Commitments beyond the period of support should not be included in a proposal unless it is required by the sponsor.
In the event this type of commitment is required, please provide a letter from the department chair documenting support of the proposal's commitment to resources or funding beyond the life of the grant/contract. Examples of this could be supporting fellows beyond that committed by the sponsor; or purchasing equipment; running a center or program. This letter should be signed by the individual authorized to commit funds for the anticipated costs.
If mandatory cost sharing is not required and only evidence of institutional commitments beyond the period of support are required, unless explicitly required by the sponsor guidelines, quantifiable dollar amounts should not be listed in the proposal itself nor in the supporting letter if included in the proposal.
Third-party Contributions (non-monetary)
Non-monetary third-party contributions should not be part of a proposal unless required by the sponsoring agency.
In the event of such a requirement, and if a non-UMass Amherst third party pledges significant contributions to the project so that without that resource, the thrust of the project could be jeopardized, it is necessary to provide OPAS with a letter of support/commitment from the third party. This letter would provide some detail about the non-monetary resources committed at no cost and should be signed by the individual authorized to make such commitments (OPAS equivalent; contracting officer, business official, etc).
When cost sharing is mandated by the sponsor, and the VCRE has approved third-party cost sharing, refer to the “Third-Party Cost Sharing” section of the Cost Sharing Policy for more details.