Post Award Management
Post Award is committed to providing timely, accurate, and courteous assistance to our faculty, external sponsors, and other University personnel.
We assist in exercising good fiscal management practices for administering externally funded sponsored programs at Purdue University Northwest during the lifecycle from establishment to closeout. We provide expertise in interpreting guidelines and promoting compliance with sponsor and university policies.
Information for Principal Investigators
Responsibility for setting the direction of research at Purdue University lies with the faculty. A principal investigator is typically a member of the faculty who bears responsibility for the intellectual leadership of a project. He/she accepts overall responsibility for directing the research, financial oversight of the funding, as well as compliance with relevant University policies, federal regulations, and sponsor terms and conditions of an award. This includes research grants, cooperative agreements, training or service projects, clinical studies, and other sponsored projects. PIs do not have the authority to execute contracts or agreements on behalf of Purdue University but do have the responsibility for the following items:
GM AIMS is an online reporting tool that allows Purdue Faculty and Staff to review grant budget, expenditure, and balance information. Faculty can view complete grant details when they are listed as the PI and individual accounts when they are listed as the co-PI. Administrative staff who are assisting the PI can also be given access. Additional information about this portal can be found at the following link:
Each active PI will receive a monthly email reminder from their Post Award Manager to review their grant financial statements through AIMS. It is an expectation that this review will take place at least monthly to allow sufficient time to adjust the project or make necessary corrections within the allowable allotment of time.
Information About Grant Expenditures
All grant expenses must follow standard Purdue/PNW business processes. In addition, charging such costs to grants requires documentation addressing expenses’ allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.
Links to Purdue/PNW Business Processes:
- Computers and electronics must be budgeted and approved by the sponsor to be charged to grants.
- Computer Purchase Review on Federal and Federal Pass through Funds
- Computer Purchase Budget Justification Example
- Issuing compensation to individuals participating in human research projects is possible, provided the research project is in accordance with Purdue Policy I.C.1 “Research Involving Human Subjects” and has been approved by Purdue’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
- Human Research Protection Program
Purdue’s Human Research Protection Program is charged with ensuring that all human subjects research conducted by faculty, staff and students under the auspices of Purdue University is conducted ethically and in a manner that promotes the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects
- The Office of Management and Budget defines participant support as: direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences or training projects.
- Participant Support charges do not allow F&A costs on federal, federal flow-through, foreign, state, industrial and foundation awards.
- A separate sponsored program will be created to hold the budget and expenses for participant support costs. The sponsored program should be titled “Participant Support”. [Note: The new base will be used and the F&A rate will be included on the Overhead Costs Tab for this sponsored program]
- Types of costs included in participant support costs
- Stipend: A stipend is a set amount of money to be paid to the participant.
- Travel: Travel includes the costs of transportation and associated travel-related expenses and must follow sponsor guidelines as well as Purdue Universities policies and guidelines. The sole purpose of the trip must be to participate in the project activity.
- Subsistence Allowance: The cost of a participant’s housing and per diem expenses necessary for the individual to participate in the project are generally allowed, provided these costs are reasonable and limited to the days of attendance. Participants who live in the local area are not entitled to subsistence payments, although they may participate in meals and breaks provided at the meeting or conference.
- Other: Certain other costs in support of the participant’s involvement may be allowable, including training materials or laboratory supplies. See Fees example below. Check the funding solicitation for guidance and contact RSP with questions.
- Fees: The fees paid by or on behalf of a participant in connection with meetings, conferences, symposia, or training projects are generally allowable costs. Additionally, these fees may include laboratory fees, passport or visa fees for foreign participants, and registration fees.
- Types of costs that cannot be included in participant support costs
- Travel for project PI or staff.
- Travel for a consultant providing services to the University, project, or program.
- Honoraria paid to a guest speaker or lecturer.
- Conference support costs such as facility rental or media equipment rental.
- Agreement with a provider for multiple training events (i.e., an ongoing contract with specific terms and
conditions). - Travel to bring collaborators together to meet and discuss the project.
- Incentive payments to an individual who agrees to participate as a human subject in a research project.