Frequently Asked Questions

I was just notified that my proposal was funded. What should I do with the award documentation?

Send all award related documents to Office of Sponsored Programs.  They will set up the grant.

How will OFGA work for my grant?

Once your Grant is set up, your department administrator will arrange a meeting with you. OFGA will work with you throughout the project lifecycle to manage the financial administration of the grant. We help ensure all expenses are allowable and provide support to over or under expenditure.

What is my grant’s Internal Order Number and where can I find it?

Each grant is assigned a unique Internal Order Number. This I/O# is on the Notice of Account Setup provided via email.

How do I know what expenses can be charged to my grant?

Generally, expenses in the approved budget are allowable and may be charged to the grant, but keep in mind that the expenses must be allowable, reasonable, allocable, and consistently treated. General expenses such as office supplies and ink cartridges should not be charged to grants. These are considered overhead and are covered under our indirect cost rate. You may find this Guideline very helpful.

My grant includes a subaward. Who issues the contract to my collaborator?

The OSP will issue a subaward agreement to the collaborating institution as well as amendments to the contract as needed. You will receive a copy of the contract and any amendments. If you are a subawardee on a grant, the prime recipient institution will issue a subaward agreement to Boston University.

What should I do if I charged a grant expense to the wrong award or account?

A Cost Transfer is an after-the-fact reallocation of the cost associated with a transaction from one project (account) to another. A Journal Entry must be completed. Please inform your DA as soon as possible if any expenses need to be moved.

Can I travel on Sponsored Awards?

Check terms & conditions of agreements before submitting any travel cost for reimbursement. Remember that in most cases, federally funded projects require you to use US flag carriers for air travel. Refer to research support for detailed guidelines.

Who will submit the Non-Financial Closeout Reports and financial reports?

All financial reports must be reviewed and approved by someone within Post Award Financial Operations. Research Accounting will submit the final financial after verifying the ending balance with your department. Non-Financial Closeout is a shared responsibility between Sponsored Programs and Departmental Administrators working with their Principal Investigators.

What is a Personnel Activity Report?

A Personnel Activity Report is the tool used to confirm that salaries and wages charged to the grant are reasonable in relation to the work performed as part of the funded project. The Federal government requires recipients of grants to maintain time and effort reports that reflect effort levels by employees on grants. The university provides effort reports to PI/PD’s twice a year which must be certified by the employee and returned.

What should I review with my DA?

Reviewing accounts regularly is vital to ensure that the costs on the account are correct, and nothing is missing.

• Are the people whose salary is being charged to the grant correct? Is anyone missing?
• Expenses as expected? Any big purchases that aren’t showing up?
• How is spending looking against proposal and projections?

What is a no-cost extension and how do I request one?

Funders may provide additional time to complete the project, usually one year, if work remains to be done and there are sufficient funds left to complete the work. Contact your DA to complete a IPAR Form and send it to OSP to start the process.

I need to make a change to my budget.  What should I do?

Check with your DA, If your grant terms allow BU to authorize the change, fill out a IPAR Form to request the budget changes. Then, send the completed form to OSP for review.