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Award Management

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Award Modifications

During the course of a project, an agreement may need to be modified. OSP will negotiate needed changes on behalf of a PI. Please call or email your OSP Grants Specialist to discuss your situation.

On This Page

Change of PI Form
No-Cost Extension Request Form
All Forms

Reasons an Agreement may need to be modified

  • Change in scope of work
  • Change in period of performance
  • Change in contact information
  • Change in budget or total amount funded
  • Change in reporting requirement
  • Change of PI

No Cost Extensions

The Principal Investigator is expected to finalize work under a sponsored agreement within the period of performance specified in the award. If a PI needs added time to complete the authorized scope of work, complete and submit the No-Cost Extension Request Form to your OSP Grants Specialist.

yellow circle around exclamation markIn no case does a sponsor allow for an extension simply to use up unexpended funds.

yellow circle around exclamation markA no-cost extension requested after the end date of a grant will not be honored by the sponsor.

The guidelines for extending the period of an award are normally provided in the awarding Federal agency guidelines. If the award is with the State or a private agency, the terms are normally stated in the award document.

Most sponsors allow no-cost extensions of the final grant period to provide maximum possible continuity in funding research and educational activities. Many federal sponsors now allow grantee institutions to extend the final budget period one time for a duration of up to twelve months. Normally no single extension may exceed twelve months and only in exceptional cases will more than one extension be grant.

In all cases, the Principal Investigator must complete the Request for A No-Cost Extension to OSP and must contain the following information:

  • The length of time the extension is being requested.
  • Justification for the extension.
  • A brief statement as to progress and work remaining to be completed

OSP must notify the sponsor within the sponsor’s deadlines. A letter is sent to the sponsor via the program official, with a copy to the grant official.

Grant Transfers

The process of transferring awards from one institution to another is not a simple task and requires close coordination between three basic entities: the sponsoring agency, the old institution and the new institution. Normally, two Sponsored Programs offices work in consultation with the principal investigator and his/her department at both the old and new institution.  Items involved include the form of transfer, determination of the unobligated balance, differences in facilities and administrative (F&A) rates and the (possible) funding gaps created by the time required to closeout and re-issue the project. The transfer process can take several months depending on the complexity of the project being transferred and the number of parties involved. Since awards are granted to the Institution and not directly to the PI, institutional support is needed to smoothly and successfully transfer the award.

If you have accepted a position at another institution and want to transfer any current awards you may have at UNCG, you must, as early as possible, discuss the transfer with your Department Chair, the agency and Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). Transferring an award from UNCG to another institution is an action which must be approved by the awarding agency, and all such requests must be routed through the OSP. Some agencies, such as National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have standardized this procedure and require submission of forms bearing institutional signatures. Other sponsors prefer that a substitute PI is designated at UNCG and the remaining work subcontracted to the new institution.

At UNCG, most award transfers involve the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.  The steps below typify the transfer process for these federal agencies.

Transfer and Disposition of Equipment

Equipment purchased using funds from an external sponsor may belong to the University or to the sponsor depending upon the sponsor’s regulations. When a PI needs to transfer equipment purchased with external funding, Fixed Assets should be contacted to provide information about ownership. In most cases, equipment purchased on currently active awards normally transfer to the new institution, but permission must be granted by the department chair for the transfer of equipment acquired from grants, but now owned by UNCG.

Things to Remember

  • Review sponsor requirements
  • Begin the transfer process as soon as possible
  • Send all required forms and documents to the OSP Grants Specialist
  • Review expenditure report with C&G Contract Specialist
  • Freeze project account fund as soon as possible so that the Final Financial Report can be completed
  • Delays are normally caused by:
    • Untimely notice to sponsor & university administrators
    • Incomplete or inaccurate relinquishment statements/notification of transfers
    • Outstanding final reports
    • Progress, invention, and financial
    • Over/Underestimating unobligated balances
    • Untimely submission of transfer application to sponsors (new institution)
    • Untimely submission of FSR from prior institution

In the event that the PI on a project must change, please complete the Change of PI form and OSP will contact the sponsor on your behalf in order to request the change.

Information needed includes:

  • Project Name, sponsor, and Cayuse proposal number
  • Effective date of change
  • Current PI and New PI
  • Justification for request: information as to why change is requested.
  • Qualifications of new PI: information as to how the new PI is qualified to lead this project.
  • CV or resume of New PI

  • Notify your Department Chair.
  • Notify the Departmental Administrative staff in the Office of the Associate Dean for Research
  • Notify the Program Officer at the awarding NIH institute or center
  • Notify your OSP Grants Specialist and provide the following information.
    • Agency name
    • Grant/Award number
    • Amount of unobligated funds remaining
    • Institution to which transfer is requested
    • Contact information for a Grants Manager or Authorized Representative at recipient institution
    • Requested date of award’s termination at UNCG
  • Grant terminated in accordance with 45 CFR 74.61 or 92.43

  • Notify your Department Chair.
  • Notify the Departmental Administrative staff in the Office of the Associate Dean for Research
  • Notify the Program Officer at NSF.
  • Notify your OSP Grants Specialist and provide the following information.
    • PI’s name
    • Agency name
    • Grant/Award number
    • Amount of unobligated funds remaining
    • Institution to which transfer is requested
    • Contact information for a Grants Manager or Authorized Representative at recipient institution
    • Requested date of award’s termination at UNCG
  • A PI Transfer Request must also be initiated via FastLane. Detailed instructions on submission of the transfer request are available electronically on the NSF website

  • Notify your Department Chair.
  • Notify the Program Officer at the awarding entity.
  • Notify your OSP Grants Specialist and provide the following information.
    • Agency name
    • Grant/Award number
    • Amount of unobligated funds remaining
    • Institution to which transfer is requested
    • Contact information for a Grants Manager or Authorized Representative at recipient institution
    • Requested date of award’s termination at UNCG
  • Complete any agency/corporation/foundation form(s) as identified by your Program Officer and/or Contract Administrator.
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