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Managing an Award
Research Division Training Programme
AIS3. Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
1200 - 1205
Registration
1205 - 1250
Session
• Roles and Responsibilities & Project Start-Up
• HR & Finance
• Agreements, Subcontracts & Reporting
1250 – 1300
Q&A
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Project Start-Up
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Congratulations!!!
You have a fully signed research
contract and award!
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Roles and Responsibilities
Principal investigator duties
As principal investigator (PI) you are the budget holder and have
responsibility for managing the overall award received by the funder.
Your research awards manager (RAM) is the budget controller.
They will provide support and advice on compliance with internal financial
regulations and the regulations of research funding bodies, and manage
the contractual relationship for externally funded research.
Further details on Budget Holders can be found in the LSE Financial Regulations
section C2.2
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Roles and Responsibilities
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Subject to local practice - your Academic Department, Institute or Research
Centre will usually provide support in the administrative tasks and duties
associated with the research, such as:
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completing and submitting expenses;
monthly timesheets;
budget and expenditure management or monitoring;
recruitment of staff; and
reporting requirements.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Roles and Responsibilities
How can the Research Division Post-Award team help?
You will be assigned a dedicated Research Awards Manager (RAM) who will
support you through out the life-cycle of your award.
Some of the areas your RAM will guide you with are:
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Budgets & Costs
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Expenditure eligibility
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Invoicing
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Staffing
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Exchange rate issues
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Allocation of indirect costs
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Reporting requirements
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Final reports and any other associated financial matters.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
What you should have at this stage…
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Receipt of signed contract or award letter
HoD Approval
Ethics Approval
Confirmed budget
Start date
Duration & End date
APTOS/Project Code
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Project Start-up
• Project Information Report (PIR)
• Kick-off meeting with Research Awards Manager (RAM)
• Start Certificates & Abstracts
• Correspondence from Sponsor
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Project Information Report (PIR)
This is provided by the Post-Award team.
The document summarises:
• APTOS/Account Code
• Budget Codes
• Sponsor Award/Grant Reference
• Amount awarded in GBP
• If funds are awarded in a foreign currency – the exchange rate is given
• Project start and end dates with duration in months
• Deliverables and Internal Timetable
• Reporting requirements – Financial and Scientific
• Scheduled events/workshops (if applicable)
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Kick-off meeting with Research Awards Manager (RAM)
• School Processes and Procedures
• Award Budget & budget codes
• Award terms & conditions
• Deliverables & Reporting requirements
• Any questions regarding the award?
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Start Certificates & Abstracts
UK Research Councils
• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Medical Research Council (MRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Correspondence from Sponsor
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European Commission
British Academy
ESRC
Wellcome Trust
Leverhulme
Etc…
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
• HR
• Finance
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
HR & Financial
• Appointing staff
• Financial management
• Few more things to bear in mind
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Appointing staff: Who can help?
• Human Resources
• Department/Centre Manager
• Research Award Manager
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
• Timesheets – who needs to submit timesheets?
• Casual and overseas staff
• Research staff and students are important
members of the research team, and should be
actively managed and supported.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Financial Management
• Financial Regulations – who needs to be aware of them?
• Eligible costs - what does this mean?
• Monitor expenditure (Statements4) – review regularly
• Submitting expenditure claims and invoices – what to
do? Who to ask?
• Invoicing
• Directly Incurred, Directly Allocated and Indirect Costs
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Few more things to bear in mind:
• Advances
• Insurance – always check before you travel
• Approved Suppliers
• Procurement
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
• Agreements
• Subcontracts
• Reporting
• Audits
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Setting-Up Subcontracts
The Research Division (RD) can help if you need to set up agreements with
other institutions/individuals. These agreements may include:
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consortium agreements
subcontracts with partner institutions
overseas consultant agreements
self-employment contracts
confidentiality or data use agreements
others?
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Setting-Up Subcontracts
RD has templates for several types of agreements and can draft
agreements for you.
RD can also review agreements provided by the other party to ensure
acceptability to LSE.
