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SECTION 801: GRANT AND CONTRACT ACCOUNTING - GENERAL PROVISIONS

SOURCE: NDSU President

  1. PROPOSALS. All proposals submitted to external agencies must be reviewed and approved by the responsible Department Chair, the College Dean, the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting, and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration PRIOR to the submission of the proposals. In cases where equipment match funds are required, the Vice President for Research, Creative Activities, and Technology Transfer's (or designee's) approval is also required.

    1.1
    The completed proposal must be submitted to all parties involved in the proposal approval process. The Chair and Dean are responsible for reviewing the proposal for consistency with the department and college mission; availability and commitment of department and college support services and resources, including faculty and staff time, space and finances; and assurance that the department and college obligations as defined in the proposal will be met. The Office of Grant and Contract Accounting will review the proposal budget to see that it is representative of the work proposed, and for conformity with University and external agency guidelines and requirements. The Vice President for Research, Creative Activities, and Technology Transfer acts on behalf of the President and reviews the proposal for consistency with the institutional mission and policies, public or private agency policies and regulations, and applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations. This signature also assures a check for availability and commitment of the institutional support services and resources. Each office may require modifications to the proposal. Proposals must meet the criteria of each review process BEFORE submission to a sponsoring agency.

    1.2
    A Proposal Transmittal Form is required for each proposal submitted for review. Proposal Transmittal Forms may be obtained from the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration.

    1.3
    The Office of Grant and Contract Accounting and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration require a minimum of 72 hours to process a proposal. If time is a problem, the entire proposal need not be submitted. A completed Proposal Transmittal Form, the proposal cover page, an abstract, and the budget page may be sufficient for final approval. Following final review by the Vice President for Research, Creative Activities, and Technology Transfer, the principal investigator will be called and informed of university approval or of the need for revision. Grant and contract proposals requiring additional space, renovations, remodeling, and/or relocations must be approved by the Vice President for Research, Creative Activities, and Technology Transfer and the Vice President for Finance and Administration prior to submission.

  2. AWARDS. All contracts and agreements must be reviewed by the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration prior to their execution. The Office of Grant and Contract Accounting is responsible for negotiating any terms of the agreement which deal with the financial aspects of the agreement, such as allowable costs, documentation of expenditures, audits, and submission of financial reports. The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration is responsible for negotiating all other terms of the agreement, such as patents, confidentiality, liability, and publication.

  3. All correspondence between the Principal Investigator and the external agency, whether during the proposal review process or the agreement period, should be copied to the Office of Grand and Contract Accounting and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration. If the correspondence deals with changes in the terms of the award, the correspondence should be countersigned by the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration or the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting prior to its submission.

  4. The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration and the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting reserve the right to renegotiate or reject any proposal or agreement which has not been reviewed through the proper channels and signed by the appropriate authorized representative.

  5. All financial reports required by the external agencies will be prepared by the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting. The Principal Investigator will be contacted if assistance is needed in completing the reports.

  6. All checks relating to sponsored agreements should be sent to:

            Office of Grant and Contract Accounting
            North Dakota State University
            Box 5405, University Station
            Fargo, ND 58105

    If a check is mistakenly sent to a department instead of the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting, the check should be delivered as soon as possible to the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting for deposit. All information received with the check should be attached. The Customer Account Services Office will not deposit a check into a grant or contract account (Funds 40000-49999) without the approval of the Office of Grant and Contract Accounting.

HISTORY: July 1990; Amended April 1992; June 1996, March 2002, August 2007.

NDSU PolicyManual
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Published by North Dakota State University