Below are common changes to key personnel that you might encounter:

Change of Principal Investigator (PI)

Sometimes a Principal Investigator on an Award can no longer serve as PI or is leaving the University. If the school decides that it is in the best interest of the scope of work for the award to remain at USC, they can request that a new faculty member be appointed to assume the role of PI.

In the event that the school would like to request a new PI be added or appointed to an Award, they should promptly notify their DCG Officer and process a revised Cayuse SP record, adding the new PI to the award and securing PI and school approvals.

Generally, the following documents are required for these requests:

If the PI is leaving USC, an Outbound Assessment.
A Justification for the Requested Change.
The CV and/or Biosketch and/or Other Support for the New PI.
A Revised Scope of Work (if applicable).
A Revised Budget/Budget Justification (if applicable).

Once you have provided the required documents, your DCG Officer will reach out to the sponsor to request approval. When approval is received, your DCG Officer will update the PI information in Cayuse SP.

Disengagement of PI of 90 Days or More

Sponsors reasonably expect that the PI will be physically present at the location where their funded project is carried out to manage the award and ensure that objectives and timelines are met. Most sponsors want to be notified when a PI will be disengaged for periods of time exceeding ninety days. Federal sponsors in particular require advance notification when a PI will be disengaged for a period of time extending 90 days or more (e.g., a medical leave). Individual awards should be reviewed for specific guidance. In the event that it becomes necessary to appoint an interim PI, please promptly notify your DCG Officer.

Generally, the following documents are required for these requests:

A justification for the appointment of an interim PI, including the interim PI’s name and expected period of time for appointment.
CV or Biosketch for the interim PI.
A revised Cayuse SP record collecting school and PI approvals and certifications for the interim PI.

Once the required documents have been provided to DCG, your DCG Officer will reach out to the sponsor to request approval. When approval is received your DCG Officer will update the PI information in Cayuse SP.

Principal Investigator’s Departures

When a faculty member intends to leave USC, please promptly inform your DCG Officer and complete the Outbound Assessment form for all active proposals and awards for the departing PI.

The University will need to promptly inform the sponsor and engage in a process by which the University seeks sponsor approval to transfer active awards to the PI’s new institution, appoint a new USC PI, or terminate the project early.

For awards that will be transferred to the departing PI’s new institution, please also complete the Award Transfer Checklist to ensure all items are complete and USC has met all of its obligations prior to relinquishing to the new institution.

Reduction of PI Effort

Sponsors may require that the PI maintain a certain percentage of effort and/or require sponsor prior approval regarding changes to PI or Key Personnel effort. If a reduction in effort requires prior approval, please promptly notify your DCG Officer.

Documentation required by the sponsor to request revisions to effort may vary and so you will want to review the award and work with your DCG Officer to determine what is required.

Generally, the following documents are required for requests:

Revised percentage of effort requested for the PI and/or Key Personnel.
A revised budget and budget justification with updated effort.
Confirmation that this does or does not represent a change in approved scope.

Please Note: Any faculty in a PI role on an award must have some percentage of effort as they are responsible for the oversight and programmatic conduct of the scope of work under the award. This applies to all awards with the exception of equipment grants, fellowship awards, and awards where the sponsor does not allow PI salary. In the event PI effort is not charged directly to the award, this would be considered cost share and should be documented in Cayuse SP for school approval at the proposal stage.

Transfer of PI to New Lead Unit within USC

If the PI of an active award is transferring to a new lead unit within USC and wishes to have the management of the award moved to the new school/department, please notify your DCG Officer and provide the below documentation and approval:

Documentation Required:

A list of awards to be transfers (please include sponsor and sponsor award number).
The new department name and ID number.
The effective date of the requested transfer.
Contact information of the primary Research Administrator in both the current and new department.

Approvals Required:

Principal Investigator.
Chairs/Unit Heads or designees of current and new departments/units.
Deans/Directors or designees of current and new schools/colleges, if also transferring to a new school.

To streamline the process, below is a helpful form to collect the information and approval. Once completed and all approvals are in place, please provide it to your DCG Officer to update your awards:

Approval to Transfer Award to A New Lead Unit Within USC

Early Termination

In certain instances, a project may be terminated prior to the original expiration date.

Possible reasons for early termination include:

The PI has expended all of the awarded funding in compliance with the award terms and conditions and has submitted all project deliverables.
The PI is leaving USC, and the project will not be transferred or assigned a new PI.
The Sponsor has requested an early termination.

