Departmental Research Administrators
Training Track
Award Closeout Process
1
Closeout Guidance and Procedures
Module 1 – General Information and Requirements
Module 2 – OSP/OCGA Procedures
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
Module 4 – Closeout Checklists
Questions to Answer…
1.
Who is responsible for closing out grants and contracts at UMBC?
2.
Where do I find required final report forms?
3.
When are final reports due?
4.
Who can I ask to help me close a grant?
5.
Does every agency require the same thing?
Module 1 – General Closeout Information
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Closeouts and Compliance
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Project Transfer
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If a project is transferred to another institution or terminated early for the convenience of the Sponsor,
closeout procedures remain the same or are specified by the Sponsor and should be processed by OSP.
Project Termination
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Accurate and timely submission of closeout documents is an essential compliance focus for the federal
government.
Processing closeouts on time is becoming more important with American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) funds.
Documentation required to terminate a project early should be handled by OSP.
OSP and OCGA websites
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A helpful resource for closeout information and forms
http://www.umbc.edu/research/OSP/policies%20and%20procedures/policies_procedures.html
http://www.umbc.edu/FinancialServices/grantacct.html
4
Module 1 – General Closeout Information
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Most sponsors require final reports to be submitted within 90 days of termination of
the project.
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Meeting the 90 day deadline is very important when the award document clearly
states that final invoices/billings received after the 90 day deadline will not be
acceptable and will not be paid.
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Not every Sponsor requires the same reports, and Sponsors do not use uniform
forms. OSP will find out what forms are required and are responsible to submit the
right form for each specific agency.
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Most Sponsors require a final technical report, final property report, final patent
report and final financial report.
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These deadlines can only be met when OSP, the PI, OCGA, and Department
Administrators work together.
Module 2 – Closeout Procedures
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OSP will receive notice from the Sponsor stating that it is time to close an
award
OSP will send via email a project closeout notification to the PI and
Department administrator. The email will state the project end date and
date required for closeout. The email will also state which final reports
are needed.
OSP will send a reminder email if final documents are not received 30
days before Sponsor deadline.
The PI is responsible for preparing the final technical report, and
responding to OSP’s email concerning any property or patents associated
with the grant or contract.
The Department Administrator is responsible for preparing the final
certification of expenses and sending a copy to the Office of Contract and
Grant Accounting.
Module 2 – Closeout Procedures (Cont’d)
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When OSP receives the appropriate closeout documents from the PI and
Department, OSP will process the final technical report, final patent report, and
final property report. OSP will also keep on record the final certification of
expenses.
OSP waits to receive confirmation from the Sponsor’s closeout official that
documents are complete before officially closing the grant.
OSP keeps terminated files for at least three years or amount required by
Sponsor.
Office of Contract and Grant Accounting provides the Department closeout
checklists and final expense certification form to be completed.
Office of Contract and Grant Accounting is responsible for completing all final
financial reports and submitting to the Sponsoring Agency.
Module 2 – Closeout Procedures (Cont’d)
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Since sub-awards often require the same reports, these
procedures usually pertain to sub-awards as well.
Inactivation of award components in Peoplesoft occurs once all
necessary adjustments are made, final invoices are processed
and payments are received. OCGA performs the following:
• HR Account Codes are removed
• Project Activity is set to “Inactive” status
• Project is set to “Inactive” status
• Contract is set to “Closed” status
• Award is set to “Closed” status
Module 2 – Closeout Procedures
 The letter to the left is a common
format for federal agencies.
Letters like this inform OSP that a
grant needs to be closed and what
reports are needed.
 Occasionally these letters are sent
to the PI; if that happens that PI
should forward to OSP.
Module 2 – OSP Closeout Procedures
 The PI and Business Manager
will receive this letter after an
award’s project end date.
The PI is responsible for filling
out the letter ASAP and returning
to the OSP member that sent it.
If property or patents are
associated with the project, OSP
will work with OTD and Asset
Management, along with the PI
and Business Manager to file
reports.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
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After the PI returns the
closeout letter, OSP will know
if patents/inventions were
associated with the project.
OSP is responsible for filling
out the invention report. OTD
is also responsible to assist
OSP if inventions are
associated with the grant.
The report template to the left
is the most common final
invention report but there are
others as well.
This form can also be used to
report inventions on a subaward.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
 Final Property Report
Unless the Sponsor has a specific final property report
template, OSP uses the form to the left.
 It is the PI’s responsibility to answer the closeout letter
correctly to inform OSP if Government furnished property is
under the grant or if grantee-acquired items are under the
grant.
 “Equipment means tangible nonexpendable personal
property including exempt property charged directly to the
award having a useful life of more than one year and an
acquisition cost of $5000 or more per unit.” (A-110)
 Government furnished property is any property that the
government loans to the grantee for the life of the grant, or
property that the grantee purchases with government
money, where the title does not automatically vest with the
grantee. The Grantee will have to request ownership at the
end of the grant.
