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Award Setup

Last updated on June 23, 2016 5 min read Manage an Award & Financials - Award Setup

Congratulations! Your proposal has now been funded! The next step of the process is setting up your award in our internal systems so that it can be managed and reported on as necessary. Your department may be contacted during the set-up process to answer questions regarding your award.

Award Set-Up Tracker

Check the status of an award set-up action at anytime by using the Award Set-Up Tracker Sharepoint Module.

Step 1. Intake

The first step in getting your award set-up is the intake process, actions are received through two methods: a federal award portal or through your Research Administrator. The Administrative Coordinators then notify the Principal Investigators (PI), Department Administrator (DA), appropriate compliance offices, and Research Administrator (RA), that the award has been received and is ready to be processed. Once the email has been received, all parties should review the Notice of Award and all other related documents.

If your department receives any awards directly, please forward them to ospera@bu.edu or your Research Administrator for review.

Step 2. Award Action Review

Once the notification is sent out by the Administrative Coordinators, a SharePoint record is created and added to the Award Set-Up queue to let the Award Analysts know a set-up action is ready to be worked on. Award actions are processed and self-assigned by the Award Analyst on a first-in, first out basis. If the action is for a new award, the Proposal Summary Form (PSF) is used in tandem with the Notice of Award to set up the award.

Reviewing Documentation

The Proposal Summary Form provides the analysts with information that is necessary for the initial award set-up of an award, including but not limited to:

  • PI/Co-PI
  • Lead Unit
  • Activity Type
  • F&A rate
  • Cost Share

Since this information is used at the time of set-up it is important that any changes made to the PSF are sent to your Research Administrators.

Once an action has been assigned, the analyst will review the existing award (if applicable), and the provided documents for information regarding set-up. During this time, the Award Analyst may reach out to the Department Administrator or Research Administrator for more information or documentation related to the award. Any unique set up requests for an action should be sent to your Research Administrator as soon as possible to prevent any holds being placed on an award. The most common reasons for an award action hold are usually budget related. Sending your RA an accurate budget allows actions to be completed as soon as possible.

Compliance Holds

During the set-up of a new award, an award may be placed on Compliance Hold, at the direction of the Compliance Services office. This hold does not restrict an award from being set up but does restrict any spending on the grant until compliance requirements have been satisfied by the PI and/or any key personnel. Once the hold has been lifted you will receive a notification noting that the award status has been updated and that expenses can now be posted.

For more information on Compliance related issues, please contact the Compliance Services team at coi@bu.edu.

Step 3. Award Set-Up

Once an action has been determined to be ready for processing, the assigned analyst uploads and updates the information in Kuali Coeus as necessary. The information being updated in the award record determines the action type, as well as whether the money being added to the award is reportable or not. Reportable transactions are described as actions that result in newly obligated funds to the university. An award action is classified as follows:

  • Reportable Transactions
    • New – This action is for a new sponsored project not previously awarded to BU
    • Renewal – This action type is for awards with a newly awarded competitive segment
    • Continuation – This action is the addition of more time and money to an already existing award on non-competing awards.
    • Increment – This action is the addition of more money to an already existing award
    • Supplement – This action type adds funding (but not typically time) to an existing award in response to the submission of supplementary proposal material.
    • Advance Accounts – The action does not result from an award document, but rather from a PI/DA request to set up an account prior to receipt of a formal award document or an executed agreement. Advance Accounts become reportable once the University receives the appropriate award document
  • Non-Reportable Transactions
    • Carryover – An action allowing unspent funds from one project segment to be used in a subsequent period
    • Deobligation – An action removing obligated funds from a project/award by sponsor award notice
    • No-Cost Extension – An action extending a project’s period of performance without the addition of new funds
    • Rebudget – An action moving budgeted funds from one cost category/purpose (line item or account) to another (under the same award)
    • Administrative Action – A non-financial, non-performance period modification to an award
    • Program Income – Action to set up a new program income account for tracking funds from program income
    • Other – All other actions that can’t be classified using the above terms and require comment

New IOs and when they are necessary

Since each award is uniquely different and each sponsor has different guidelines, it may be determined during set-up that an award requires multiple IOs. The following award situations will always require a new IO to be created:

  • Carryover restrictions
  • Change in Lead Unit/Fund Center
  • NSF Participant Support Costs
  • Fabricated Equipment
  • Awards using multiple F&A rates
  • Awards that contain restricted funding
  • Sponsor needing funds tracked by specific tasks or projects
  • Sponsor change to document funding number

All other determinations for new IOs/new grants will be on a case-by-case basis. During award set-up the analysts will also set up/update any cost share accounts and trigger any subawards to the subaward team.

Notification of a Completed Action

Once an award has been updated in Kuali, a second Award Analyst on the Award Set-Up team will review the action in Kuali for discrepancies and then transmit the award to SAP. Once transmitted to SAP, the analyst will then send out the Award Notification and Notice of Award to all necessary parties signifying the award action is now complete. Award records update overnight, so your award may not reflect the new change until the next business day.

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