Most agreements must be signed by RD’s Director and cannot be
signed by the PI or other member of the project team.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Amending Your Award
Over the life of an project, it is likely that changes will needed:
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PI leaving the institution or having employment terminated
PI long-term absence (parental leave, extended sickness, etc.)
changes to other senior staff
changes to partners or subcontractors
change to scope of work, deliverables, or deadlines
change in award amount
budget virements
extension of due date of final reports
extension of project’s end date
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Amending Your Award
Please discuss any changes to your project with your RAM as soon as you are
aware of them. Your RAM will advise you whether prior approval is needed
from the sponsor and the form that this approval must take.
Some changes may be made without prior approval from the sponsor.
When not certain, your RAM may advise you to contact the sponsor to notify
them of the changes – giving them the opportunity to request a more formal
process or to reject the changes.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Amending Your Award
Some changes will require the prior approval of the sponsor.
• In some cases, emails are sufficient to provide approval. It depends on
the sponsor and the significance of the change.
• In other cases, requests must be submitted in a more formal way such as
via the sponsor’s web-based grant management system. This is
especially true for government and large private sponsors.
• Some changes require a formal amendment to the grant agreement. Your
RAM will guide you through this process.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Amending Your Award
No-Cost Extensions:
These must be requested before the end date of the project.
Do not request an extension simply because funds are remaining.
You must provide an explanation for why funds remain unspent and your
plan for how the funds will be spent during the extension period.
No-cost extensions are typically for no longer than 6-months. Longer
extension are approved only on an exceptional basis.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Amending Your Award
Generally accepted reasons for no-cost extensions include:
• absences of PI or senior staff (parental leave, extended sick leave, etc.)
• termination of employment of a PI or senior staff
• where data gathering or fieldwork has been unavoidably delayed for
reasons wholly beyond the control of the research team
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
All research grants require some form of reporting. This usually includes:
• technical/scientific reports (prepared by the PI or project team)
• financial reports (prepared by RD)
• Other reports as specified by the grant agreement?
• start-up certificates and abstracts
• risk management plans
• ethics
• outputs and impact
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
Technical/scientific reports typically will include the following information:
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update on the progress of the project including significant achievements
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explanation of any significant deviations from the original scope of work
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explanation of any significant budget virements
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explanation of any staff changes
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work plans for the remainder of the project
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link to project website if one has been set up
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list of workshops, seminars, conferences, or other project events
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list of publications
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
Financial reports are usually prepared by RD and signed by your RAM or by
the RD Director. Do not submit a financial report without it having been
reviewed and approved by RD.
When preparing a financial report, RD may need to ask you for information:
• allocation of costs to budget lines
• purpose of travel
• work package breakdowns
• missing documentation (receipts, boarding passes, etc.)
RD will ask you to review and confirm the financial report prior to
submission.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
The grant agreement will usually specify the due date for submission.
Reports may be due:
• during the life of the award following the end of annual or multi-month
reporting periods
• upon the completion of specified deliverables
• following the end of the award
• for several years after the end of the award
• ad-hoc as requested by the sponsor
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
The grant agreement will also usually specify the report template and
method of submission.
Examples of web-based management systems:
• EC – Research Participant Portal
• Research Councils – Je-S
• British Academy – e-GAP
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
You may be required to report on research outputs, outcomes, and impacts
both during and after the project period.
In particular, the Research Councils have introduced Researchfish.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
• The PI must ensure that all outcomes arising from the grant are recorded
in a timely manner in Researchfish as soon as possible after their creation.
• Information may be uploaded at any time after the grant has started.
• Key Findings report due within 3 months of the end date.
• Narrative Impact Statement due within 12 months of the end date.
• Outcomes should be submitted for up to 5 years following the end date.
• Details should be confirmed as part of the ‘annual submission’.
• The Research Councils will send automatic email reminders.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Reporting on Your Award
Failure to submit reports in a timely manner can result in sanctions. These
may include:
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ineligibility to submit future proposals to the same sponsor
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financial penalties
Sanctions may be applied to LSE as a whole, not just to the PI. So, failure to
submit reports in a timely manner can negatively affect other academics at
LSE who have awards from or want to submit proposals to the same sponsor.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Audits of Your Award
Your project may be audited. Types of audits include:
• Project specific audits required by the sponsor, but LSE selects the auditor
and arranges (ex. EC audits during the project period)
• Audits initiated by the sponsor, and the sponsor selects the auditor.
