Award Closeout
Campus Obligations
The University has an obligation to close all Sponsored Programs and to submit any final technical and financial reports in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the award. The necessary closing procedures may vary, depending on the policies of the sponsor, whether the support was in the form of a grant, cooperative agreement or contract and the specific terms and conditions of the award. Since most sponsors do not send expiration letters, it is the responsibility of the PI to check the award document for all pertinent details about closeout procedures and dates.
The closeout of a project is the process by which the sponsor determines that all applicable administrative actions and all scientific work on the award have been completed. While closing out an award marks the fulfillment of certain obligations that the university has to the sponsor, certain obligations such as records retention, audit rights and patent rights survive the expiration and close out of an award.
Federal Awards: 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements
2 CFR Part 200 (the "Uniform Guidance"), Section 200.344 - Closeout, sets forth requirements with respect to the complete and timely submission of final reports for federal grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. To be in compliance with the Uniform Guidance, all financial, performance and other required reports must be submitted no later than 120 calendar days after the expiration or termination date of the award. Some federal awards may reference and incorporate more restrictive closeout requirements in the terms and conditions of the award - if so, the more restrictive requirements should be adhered to in closing out the award. A subrecipient, on the other hand, must submit to the pass-through entity, no later than 90 calendar days (or an earlier date as agreed upon by the pass-through entity and subrecipient) after the end date of the period of performance, all financial, performance, and other reports as required by the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may approve extensions when requested and justified by the non-Federal entity, as applicable.
Failure to adhere to the specific closeout requirements of an award may result in the withholding of new awards by the federal sponsor to either the PI or the campus. In extreme cases, the sponsor may suspend payments for costs incurred by the University on other projects funded by the federal sponsor.
When an Authorized Official Signature is Needed
Some sponsors may require that final reports be signed by an Authorized Official of the University. In these cases, the report should be sent to Sponsored Programs Administration for signature.
Timeliness Is Important
Timeliness is important when closing out an award to assure:
- full compliance with the terms and conditions of the award,
- sound award management, and
- collection of all monetary reimbursement for costs incurred.
Standard Reports Required for Closeout
When a sponsored project ends, certain administrative actions are required to ensure an orderly closing of the award. Specific report and deliverable requirements are typically stated in the sponsor's award documents or in a policy brochure or manual. The award documents and Notice of Award will identify the specific reporting requirements and should be reviewed by the Principal Investigator and department administrator at the time the award is funded by the sponsor.
It is important to complete all the requirements and to do so in the timeframe stipulated by the sponsor. Non-compliance in this regard can lead to debarment of the Principal Investigator from receiving subsequent awards from the sponsor. Ultimately, it can even lead to the debarment of the University from receiving awards from the sponsor because the University is held responsible for all required closeout documents.
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Final Technical Report
Final Technical Report
Most awards require submission of a final report of work accomplished during the period of performance. Such reports range from a brief summary and list of publications to a complete, comprehensive compilation of the project and its results. The Principal Investigator is responsible for the submission of all technical reports required under the terms of an award, as well as other agreed upon deliverables such as schematics or software.
Sponsored Programs Administration is the office of record for UCR's extramural awards. Consequently, Principal Investigators must provide Sponsored Programs Administration with evidence that they have fulfilled their final technical reporting requirements, this may occur in the following ways:
- Providing SPA with a copy of the final technical/progress report;
- Providing SPA with a copy of the cover letter used to transmit the final technical/progress report;
- Copying the Contract and Grant Officer assigned to the PI's department on any electronic transmission that fulfills a final technical reporting requirement; or
- Submission of a written statement from the PI to SPA indicating that the final technical/progress reporting requirements have been fulfilled, the day that they were fulfilled and the manner in which they were fulfilled.
Failure on the part of the Principal Investigator to deliver any required technical reports or deliverables to the sponsor in a timely matter may effect the collection of funds for the project and future funding from that sponsor to the University.
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Final Report of Patent and Inventions
Final Report of Patent and Inventions
Most sponsors require reports about patents and inventions made during the conduct of a sponsored project. Usually such declarations are made via a preprinted form, annually and/or at the end of the project period, and are required even if the report is negative. A final report of patents and inventions may require the signatures of both the Principal Investigator and the Contracts or Grants Officer assigned to the PI's department.
If a patentable idea, invention or discovery is made as a result of a sponsored project, the disclosure of such must be made through the Technology Commercialization unit in the Office of Research within a specified time or the University may lose its rights to the invention. The Principal Investigator should contact Technology Commercialization as soon as it is practical to discuss the invention, to avoid premature public disclosure, and if appropriate, to start the patent process.
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Final Inventory of Equipment
Final Inventory of Equipment
The sponsor's policies on title to equipment and the submission of final equipment reports must be followed when closing out an award. Many sponsors request an equipment inventory report whether or not title to such property is retained by the University.
Equipment Management is responsible for completing and submitting the final inventory of equipment report. The Principal Investigator should assist with answering any questions or addressing any issues that arise regarding equipment or property.
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Final Financial Status Report
Final Financial Status Report
The expiration of an award usually requires the submission of a final financial status report or final invoice. The Extramural Funds Unit of UCR's Accounting Services Department is responsible for submitting any financial reports required to closeout the award. It is advisable that the Principal Investigator monitors project obligations closely, by carefully reviewing the financial reports prepared by the department throughout the project period.
In accordance with OMB Circular A-21, a certification that all charges are for appropriate purposes and in accordance with the application and award documents must be included in each financial report.