Division of Business and Finance

Sponsored Programs Accounting

Grassy field with Louis Brandeis statue

Sponsored Programs Accounting is primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with sponsor regulations, safeguarding project funds, maximizing the university's cash flow position via timely and accurate billing, collections and resolution of budget overruns, maintaining good relations with sponsoring agencies and university staff, and facilitating the progress of sponsored projects for principle investigators and department administrators.

Sponsored Programs Accounting acts as the primary contact point for external audits related to granting issues and ensures grants are administered and reported to sponsoring agencies according to internally and externally imposed policies and procedures.

Sponsored Programs at Brandeis University are monitored by a combination of Sponsored Programs Accounting, Principal Investigator, the Department, and Office of Research Administration (ORA).

ORA Responsibilities

  • Proposal review and submission (on behalf of the University)
  • Negotiation of terms and conditions of awards
  • Acceptance of awards on behalf of the University
  • Development of subaward agreements 
  • Non-financial post-award management (no-cost time extensions, carryover requests, etc.)
  • Liaison with sponsors (e.g., changes in scope of work, significant reduction in PI effort)
  • Review and submission of progress reports
  • Non-financial compliance, e.g., IRB, IACUC, IBC 
  • Internal reporting of proposal and award data

Sponsored Programs Accounting Responsibilities

  • Award/account set up in Financial System (Workday)
  • Grant close-out with sponsor
  • Financial accounting
  • Time and effort reporting
  • Financial reporting
  • Invoicing and draws
  • Cash management
  • Audit

Principal Investigator/Department Responsibilities

  • Agreeing to all terms and conditions, with emphasis on performance clauses, including the frequency of technical reports, special professional staff hourly reports, deliverables, termination conditions, etc. 
  • Expense monitoring: assures appropriateness, reasonableness, and allowability of expenditures. 
  • Manages expenditures to not exceed available award balance. 
  • Reviews and signs effort reports. 
  • Initiates requests for re-budgeting and cost transfers. 
  • Approves payment of subcontractor invoices. 
  • Prepares technical reports and provides other deliverables as required. 
  • Reviews interim and final financial reports as required. 

Federal Regulations

The Office of Management and Budget's Guidance for Grants and Agreements regulation 2 CFR 200 (commonly referred to as the "Uniform Guidance") became effective December 26th, 2014.

Read the full regulation: 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.