Types of Awards
Sponsored programs are projects originating from financial agreements between the University and external sponsors that provide support to accomplish a particular objective. These financial agreements can be awarded through various mechanisms:
- Contract: A contract is generally an agreement to provide a product or service which is of direct benefit to the sponsor. Contracts provide for payments to the University which cover allowable project costs or payment of a fixed price for satisfactory completion of the project.
- Grant: A grant is an agreement of financial assistance awarded to an organization for the conduct of research or other program/project activities as specified in an approved proposal. The proposal typically defines a scope of work or performance.
- Cooperative Agreement: A cooperative agreement is similar to a grant but in which the sponsor's staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation and anticipates having substantial involvement in research activities once the award has been made.
- Gift: Contribution from a private, non-governmental source, made without expectation of any product or service of a tangible or intangible nature in return.
Distinction between Gifts and Sponsored Agreements: FASOP: AS-05
| Gifts | Sponsored Agreements | |
|---|---|---|
| Terminology Commonly used by Donor/Sponsor | Donation, contribution, will trust, unrestricted grant, unrestricted gift, etc | Grant agreement, cooperative agreement, study, restricted grant, award, project, contract, traineeship, or scope of work |
| Terminology fo Providers | Donor, patron, benefactor, or giver | Sponsor, contractor, or grantor |
| Source | Individual, corporation, association, or foundation | Foreign or domestic corporations, associations, and foundations; foreign, federal, state and local governments |
| Terms and Conditions of Support Agreement | Few terms beyond specifying beneficiary intent or donor, patron, etc. | Stipulated in the agreement conveying the award, or may be pre-established and applied uniformly to agreements involving a given sponsor |
| Reporting and Deliverables | None required - courtesy, non-technical reports may be provided | Technical/progress reports are required |
| Provision of Receipt | Receipt provided for tax purposes | Receipt not provided for tax purposes |
| Intellectual Property | Intellectual or proprietary rights belong to the University with no rights to donor, patron, etc | Agreement addresses ownership of intellectual or proprietary information |
| Publications | Courtesy acknowledgement of donor support | Acknowledgment fo support in publicaions required (or restricted) by sponsor |
| Restrictions on Expenditures | Donor may put general restrictions on how the funds are used | The agreement contains specific sponsor-imposed restrictions on how the money is spent or deliverables required |
| Availability of Funds | Funds are available up front or by a pledge or deferred payment. Gifts are irrevocable. | Funds are available according to the agreement |
| Indirect Cost Assesed | None | At full negotiated rate except for reductions allowed by University policy |
| How Donor/Sponsor Communicates Intent to Provide Funding | Donor agreement, unrestricted grant letter, or other correspondence | Award notice or correspondence for grants. Contacts are executed by University and sponsor. |
Awards are classified as either Cost Reimbursable (CR) or Fixed Price (FP).
- Cost Reimbursable
- CR awards are reimbursed for costs incurred. Some awards may be billed a fixed amount with the unexpended balance refunded to the sponsor upon expiration.
- Fixed Price
- FP awards are issued for completion of specific tasks or services. Payment is not based on reimbursement of expenditures, but rather a fixed amount for completion of the project tasks or based on a payment schedule.