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Basic Responsibilities

Last Updated: December 22, 2025 1:39:54 PM PST
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Learn about the responsibilities of post-award administration, both yours and those of the Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF).

Basic Responsibilities

If you manage sponsored project awards, you need to understand the responsibilities of post-award administration, both yours and those of the Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF). Use this list as a reference. Note: This list may not include all of the responsibilities assigned by your department.

Use Oracle to record, track and review transactions.

Guidelines

Follow the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) 501 as incorporated in  OMB Uniform Guidance or 2 CFR 200. These standards require consistency between proposed formal cost sharing estimates and actual expenses and reporting. See Sponsored Project Cost Accounting Standards for details.

Sponsored Policies and Guidelines

Federal

Agency specific

UCSD PPMs

  • PPM 150-15: Facilities and Administrative Cost Rates Applicable to Research, Instruction, and Other Federal and Non-Federal Sponsored Projects
  • PPM 150-40: Cost Accounting Standards Compliance
  • PPM 150-42: Classification of Costs as Direct or Facilities and Administrative (indirect)
  • PPM 150-43: Accounting for Unallowable Costs

University

UCSD Tools and Guidelines

Implementing Sponsored Policies at UCSD

SPF

  • Provide guidance in interpreting University and agency guidelines and policies.
  • Maintain the University's official award record for sponsored projects.

Department Fund Manager

  • Understand requirements stated in award documents and applicable agency, federal, and University guidelines.
  • Keep informed of guideline and policy changes.
  • Follow record retention requirements (PDF). In general, central administrative units are the office of record for award agreements and financial records but departments are the office of record for Personnel Activity Reports (PARs) and other project-related documents. You should retain all records for at least five years after project termination or any litigation.

Award identification

Department Fund Manager

Find out which awards you are responsible for, including awards that may have been terminated with balances or funds forgotten by your predecessors.

Award termination

SPF

  • Zero fund balances; close and inactivate projects and awards

Department Fund Manager

  • Make sure that the subsequent adjustments report to SPF corresponds with the final ledger.
  • Cooperate with SPF to zero ledger balances.
  • Prepare awards and projects for closeout.

Financial Transactions

SPF

  • With departmental assistance, certify to funding agencies that award expenditures comply with award financial terms and conditions, as well as University and agency policies.
  • Audit expense transfers for compliance.

Department Fund Manager

  • Approve financial transactions to be charged to the project.
  • Monitor expenses according to the award budget.
  • Make sure charges should be allocated to the project and are appropriate under project terms and conditions.
  • Monitor the operating ledger and resolve incorrect charges.

Obtaining a new Award, Project and Task number

  • The award for a sponsored project is created in Kuali Research. It identifies the source of funding, tracks essential award information, and accounts for all transactions charged to that award.
  • The project for a sponsored project tracks activity for awards, capital projects, or other types of work with a defined start date. It is auto-generated by OFC when the award is created. The billing occurs at project level. An additional project is required for cost sharing, program income, different financial units, different billing types and when carryover is restricted on billed awards.
  • The task is created with the project. The transactions post at task level. A different task number is required for different burden/indirect cost rates and different programs or functions. 
  • After an award for a sponsored project is received, an award, project and task must be set up before you can incur expenses. The Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF) sets up the initial award, project and task in OFC as authorized by the Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA). OFC will auto-generate an email and send it to the listed Fund Manager and MSO/DBO with the award information as soon as it is setup.
  • Note: SPF cannot establish your award until the award is officially received, accepted by the University and compliance has been met (IACUC, COI, IRB), even though the funding agency may have notified the PI of the award.

When you receive a new award, project and task

Projects or Tasks

  • SPF may set up different projects or task on an award for specific accounting purposes, such as agency requirements to account for and bill increments separately, accounting for restricted funds, or applying multiple indirect cost rates to one award

When your project is nearing completion

  • Department is responsible for
    • Transferring expenses in excess of the award (overdrafts)
    • Removing all commitments
    • Removing other cash advances, accounts payable, and payroll
  • SPF closes projects when:
    • The award has terminated.
    • All associated projects are reported.
    • All accounting elements are removed or brought to zero. This includes:
      • Transferring expenses in excess of the award (overdrafts)
      • Removing all commitments
      • Removing other cash advances, accounts payable, and payroll
      • Zeroing outstanding accounts receivable, budget, and financial balances
  • For assistance, contact the SPF Award Accountant responsible for your project when you think it is ready for close out.

Find resources for the post-award administration of sponsored projects

Federal Agencies
State Agencies
Private agencies
Other Organizations