Award Receipt Procedure

At OGCA we aim to process awards as efficiently as possible. To do this we need your cooperation and understanding. The following is a guide to help you anticipate the time it takes for your award to move through OGCA.

Processing time depends on the type of award. This list, except for item #4, assumes that all needed documents and information have been supplied to OGCA:

1. (2 WEEKS) Unrestricted Award

2. (3 WEEKS) Grant or Contract containing terms and conditions that require review but no negotiation, alterations or modifications

3. (4 WEEKS OR LONGER) Grant or Contract containing terms and conditions requiring negotiation, modification, or review with an individual outside OGCA (sponsor's grant office, CVIP, UMASS Legal Counsel, etc). Common problematic terms include publication restrictions, intellectual property rights and indemnification.

4. OGCA needs all the information and/or documentation necessary to complete processing your award or it will cause a delay. The items below are common examples of missing information:

A copy of the proposal and/or any other materials that generated this award. The biggest impediment to processing an award expeditiously results from the submission of a proposal directly to a sponsor, bypassing OGCA. Not only is this a violation of Trustee Policy, but it precludes OGCA from reviewing the materials and resolving any problems prior to the receipt of an award. Common problems include reconciliation of budget errors, lack of supporting documentation for proposed subcontractors or third party cost sharing, indirect cost variances, etc. This often results in time-consuming communication between all the parties before resolution occurs.

The following required signatures on the IPF: PI, PI's Department Head, PI's Dean, Co-PI, Co-PI's Department Head, Co-PI's Dean

For Institutional Cost Sharing we need the amount, account # and signature of individual responsible for the account as indicated on page 2 of the IPF for all University cost sharing noted in the approved budget.
Supporting documentation for any third party cost sharing noted in proposal
Supporting documentation for any subcontractors listed in the approved budget and proposal including a statement of work, an itemized budget and the signature of the authorized official of the institution
Supporting documentation for any indirect cost variances either approved by the University or mandated by the sponsor

Please help us avoid delays on your future awards by following policy and procedure. If you have any questions on the above, please call OGCA at (413) 545-0698.

-Award received by OGCA (if it is sent directly to the PI, the original document should be brought to OGCA for processing).

-Principal Investigator Award Agreement (PIAA) sent to PI, requesting any additional information needed in order to process the award (e.g., revised budget), as well as requesting the PI's signature showing concurrence of the terms of the award. If objections, the PI should contact the appropriate fiscal administrator in OGCA for further discussion. The award may not be fully processed until the signed PIAA is returned with the PI's signature.

-Review and Negotiation of the award document to assure acceptability of terms and conditions will take place, concurrent with the PI's review. Once all documents are in order and have been determined to be complete, reasonable and acceptable, they will be executed by the Director or Associate Director of OGCA, obligating the University to the stipulations of the award. Upon execution of the award a copy of the award sheet, including the new GAID (GAMS Award ID) number, will be automatically sent to the PI via email.

-Account establishment will generally take place within a few days after execution of the award and OGCA's submission to the Controller's Office. All relevant information including the IPF, proposal, award documents and an official award sheet will be sent to the Controller where PeopleSoft numbers will be assigned and the budget set up. Once this process has been completed, an email notification including the new PeopleSoft numbers will be sent to the PI by the Controller's Office.