Office of Research



Office of Research

Types of Awards

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Grant

A grant is a type of financial assistance awarded to an organization for the conduct of research or other programs as specified in an approved proposal. A grant, as opposed to a cooperative agreement, is used when the awarding office anticipates no substantial programmatic involvement with the recipient during the performance of the activities. They may be funded by a federal, state, local or private source. A grant is an agreement to accomplish something for the public good. Generally, grants do not require a signature of acceptance by the second party.

Contract

A financial contract is a written agreement between two parties by which the sponsor agrees to pay costs incurred for specific research services, deliverables, or research goals. Contracts are more prescribed, allowing less flexibility in the conduct of the sponsored program and utilization of the funds. Contracts contain specific terms and conditions that must be followed to remain in compliance. Changes or modifications to any aspect of the contract can be done only through a written and signed modification or amendment to the contract. A contract must be signed by an authorized representative of the UCF with signature authority.

Cooperative Agreement

A cooperative agreement is a funding mechanism in which both parties to the agreement have substantial programmatic responsibilities. Some examples of the sponsor’s programmatic responsibilities are participation on a committee for the project, collaborating on the design of a protocol, managing data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and assisting with the management of the technical performance of the research activities.

Cost Reimbursable Awards

Funding may be provided by a sponsor on a cost reimbursement basis. This means that UCF first incurs costs and then submits an invoice to the sponsor for payment. The award is issued on the basis of an estimate of the costs of performing research and is often arrived at by negotiation between the funding agency and UCF. Work should stop when all of the funds are exhausted.

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Firm Fixed Price Agreements

A firm fixed price agreement provides an agreed upon amount of funding for a specific deliverable, completion of a milestone, or product. A reconciliation of costs incurred, and funding received is not required by the sponsor. Deliverables must be provided to the sponsor even if the costs exceed the award amount.

Technical Reports/Deliverables

Administrative Reports

UCF may be required to submit administrative reports to the funding agency. The Office of Research can assist the PI in preparing/submitting these reports. Administrative reports can include but are not limited to:

  • Patent reports
  • Property reports
  • Small business reports
Fiscal Reports Fiscal reporting requirements include the submission of all vouchers, invoices, and/or financial status reports as required in the award. These reports are prepared and submitted by the Contracts and Grants section of the Division of Finance and Accounting.
Technical Reports/Deliverables
  • The deliverables required and their corresponding submission schedules are determined at the award stage of a grant. A copy of the deliverable schedule is available to the Principal Investigator (PI) via the deliverable icon on the OR website. Note: This icon can only be viewed when the PI logs on to the OR website and specifies a current or past account.
  • The PI must send the original deliverable with a transmittal/cover letter documenting the date of submission to the funding agency.
  • A copy of the report and cover letter must be loaded to Huron Grant system (HRS) and the deliverable is marked complete in HRS for documentation and auditing purposes. Submission by e-mail is acceptable providing the OR’s file copy clearly documents the date of submission to the funding agency. Note: If the funding agency accepts email submissions, the OR needs the actual e-mail sent to the agency and the report submitted, whether contained in the email itself or as a separate attachment to the email.
  • Based on the schedule outlined below, reminders (bump memos) are generated by the OR for deliverables that have not been submitted to the funding agency. Memos are sent to the PI and appropriate department contacts (when applicable):
    • Reminder Notice: The first reminder is sent via e-mail to the PI thirty (30) days before the deliverable is due.
    • Delinquent Report Reminder: This reminder memo is sent via e-mail to the PI ninety (90) days after the due date and only if OR has not received a copy of the report.
    • PI Call Documentation: A phone call/e-mail is made to the PI once the deliverable has been delinquent for three (3) weeks.
    • Memo to Chair: Once a deliverable is six (6) weeks late and the reminders above have been sent to the PI, notification is sent to the PI’s Chair with a copy to the PI.
    • Memo to Dean: This memo is sent to the Dean of the PI’s college when the report is ten (10) weeks late. Notification is sent to the PI’s Dean with a copy to the Department Chair and the PI.