 If property was purchased with a grant, Asset
Management may assist OSP with reporting.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
Retaining Property at Closeout
Time
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Under Expanded Authorities, property
purchased on a grant usually remains
with the University after the grant is
completed.
However, if the property belongs to
the government, like with some
government contracting companies,
UMBC will need to write a disposition
letter requesting title of the property
to vest at the University.
The item, cost of the item, and
purchase date are needed for a letter
of disposition.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
Reporting Property for a Sub-award
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If UMBC is a sub-awardee, the university
is still held responsible for submitting
final reports to the prime sponsor.
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The form to the left is the form that
UMBC uses to report property used on
the sub-award.
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Timely submission of this form to the
prime sponsor is essential for
compliance. Likewise, UMBC needs final
reports from sub-awards given to
maintain compliance.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
Final Financial Report
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The Business Manager/PI are
responsible for preparing the final
certification of expenses and
submitting promptly to OCGA.
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OCGA has a schedule and or receives
notices from the Sponsor indicating
when the final Financial Status Report
(FSR) is due.
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OCGA must submit the Final FSR
within 90 days of the end date of the
award for all Federal awards. Non
federal awards may have different
deadlines. OCGA attaches final FSR .
in the Projects/ Attachments tab in
Peoplesoft.
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OSP requests a copy of the final FSR
for filing purposes.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
Final Technical/Progress Report
 It is the PI’s responsibility to prepare the final technical report promptly after a
project’s end date.
 There is not a uniform template for all final technical reports. Some agencies have
template forms and some do not. It is the PI’s responsibility to draft the final
technical report according to agency regulations.
 Some PI’s find that calling their program person for advice is helpful, and other times
the Sponsor will be specific in what should be covered in the final technical report in
the grant notice.
 It is the PI’s responsibility to send OSP a copy of the final technical report to send
out. If the PI submits their technical report electronically, like with NIH, OSP still
needs a copy for filing purposes.
Module 3 – Closeout Forms
 The letter to the left is one we received
from NIST stating that a grant was
officially closed.
All agencies are a little different, but it is
common to get a letter similar to this once
a Sponsor has received all final reports.
 If OSP receives a letter like the one
given and some final reports are not on
record, then the letter is sufficient enough
to close the grant.
Module 4 – Closeout Checklists
SPONSORED ACTIVITY CHECKLIST
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Review, verify and reconcile the award amount, actual expenditures, F & A and encumbrances from the
ledger to your internal records. Lists of selected items of cost contained in OMB Principles Circulars can be
viewed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/
Order all supplies and equipment and submit PO’s 90 days before the end of the project/grant.
Reconcile P-card clearing account and allocation is complete.
Verify that personnel and time and efforts being charged to the grant are according to the budget and the
rules and regulations of the awarding agency.
Send closing letter to subrecipients on the project/grant informing them of their remaining balance, the time
frame that they have to close their subcontract and submit the final invoice to us within 45 days after the
close of the grant.
Submit all information concerning extensions, continuations or carry forwards to the OCGA.
JE entries must be completed and submitted before the end of the grant and a copy sent to all those
concerned.
Communicate with your project/grant accountant concerning any issues or concerns that you may have in
relation to the grant closing.
Communicate any changes to the project/grant that may have an effect on the closing (e.g. change in end
date)
Submit Cost Sharing data to the Office of Contract and Grant Accounting.
Module 4 – Closeout Checklists
Grant Closing Checklist for Department
 Verify correct calculation of F&A
 Verify completion of all Purchase Orders/Requisitions
 Verify receipt and payments of final invoice for all subcontracts
 Verify completion or de-obligation of all commitments/encumbrances
 Verify posting of all P-card allocation.
 Verify the posting and accuracy of all expenditures, include all JE’s
 Verify the posting of all payroll transactions, including Retro’s
 Verify that there are no DBE’s or Positions associated with the project
 Verify and submit certification and expenses to OCGA
 Verify certification of all Effort Reports
 Verify the fulfillment of cost sharing commitment
 Verify submittal of all final reporting according to the grant terms (i.e. final
invention statement, final property report, final financial report, and final
progress report)
Module 4 – Closeout Checklists
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The checklists have been developed to help us facilitate a closeout that is timely,
accurate and according to the rules and regulations of the awarding agency, OMB A21, and OMB A-110.
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Departments should review projects for inactivation within 60 days after the end
date. This is necessary so that the final financial report is accurate and submitted to
the agency according to the regulations. Departments will be responsible for
expenditures that cannot be legitimately charged to the project/grant.
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Please keep in mind that government regulations strictly prohibit the indiscriminate
spending of funds merely to fully utilize award dollars. Furthermore, OMB Circular A21 states, “any cost allocable to a particular research agreement… may not be
shifted to other research agreements in order to meet deficiencies caused by
overruns or other fund considerations…”(C.4.b). However, if a legitimate explanation
exists as to why the funds could not be expended before the expiration date, please
contact Sponsored Programs immediately to discuss a no-cost extension.
Questions????