This clarification applies to grant awards for which the sponsor issues an award document for multiple project years, with continued funding contingent upon submission and acceptance of a project progress report.

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) has provided faculty with the opportunity to establish a temporary account prior to the official notification of a grant award. This temporary account gives the principal investigator the flexibility to take advantage of the availability of pre-award policies established by many of the funding agencies. Temporary accounts are also used to manage payroll to ensure that personnel are paid from the correct project account. Temporary accounts are often established annually for a term of 6 months to one year upon routing and submission of progress reports.

In recent years, some agencies have established a new policy of awarding projects for the entire period of support (for example, American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, National Science Foundation, etc.). Continued funding is contingent upon the sponsor's receipt and acceptance of a progress report. Progress reports are often submitted electronically with no institutional signature required.

In recognition of this new sponsor procedure, ORD has developed the following procedure:

Progress reports must be routed annually when continued funding is contingent upon the sponsor's receipt and acceptance of progress reports. Requests for temporary accounts will be approved for 90 days based on routed progress reports that have been submitted electronically pending acceptance by the sponsor. Temporary accounts will not be approved or extended except with a routed progress report. Upon acceptance of the progress report by the sponsor, as evidenced by sponsor correspondence or receipt of payment, accounts will be finalized.

For further information, contact your ORD professional.