Once a sponsored project has been fully reconciled, it is ready to undergo the project closure process. Principal Investigators (PIs) and Departmental Administrators are required to participate in the final reconciliation and closure process. Full reconciliation means that:

• all expenditures have been finalized and validated
• all expenses are posted, and open encumbrances (7062 and 7072) have been cleared
• all deliverables and other financial closeout reports have been filed
• if there is a surplus or deficit on the award, it has been removed by posting to the appropriate department’s SOAPF, and
• if there is excess cash, it has been returned to the sponsor or retained in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement

Once the award is fully reconciled and finalized, SPAC will change the award status to Closed, so that no further activity may take place on the award.

Steps for Closing out Awards: 

1. Finalizing Expenditures PDF
2. Final Invoice. In addition to reconciling expenditures, ensure that the Sponsor has been invoiced in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant or contract. (Grants from the NIH, NSF and some other Federal agencies do not require an invoice for payment.)
3. Carryover of unobligated funds. This term is most commonly applied to grants and cooperative agreements. "Unobligated" funds are funds that have not been expended and are not encumbered. If the Report of Expenditures (ROE) indicates that unobligated funds remain at the end of a budget period, refer to the award document to determine whether the funds may be carried forward to the next budget period and, if so, whether Sponsor approval for the carry-forward is required.
   • If Sponsor approval is required, the administrator should return the verified ROE to SPAC. The administrator and PI must then prepare a letter to the Sponsor to request approval for carryover of the unobligated funds to the next budget period. This letter requires signature of the PI and the authorized institutional official in ORD. The letter to the Sponsor should include a brief explanation of why funds remain unexpended and a justification as to how the funds will be used in the next budget period. A budget may be required by the Sponsor. Be certain to account for facilities and administrative (F&A) costs when planning the budget for the unobligated funds.
   • If Sponsor approval is not required, the administrator should return the verified ROE to SPAC along with a completed Carryover Allocation Form PDF.

As the recipient of sponsored funding from federal and non-federal sources, UMB is required to provide accurate, timely, and complete disclosure of financial information, as required by each sponsored award. The timely recording of financial transactions to sponsored awards is critically important, especially as an award’s end date approaches, since it is the basis for financial reporting, cash collection, and sponsor closeout requirements. 

Determining what reports are needed

Final Reports: Typical reporting requirements

• Final financial reports (expenditure reports)are submitted to the Sponsor by SPAC, based on the Report of Expenditures that has been approved by the PI and departmental administrator who monitors the FAS account.
• Final Technical Progress Reports are prepared by the PI and submitted to the Sponsor according to the instructions in the award documentation. A copy of the Final Technical Progress Report and the transmittal letter to the Sponsor should be sent to ORD for University files.
• Invention Reports are prepared and signed by the PI and then forwarded to ORD for authorized institutional signature. If the sponsor does not require PI signature, the invention information may be submitted by the PI via memo or e-mail. ORD will verify the PI's report of inventions and will sign and submit the report to the Sponsor.
• NSF Award Reports must be submitted electronically via Fastlane. However, they are prepared as all other awards: Financial Reports are submitted by SPAC and Technical Progress Reports are submitted by the PI. Please forward a paper copy of the final technical report to ORD, for University files.
• National Research Service Award Termination Notices are signed by the fellow/trainee, by the sponsor (mentor) or training program director, and SPA.
• Clinical Study Data . When a clinical study ends, advise ORD of the location at which clinical study records and data will be stored. Refer to the award document (clinical study agreement) to determine Sponsor requirements for record retention. At minimum, FDA regulations (found at 21 CFR Section 312.62) state that an investigator shall retain clinical trial records for a period of two years following the date a marketing application is approved for the drug for the indication for which it is being investigated; or, if no application is to be filed or if the application is not approved for such indication, until two years after the investigation is discontinued and FDA is notified. In order to comply with these regulations, the study Sponsor usually notifies the Principal Investigator when such an event occurs, and requires that the Principal Investigator or the University notify the Sponsor prior to destroying any study records. Copies of any such notifications should be provided to ORD for the official agreement file.