These may be project specific, or the auditor may look at all or a sample
of awards made by the sponsor to LSE.
• Internal audits .
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Audits of Your Award
Your RAM will manage the audit and act as the liaison with the auditor. In
some cases, an audit may occur without your ever knowing. In other cases,
your RAM may need assistance from you depending on the queries received.
EC awards are the most frequently audited:
• FP7 awards – must be audited at the end of a reporting period if the
cumulative request for funds exceeds €375,000.
• Horizon 2020 awards – must be audited only at the end of the award if
the total request for funds exceeds €375,000.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Audits of Your Award
For technical audits, the following topics may be discussed:
• degree of fulfilment of the project work plan and related deliverables for
the relevant period
• management procedures and methods
• use of resources
• continued relevance of the objectives
• expected impact of the project with focus on dissemination
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Audits of Your Award
For financial audits, the following items may be requested:
• copies of invoices and expense claims
• copies of employment contracts
• timesheets (if required by the grant agreement)
• copies of other types of contracts (subcontracts, overseas consultant
agreements, etc.)
• evidence that purchasing regulations were followed
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Other Things to Think About
• intellectual property rights (especially when subcontracting)
• acknowledging sponsor support in communications
• guidelines regarding use of sponsor name and logos
• giving the sponsor advance notice of press releases or of conferences and
other events
• special grant terms and conditions?
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Closing Your Award
When the project has finished, your RAM will ensure that the final payment
is received from the sponsor and that the project account is closed. The
award file will be archived, but can be pulled if needed in the event of an
audit.
You should keep all award-related documents for at least 5 years following
the award end date or the receipt of the final payment (which ever is later).
In the case of the Research Councils, you must submit the Narrative Impact
Statement within 12 months following the award end date and continue to
update Researchfish for up to 5 years following the award end date.
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Congratulations!
Your project is complete, and
You have successfully
managed your award!
Good Work! Well Done!
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Q&A
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Thank you!
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Useful up and coming sessions for your diary:
European Funded Awards – how to manage and what you need to know
6 November 2014
2- 4pm, KSW.1.04
Lent Term Events
Managing Contracts – post-award perspective
(Looking at Award Contracts, HR contracts, subcontracts, amendments)
10 February 2015
12:30-2pm, KSW.1.04
Finance Essentials & HR
11 March 2015
12-1pm, OLD 3.21
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Useful Links:
Managing your Award section on LSE website
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/researchDivision/managingYourAward/home.aspx
Financial Documents and Forms for Staff [log in access required]
https://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/financeDivision/internal/staff/staff%20documents.aspx
LSE Travel Policy
https://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/financeDivision/internal/staff/Travel/Home.aspx
Financial Regulations
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/financeDivision/Financial%20Regulations.aspx
HR
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/staff/humanResources/aToZOfDocumentsAndInformation.aspx
Managing an Award
– what you need to know
Useful Links & Contacts:
Useful documents [log in access required]
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/researchDivision/managingYourAward/home.aspx
Academic Units listing with allocated GAM & RAM
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/researchDivision/applyingForFunding/contactUsWhosWho.asp
x#contactGAMorRAM
Contract Guidance
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/researchDivision/applyingForFunding/negotiateYourAward.asp
x#Contractsignature
Ethics
http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/researchAndDevelopment/researchDivision/policyAndEthics/ethicsGuidanceAndForms.aspx
[email protected]
Research Division contacts
Davina Nauth, research award manager
• [email protected]
Milena Vasileva, research award manager
• [email protected]
Benjamin Nevius, senior research award manager
• [email protected]
Research Division general contact details
• Phone: +44 (0) 20 7106 1202 I Email: [email protected]
• Office hours: 9.30 am to 5.30 pm
• Follow @LSE_RD on twitter