This page details the roles and responsibilities by function in post-award management.
Award Set up and Modification
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Developing a chartstring strategy to assist with project-specific management requirements such as financial reporting or invoicing by deliverable and creating chartstring components as needed
- Submitting an accurate budget within the prescribed time period
- Please refer to the Award Setup page for more information
- Verifying that the budget and other award information in the PeopleSoft Grants and Contracts module reflect the terms of the award, and if errors are found contacting CGA to revise
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Setting up new sponsored research awards and modifications in the PeopleSoft Contracts and Grants module within the prescribed time period
- Uploading budgets received from the RA/CSS-RA into the PeopleSoft Contracts and Grants module within the prescribed time period
- Mapping PC chartfields at the direction of the RA/CSS-RA
- Notifying PIs, RAs, CSS-RAs and departments when the award has been set up
Oversight, Administration, and Communication throughout the Post-Award Lifecycle
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Communicating frequently with principal investigators to keep them apprised of the project's financial business developments and assist them in the administration of awards. This includes providing the PI with regular accounting reports of project balances and expenditures, as well as projections of future expenditures
- Reviewing all project expenditures, including Facilities and Administrative cost charges, on a routine basis (typically monthly), and ensuring accuracy and compliance with sponsor and university guidelines
- Reconciling project ledgers on a timely basis and reviewing financial transactions with the PI in keeping with the department's performance standard
- Monitoring encumbrance balances on a monthly basis, ensuring the procurement obligations for the award are accurate and that POs are closed out on a timely basis
- Ensuring that the PI has approved all transactions (e.g. cost transfers) in accordance with University policies and that transactions are properly documented
- Ensuring that the project operates in accordance with its budget and, if required, assisting the PI to prepare budget adjustments or amendments
- Advising SPO of changes to key personnel (reduction in time and/or absence from the project of key staff, e.g. the PI not able to act even remotely) or changes to the scope of work
- Ensuring that all requests for No-Cost Extensions are filed on time with SPO
- Please refer to the No-Cost Extensions procedures on the SPO website for more information
- Ensuring that all Cost Sharing Contribution reports are prepared, collected from subaward partners, certified by the PI, and forwarded to CGA
- Please refer to the Cost Sharing page for more information
- In conjunction with PI, monitoring subrecipients for compliance with award terms and conditions
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Preparing interim and final financial reports and submitting them to the sponsor as required in the award agreement
- Revising the reporting and invoicing deadlines when a No-Cost Extension is authorized by SPO
- Please refer to the No-Cost Extensions procedures on the SPO website
- Troubleshooting and resolving certain financial discrepancies (i.e., F&A calculations) on a monthly basis
- Performing reconciliations (e.g., amount invoiced to amount received)
- Providing information to RAs and CSS-RAs to assist with correcting transaction errors
- Reviewing payroll cost transfers onto federal awards that exceed the 120 day cost transfer period
- Please refer to the Cost Transfer Procedures page for more information
- Scheduling meetings with research teams to coordinate special invoicing or reporting requirements
- Assessing current business practices related to post-award financial management and implementing improvements
- Communicating changes to internal and external financial management policies to UCB stakeholders
Invoicing and Accounts Receivable
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Preparing "Departmental Invoices" when detailed or atypical expenditure reporting is required by the sponsor
- Providing them to CGA to use as supporting documentation for CGA-generated invoices
- Preparing detailed expenditure reports and backup documentation for sponsors if required by the sponsor as a condition of payment
- Advising CGA of any issues that arise with the sponsor that may affect CGA’s ability to invoice or the University’s ability to receive payment
- Notifying CGA immediately if RA becomes aware of any information related to the sponsor's fiscal integrity or financial position
- Providing technical reports to CGA if the sponsor indicates they are to be submitted with invoices, intercampus reimbursement or financial reports
- Providing cost share reports to CGA if cost share reporting is required on invoices
- Communicating status of deliverables to CGA if billing is based on deliverables
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Preparing interim and final invoices and submitting them to the sponsor in accordance with instructions in the award document
- Reporting cost sharing by including cost share expenses on the invoice
- Processing intercampus reimbursement and payment requests
- Calculating and requesting letter of credit drawdowns during the award period
- Manually calculating and posting F&A charges for certain awards
- Processing the monthly management fee allocation
- Coordinating the encumbrance/PO balances on all intercampus subawards
- Applying check payments and wire transfers accurately to outstanding accounts receivable
- Investigating and applying payments from unidentified sponsors in a timely manner
- Researching and resolving any credit balances in accounts receivable
Award Closeout
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Advising and assisting the PI in fulfilling the departmental award closeout requirements, including closing all open POs, updating the payroll system for staff appointments, posting accrual journals if needed, insuring there are no overdrafts, etc.
- Please refer to the Award Closeout page for more information
- Providing accurate, complete, and readily available documentation to CGA for the final financial report
- Transferring overdrafts promptly during the closeout period
- Completing the Award Closeout Certification in a timely manner including all required supporting documents
- Submitting the Award Closeout Exception Requests if needed, including all required supporting documents
- Ensuring that all Cost Sharing Contribution reports are prepared, certified by the PI, and forwarded to CGA
- Please refer to the Cost Sharing page for more information
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Notifying PIs, RAs, CSS-RAs and departments in thirty day intervals, starting at 90 days, that an award is due to expire
- Managing and coordinating the overall financial award closeout process
- Submitting the final invoice or refund to the sponsor
- Creating and submitting the final financial report to the sponsor
- Setting the closed award in the PeopleSoft Contracts and Grants Module to "Inactive"
Effort Reporting
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Verifying that salaries charged to grants and contracts correspond to actual time spent on the project
- In conjunction with CGA staff, facilitating and coordinating effort reports, ensuring the reports are completed on time and certified by the appropriate individual
- Please refer to the Effort Reporting page for more information
- Requesting CGA add CO-PIs to effort reporting system
- Entering committed cost share for federally sponsored project into effort reports
- Identifying and troubleshooting effort report status issues
- Communicating with CGA ERS coordinator to try and resolve payroll issues
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Coordinating the effort reporting process for each biannual certification cycle
- Adding co-investigators as requested by RA
- Maintaining the Effort Reporting System (ERS)
- Providing training on effort reporting principles and how to utilize ERS
- Notifying RAs and Effort Report Coordinators (ERCs) when effort reports have been issued
- Assisting RAs with resolving effort report status issues
- Communicating with RAs, ERCs, and PIs regarding the effort reporting process
Internal and External Audit
Department Administration (PI, RA, CSS-RA, Department Manager/CAO) Responsibilities
- Ensuring that the project records are kept in good order and are readily available for review and audit
- Assisting internal and external auditors if requested
Contracts and Grants Accounting Responsibilities
- Performing routine post audit reviews on selected award transactions
- Coordinating all external audits of contracts and grants-related transactions (federal and non-federal)
- Preparing reports for external auditors and the UC Office of the President