POST-AWARD 101

1. POST-AWARD 101 A GUIDE TO MANAGING FUNDED PROJECTS

2. WELCOME Dr. Lisa Schade Eckert, Dean, Graduate Education and Research Janelle Taylor, Coordinator, Graduate Student and Research Affairs Kathy Frazier, Senior Accountant, Controller’s Office Erica Goff, Director, Grants and Contracts Office

3. OBJECTIVES Define “post-award” Why do we care? The value and the rules Manage expectations: What do you do, what do we do Common mishaps Questions “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?” -Albert Einstein

4. Grant life cycle Define project, identify sponsor Work with Grants Office: Determine requirements Pre-Award (proposal development & submission) Award: Negotiation and award set-up Post-Award through close-out Work with Grants and Contracts Office and Controller’s Office throughout

5. WHAT IS “POST-AWARD”? Rules for everything following announcement of an award Governed by Subpart D, post-Federal Award Requirements, Office of Management and Budget 2 CFR 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Primarily Performance Measurement and Financial Management

6. Performance Measurement “Federal awarding agency must require the recipient to relate financial data to performance accomplishments of the Federal Award ….” “…when applicable, recipients must also provide cost information to demonstrate cost effective practices …” “The federal awarding agency should provide recipients with clear performance goals, indicators and milestones …” In other words: Objectives and deliverables Cost principles Award negotiation (Terms & Conditions)

7. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT “The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following …: • Retention requirements for records • Requests for transfer of records • Methods for collection, transmission and storage of information • Access to records • Restrictions on public access to records” Grants and Contracts Office and Controller’s Office manage these processes

8. Why does all this matter? Internal controls are required and necessary to protect YOU and the UNIVERSITY: “The non-Federal entity must: “Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the Federal award … “These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in ‘Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government’ issued by the comptroller General of the United States or the ‘Internal Control Integrated Framework’ issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).”

9. Internal Awards Internal awards are meant to educate scholars about grant processes and provide a springboard for external grant applications Internal awards still abide by grant funding rules: • The award monies must be spent in line with the application that was approved • Grant fund checks cannot be made out to the PI personally • You must provide proof of the project deliverables that were promised in the award application • Abide by university spending policies NMU invests ~$250, 000 annually, plus staff time, on internal support for faculty scholarship

10. Internal Award Requirements: The Final Report Internal awards (awards and grants provided by donors or NMU) abide by the rules of external grants, but often have less reporting requirements: The Final Report • The awardee writes the final report when their grant has ended • Final reports are usually turned in to the department/person/entity who sent you the award letter when you received the award What’s the point? • The final report outlines how you spent the money that was given to you • You want to show the funder that you did what you said you would do and that you used the funds appropriately • Awardees who show that they did great things with their funding are more likely to be funded in the future • Final reports show the amazing research you are doing and can prove why funding needs to continue in the future

11. What to include in the final report: • What was done? • What were the results? • What was produced (publication, presentation, creative work, etc.) • What further research might this lead to? • What sources of external grants did you (or might you) seek? • Detail the actual budget expenditures. Make your final report comprehensive, but also clear and succinct. Remember: The report should be written for an intelligent but NOT expert audience.

12. Post-Award Expectations Financial Management Award set-up meeting with Grants and Controller’s Office Request for Org Form and new organizational account number Basic guidance: What “we” do, what you do Budget Management Understanding the rules Internal tools and resources

13. Financial and budget management at NMU Components of “internal controls” and post-award management: TEAMWORK between PI (you), Controller’s Office and Grants office Award letter or announcement Award set-up meeting (forms, etc.) Process of spending and completing project Reporting: Financial and Project Close-out: Process of “ending” an award

14. We’re in this together Help, not hinder Erica Goff, Director, Grants efranich@nmu.edu Ext. 2456 Janelle Taylor, Coordinator, Grad Ed & Research jantaylo@nmu.edu Ext. 1407 Kathy Frazier, Sr. Accountant Controller’s Office Kfrazier@nmu.edu Ext. 1076