Finance and Business Services
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West Chester, PA 19383
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Grants & Contracts - Questions and Answers
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+ Who oversees externally funded grants and contracts?
Kelly Smith, Grant & Contract Accountant.
+ How do I establish a new cost center for my grant/contract?
The Office of Sponsored Research, after receiving your fully executed award letter, will work with Finance and Business Services to set up a new cost center. You will receive notification when the process is complete.
+ Who is the cost center manager for a grant or contract?
The person identified as the Principal Investigator (PI), or Project Director (PD) in the grant application or contract is set up as the cost center manager.
+ How do I determine if money awarded by an external agency or company to my project is a grant?
Per the West Chester University Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) a grant, also known as a sponsored project, will have one or all of these characteristics:
- The award instrument is an agreement that binds the University to a set of terms and conditions and requires endorsement and/or assurances.
- The agreement obligates the investigator to a line of scholarly or scientific inquiry that typically follows a plan, provides for orderly testing or evaluation, or seeks to meet stated performance goals.
- The agreement establishes an understanding of how funds will be used or includes a line item budget that identifies expenses by activity, function, or project period.
- The agreement requires fiscal accountability as evidenced by the submission of financial reports to the sponsor, an audit provision, or the return of unexpended funds at the conclusion of the project.
- The agreement obligates the investigator to report project results or convey rights to tangible or intangible properties resulting from the project. Examples of tangible properties include equipment, records, technical reports, theses, or dissertations. Intangible properties include rights in data, copyrights, or inventions.
- The agreement seeks considerations such as indemnification or imposes other terms that require legal accountability.
Please refer to this Sponsored Research page for more information.
+ How do I spend my grant funds?
Items budgeted for in your line item budget can be purchased using a variety of methods:
For personnel:
- Dual Comp Request (requires preapproval)
- For Student Payroll
- For Hiring New Staff
- Graduate Assistantships
For non-personnel expenses:
+ How do I know if an expense is allowable?
Refer to the grant budget submitted with the proposal, in addition to your Notification of Award or contract. All expenses must also be in compliance with PASSHE and university policies. If you have any additional questions about re-budgeting or specific expenses, please contact Kelly Smith.
+ How are indirect costs charged to grants and contracts allocated?
Please refer to our Office of Sponsored Projects website for information on indirect cost allocation. Indirect costs are allocated quarterly by the Grant and Contract Accountant.
+ How much money is available on my grant or contract?
Business Intelligence (BI) reports and SAP can provide up-to-date balance information. Kelly Smith can also assist.
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