Congratulations you’ve been awarded funding! Here’s what happens next.
- 1. Notification
- 2. Intake
- 3. Signed
- 4. Maestro
- 5. Discussion
- 6. Start
- 7. Deliverables
- 8. Finish line
- 9. Recognition
- 10. Onward
Notice of award comes to either you or the Division of Research. If it comes to you, email the award notice to our office at Research@tarleton.edu
Once we have an award notice, the sponsor and University work together to get a signed agreement.
Once there is a signature, a project is created in Maestro, and accounts are created.
Your Maestro proposal MUST have completed its internal routing to create accounts.
A post-award team member will host a kickoff meeting with all the people who will be involved in the project.
After the meeting, you can begin your project!
All the deliverables need to be sent to the sponsor and be uploaded into Maestro for record-keeping purposes.
The end of the project is here! Close out procedures begin. Ensure all project expenditures have been processed and approved, and remove employees from the project.
If you have any scholarly work published from your research, let us know so we can recognize your publication in our newsletter and social media.
Now it’s on to the next research proposal!
Received Funding?
Project Setup
Before the Kick-Off Meeting
Once the contract is signed by both parties, project set-up can begin.
The Project Administrator will send out a new account request form that will require signatures from the Principal Investigator (PI), department head and the vice president before the new account number can be issued.
Once the account number is issued, the project budget is loaded.
During the Kick-Off Meeting
The project administrator will schedule a kick-off meeting with the Principal Investigator and the department budget specialist to discuss the following:
- Proposal migrated to project in Maestro and documents uploaded
- Grant account established, Pl IDC account established
- Personnel and Roles (who is involved in project and responsibilities)
- Payroll actions needed and time frame discussion with Administration staff
- Maestro Pl screens and training during kick-off meeting, and additional on-line resources covered
- Budget review and discussion
- Indirect Cost and how it works
- Time & Effort Training, Certification & processes discussed (TrainTraq 211113)
- Cost Share accounts and how this expense is captured, if applicable
- Subaward procedures, if applicable
- Expenditures/Billing/Revenue methods for project and how it works
- Deliverables due dates and method of submission
- Close-out processes
After the Kick-Off Meeting
After the kick-off meeting, the Principal Investigator is ready to start the research project.
Project Administrators are responsible for assisting Principal Investigators by checking for allowability of expenses and for working with Principal Investigators and sponsors to obtain permission or modify budgets as necessary. Project administrators and PI’s will monitor the account balance to make sure funds are available for expenses and that expenses fall within the terms of the agreement. Project Administrators also assist in monitoring the end-date of an agreement and Maestro sends email to PI to select if a project will complete at scheduled end date, or if an extension is needed.
The Project Administrators and the REID team are available to answer questions, assist with financial reports, and contractual matters.
Project Closeout
The last step in a grant or contract’s life cycle–whether cost-reimbursable or fixed-price–is project closeout. The key feature to any close is the submission of all technical, financial, and other reports as required to the sponsoring agency on time.
The principal investigator (PI) will be notified through a MAESTRO notification prior to the termination date of the project. The project administrator will communicate with the PI to determine if a no-cost extension will be requested or if an extension with additional funds is pending.
Your project administrator will start the closeout process, which may include assistance from a budget specialist to end project payroll, clear open encumbrances, accounts receivable, purchasing, property, and compliance (if there are subawards or cost sharing).
Please be aware that many sponsors will not make final payments on awards until they have received the final technical report. So, make sure to review your award document carefully and issue your final technical report after you have completed the project.
Final Technical Report
The PI on a sponsored research project is responsible for timely submission of the final technical reports. Specific sponsor requirements for the technical reports are usually defined in the award package. When the report is completed, the PI may submit it directly to the sponsoring agency whether it is an electronic submission or paper, and upload copy to Maestro deliverables tab.
The obligations of the award have not been met until the report has been submitted to the sponsor.
Final Financial Report
- The final fiscal report is generally due within 60-90 days after the expiration date of the award.
- This final fiscal report is prepared and submitted by the Project Administrator
- The PI needs to coordinate with departmental administrator to ensure that all costs have been properly reported and posted to the grant account by end date of project.
Commonly Used Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should be notified if awarded a grant?
Congratulations! Email award notice to the post-award Grant Administrators & research@tarleton.edu so that next steps can begin.
Who can sign my grant contract/agreement?
The Contracts and Grant Administrator will negotiate, review and send for signature all contract or grant agreements. Authorized Representatives designated to commit University to contracts or agreements are approved by The A&M Systems – Office of General Council.
What is Indirect Cost (IDC)?
Indirect costs represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified or captured in a budget line item, but are necessary to the general operation to conduct research projects. Examples of indirect costs are: Use of space, utilities, equipment, administrative personnel, and depreciation.
How is Tarleton’s IDC distribution policy?
Once IDC is generated based on monthly expenses, the IDC amounts are allocated to the PI, Dept Head/Dean, and RIED (20%/20%/60%) as prescribed in Tarleton’s SAP 21.01.03.T01.01 Indirect Cost Allocation.
How do I request an extension or budget revision? And who should receive correspondence?
If a PI finds a budget revision is needed to complete project, and/or an extension of time is required, please contact Sponsor Project Director for guidance and copy the Grant Administrator in post-award assigned to the project to assist. Once the PI receives Sponsor approval for the budget revision and/or extension, also ensure Grant Administrator is copied so that modifications can be made to the project and budget within the TSU operating systems.
Where do I keep copies of my technical deliverables?
Technical and financial deliverables are submitted directly to the Sponsor, and a copy is stored in Maestro under the deliverables tab. If the deliverable was scheduled in Maestro, and an email reminder is received, upload document to this deliverable, entering date submitted to sponsor is required, and complete button is pushed to stop email reminders.
Who prepares financial reports?
The post-award grant administrator assigned to the project is responsible for submitting financial reports. If the PI progress report requires a financial component, please allow the grant administrator five (5) business days to provide the requested information.