Award agreements typically include a clause for how an early termination situation will be handled, so individual awards should be reviewed for specific guidance. USC does not terminate awards early without very good justification. If a PI requests early termination, this should be directed to your DCG Officer for review to determine if the justification is sufficient and there is no other way to resolve the issue before moving forward. This request may require additional levels of review and the involvement of the school and the Office of General Counsel.

Generally, sponsor-initiated termination notices will be sent to DCG, in which case your DCG Officer will promptly inform the PI and School of the termination and have the award updated in Cayuse SP. Should you receive a notice of termination, please promptly provide it to your DCG Officer as swift action may need to be taken to stop work on the Award. The PI will need to work with the School and Sponsored Projects Accounting to ensure that all expenses are accounted for so that final invoices can be processed.

No-Cost Extension (NCE)

A no-cost extension is a prolongation of the project period beyond the original end date without additional funds from the funding agency. It allows the project team more time to complete the work and fulfill the project’s objectives within the existing budget. If additional time is needed, normally sponsor notification and/or approval is required. The department/PI should promptly inform DCG of the request and provide DCG with the following information:

How much additional time is needed? What will the revised end date be?
Justification for the need for additional time – the justification should include an allowable programmatic reason to request additional time. The justification needs to be related to the need to complete the scope of work and not to expend remaining funding.
Any other documentation requested/required by the sponsor.

Please note, often, there is a limited time frame to request additional time and so it is important to promptly informing your DCG Officer.

Unobligated Balance Transfer

For firm fixed-price agreements, the PI may request to transfer unobligated funds to an unrestricted account after closeout of the Award. To request this, you will need to complete an Unobligated Balance Transfer Form and get the approval of the PI, Dept Chair, Dean and Sponsored Projects Accounting. This will then need to be forwarded to your DCG Officer for final review and approval.

The following criteria should be confirmed prior to submitting this form for approval:

The Award qualifies as a Fixed-Price Agreement.
All sponsor payments have been received by USC.
All project expenses have been paid and encumbrances released.
All milestones achieved, deliverables and reports delivered, and the Award Closeout process completed.

Once DCG approves the form, they will provide the signed Unobligated Balance Transfer Form to Sponsored Projects Accounting so that the amount can be transferred in the Workday financial system.

Principal Investigators may desire to enter into an agreement with a subrecipient to complete a portion of the proposed project. Please visit theSubawards pagefor more information.

Please note that the post-award process can involve various additional steps and activities depending on the specific requirements of the funding agency and USC’s internal procedures. This explanation provides a general overview, and it’s recommended to refer to USC’s official documentation or contact your DCG Officer for the most accurate information.

Award Closeout is the process of finalizing all administrative and programmatic requirements for a sponsored award. This includes submitting all required reports, reconciling financial accounts, and returning any unused funds to the funding agency. Award Closeout typically begins within a few months of the end of the award period, but the specific timeline may vary depending on the funding agency and the type of award.

Here are some of the key steps involved in Award Closeout:

1. Review the award terms and conditions.This will help to ensure that all requirements have been met and that the award is in good standing.

2. Submit all required reports.This typically includes a final technical report and a final financial report.Some funding agencies may also require additional reports,such as a final invention statement or a human subject’s research closure report.

3. Reconcile financial accounts.This involves ensuring that all expenses have been properly charged to the award and that all unused funds are returned to the funding agency.

4. Close out all Subawards.If the award includes Subawards,these will need to be closed out in accordance with the funding agency’s policies and procedures.

5. Finalize all administrative tasks.This may include completing any outstanding paperwork,such as timesheets or travel reimbursem*nt requests.

Once all of these steps have been completed, the award will be officially closed out. The funding agency will typically issue a notice of award closure, which will release the institution from any further obligations under the award.

For a more in-depth overview of the Award Closeout process, please visit the Award Closeout webpage.

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Introducing the NEW DCG Website!

Summary of Changes in the New NSF PAPPG (Training Video and Slides)

DCG Directory

Helpful Resources

General Institutional Information

DCG Service Commitment

Proposal Rates at a Glance

Who Does What for Contracts and Grants?

Roles and Responsibility Matrix

USC’s Guide to Research

Post-Award – USC Department of Contracts and Grants (2024)

Post-Award

Common Post-Award Actions

Newsflash Alerts!

DCG Directory

Helpful Resources

References