Sponsored Research

Responsibilities for Principal Investigators through the Award Lifecycle

Checklist for Principal Investigators during the proposal stage:

  • Determine the eligibility of a principal investigator (PDF)
  • Review terms and conditions of the specific grant.
  • Contact Sponsored Research at the beginning stage of the drafting the proposal for assistance adhering to guidelines, policies, deadlines, and F&A Calculations.
  • Fill out Internal Form
  • Gather general boiler-plate information for department/college and institutional data for USF.
  • Develop a Scope of Work and/or research plan (technical proposal)
  • Identify needs for subcontracts, consortia agreements, letters of support, etc. (if applicable)
  • Identify any prospective source of program income (if applicable)
  • Develop the budget for the funding and the budget narrative
  • Consult with department and college leadership to discuss use of space and personnel and obtain approval
  • Identify compliance issues should the project get funded (biohazards, radioactive materials, human subject protection, HIPAA, laboratory animals, driving safety, export controls) 

Checklist for Principal Investigators during Award Setup

  • PI submits the Grant Budget Release (GBR), which is used to establish project budgets. If the Internal Form was not submitted previously, this form needs to be filled out in order to seek proper approvals from compliance and other university administrative arms.
  • Provide subaccount details and documents to the Department of Sponsored Research (if applicable).
  • Submit FAST workflow request form. This is used to set up purchasing process approvals via the Controller鈥檚 Office.
  • Submit Section E of the FAST Access Request Form used to set up Travel workflow process approvals (if applicable).

Checklist for Principal Investigators during the project

  • Communicate with departmental unit research administrator to ensure that the project is adhering to the agreed upon terms and conditions.
  • Track budget, encumbrances, salary, subcontract commitments, and expenses internally.
  • Initiate and coordinate recruitment efforts and personnel appointments.
  • Submit payroll distributions for personnel on project.
  • Process third-party payment requests for students assigned to the project.
  • Ensure that travel is authorized, expended, and reimbursed according to university policies and procedures and sponsor guidelines.
  • Make purchases and incur allowable costs; ensure that all expenditures are reasonable, allocable, and benefit the project to which they are charged.
  • Process receipt of goods according to USF policy.
  • Review/monitor subcontracts. Approve subrecipient billing and deliverables for compliance, including ensuring that the quality of all deliverables is acceptable and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the subaward and the approved scope of work.
  • Approve subcontractor invoices and submit to Payment Services for disbursement.
  • Work with the departmental unit research administrator to ensure ledgers are reconciled monthly; review monthly financial reports and ensure costs associated with the project meet the test of being reasonable, allocable, and allowable.
  • Prepare documents and provide justification to Sponsored Research for re-budgeting, if appropriate.
  • Track cost sharing commitments to ensure commitment is met.
  • Ensure payroll distributions are correct prior to payroll being posted in the ledgers.
  • Ensure expenditure transfers are processed in a timely manner in accordance with university policy and are submitted by the departmental unit research administrator through Service Now (SN).
  • Review and adjust effort reporting (PERT) for department and compare calculated effort with the pay distributions of the committed effort.
  • Provide sponsor with deliverables and non-financial reports as outlined in the notice of award鈥檚 terms and conditions.
  • Provide information to Sponsored Research鈥檚 Post-Award Transactions and/or Invoicing & Reporting team(s) regarding pending transactions not yet posted to FAST. Sponsored Research provides financial reports to sponsors.
  • Ensure communication is maintained if there are any re-negotiated terms and conditions of the award. Sponsored Research is the authority to request sponsor reapproval.
  • Prepare carryover requests and notify Sponsored Research鈥檚 Transactions unit if applicable.
  • Provide documentation for audit requests as needed.

Checklist for Principal Investigators during the Closeout Process:

  • Finalize and discontinue all expenditures (payroll, P-Card, travel, encumbrances, subcontracts, and subawards) and all recuring charges (IT, cell phones, etc.).
  • Prepare any accrued annual/sick leave payout for employees terminated prior to end date of project.
  • Approve final invoice and financial report for Sponsored Research to submit to sponsor.
  • Work in concert with Sponsored Research to ensure that all deliverables have been met and non-financial (technical, property, and intellectual property) reports have been completed.
  • Assist Sponsored Research, as needed, for final releases for submission to sponsor.
  • Resolve any over-expenditures if needed
  • Receive roll-over analysis reports for fixed price projects (if applicable).
  • Maintain records of project until Sponsored Research sends a notice to purge.