Extending and Closing a Grant

Notice of Project Ending

Ninety (90) days before the end of the project period, the research administrator sends out a courtesy letter reminding the P.I. to process their expenses. Expenditures can be made up to the last day of the project period.

Extending the Project Period

If funds will not be expended by closing date of grant, and the project cannot be completed, then the Principal Investigator should request a "no-cost extension" form. Please contact the A&S Research Administrator for guidance with requesting no-cost extensions.

If federal agency is the sponsor, and they participate in the Federal Demonstration Project (FDP), then request extension through Research Administrator and Office of Sponsored Programs. If the federal agency participates in FDP, it will be listed on the Notice of Award.

If the sponsor does not participate in the Federal Demonstration Project, then the Principal Investigator must request written approval from the sponsor. This approval can be in the form of a letter, fax, or e-mail to the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Reporting

If a sponsor sets specific report due dates, those are listed within the UVa Notice of Award. All financial reports are to be submitted by OSP, not the PI. Final reports are usually due within 90 days of the end of the project period. The PI should submit the narrative report directly to the sponsor and provide a copy to the A&S Research Administrator. If the narrative progress report must be submitted with the financial report, then it should be submitted to OSP 60 days prior to the end project date. That way, the Office of Sponsored Programs can finish their financial report and submit it with the narrative report before the 90 day deadline.

Closing the Expenses Account

An accountant at OSP will contact the project administrator and request that all transactions and account resolutions be concluded in preparation for the closing process. OSP will not begin to close the account until the project administrator has declared that all account activity is over. Even if an account is not closed, charges may not be incurred after the end date of the award.

Effort Report

When a Principal Investigator accepts a sponsored award, there is a mandated responsibility to document the percent effort expended for that award. The UVa Office of Sponsored Programs creates Faculty, Classified and Student Effort Certification Reports which are distributed to PI’s for review and effort documentation.

Problems

It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to deal with problems promptly, as they are usually easier to solve during the project period than after its closing. The staff of the P.I.'s department can help. If the problem cannot be resolved, see the Research Administrator.