Announcement of Award Setup Process Improvements for Grants

The Business Process Team of the RACI project has been working to identify improvements to the Award Setup process for grants with the objective of reducing the time required to obtain a fund code (also known as the "WBS element"). Feedback has been solicited from many groups including faculty, departmental business managers and grant administrators, and central research support personnel. Effective February 22, 2008, the following changes will occur:

• Upon receipt of the Notice of Award, the Office of Research Support (ORS) or the Office of Research Administration (ORA) will initiate both the Award Acceptance and Award Setup (fund code request) processes. (Previously, the Award Setup process was not initiated until completion of the Award Acceptance process.)
• ORS or ORA will request a fund code unless there is an unresolved Conflict of Interest or the PI has not completed annual RCC training.
• Departments will be responsible for ensuring compliance with award restrictions pending official acceptance of the award.
• As of March 22, 2008, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will include the PI in the correspondence to the department confirming assignment of the fund code.
• OSP will denote a 'pending' status for fund codes established pending award acceptance. Monthly reporting of fund codes in a pending status longer than 30 days will be provided to ORS and ORA. The Pre Award offices will use this information to facilitate communication to both the department and the management center in order to monitor codes established for which award acceptance is incomplete.
• The process for requesting a fund code for DCRI or for contracts will not be changed.

Expected benefits from this process change include acceleration of the award setup process as well as improved accuracy in the initial recording of grant expenditures and reduced need for cost transfers. This change does not replace the current process to request a code in advance of receipt of the Notice of Award. The option to request a code in advance remains available.

Please contact the following offices if you have questions concerning this announcement:

Office of Research Administration (ORA): 684-5175
Office of Research Support (ORS): 684-3030
Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP): 684-5442
RACI project website