Award Letter PDF

**Award Letter** A key starting point to properly managing an award is being able to read and interpret the award letter. Although the award information will appear in RAMP, it is best practice to confirm that the information entered during award setup is consistent with what is shown in RAMP. The...

**Award Letter** A key starting point to properly managing an award is being able to read and interpret the award letter. Although the award information will appear in RAMP, it is best practice to confirm that the information entered during award setup is consistent with what is shown in RAMP. The notice of award is ultimately the document referenced by the sponsor. This guide will review the various federal award notices that OSP encounters. **National Institutes of Health (NIH)** - Received by George Mason University via email  +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Application Type Code** | A single-digit code identifying | | | the type of application received | | | and processed. | | | | | | - Type 1: New | | | | | | - Type 2: Competing | | | continuation | | | | | | - Type 3: Application for | | | additional (supplemental) | | | support | | | | | | - Type 4: Competing extension | | | for an R37 award or first | | | non-competing year of a Fast | | | Track SBIR/STTR award | | | | | | - Type 5: Non-competing | | | continuation | | | | | | - Type 7: Change of grantee | | | institution | | | | | | - Type 9: Change of NIH | | | Awarding Institute or | | | Division | +===================================+===================================+ | **Activity Code** | A three-digit code identifying a | | | specific category of extramural | | | activity. | | | | | | - List of activity codes: | | | [Activity Codes Search | | | Results | | | (nih.gov)](https://grants.nih | | |.gov/grants/funding/ac_search_res | | | ults.htm) | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Administering Organization | A two-letter code identifying the | | Code** | first major-level subdivision. | | | | | | - List of NIH organization | | | codes: [Acronym List | | | (nih.gov)](https://grants.nih | | |.gov/grants/acronym_list.htm) | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Serial Number** | A five-digit number generally | | | assigned sequentially to a series | | | within an institute, center, or | | | division. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Grant Year** | A two-digit number indicating the | | | actual segment or budget period | | | of a project. The grant year | | | number (01, 02, etc.) is preceded | | | by a dash to separate it from the | | | serial number. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Suffixes/Other** | **Supplement**: The letter "S" | | | and related number identify a | | | particular supplemental record, | | | e.g., S1, S2. | | | | | | **Amendment**: The letter "A" and | | | related number identify each | | | amended application, e.g., A1, | | | A2, etc. | | | | | | **Allowance**: The letter "X" and | | | related number identify a | | | fellowship's institutional | | | allowance record. Allowance | | | designations also follow the | | | grant year or other designation | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ The budget period is the period that this award notice is issued for while the project period is the entire duration of the project. For NIH awards, the project period typically ranges from 3-5 years, depending on the award type. NIH reserves the right to adjust the award based on annual financial and technical reports submitted. It is possible that awarded, unspent funds are "re-purposed" and the next budget period award is adjusted accordingly. Graphical user interface, text, application, email Description automatically generated In the image below, you can see the amount of funds obligated for this action. On the bottom portion of the table, you can see the total amount obligated for the entire duration of the award. Notice the difference in the obligated funds for the budget period versus the project period. Later in the NOA you will see the breakdown by year.  - Notice in the Acceptance paragraph and how the acknowledgement of receipt is through the draw down of funds via the grant payment system. This action will be completed by the post-award team however it is important to be aware of the Terms and Conditions behind the Payment Management System (PMS). Conditions for PMS drawdown are included below and are linked [here](https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/payment-management-system-drawdown-reminder): - Grantees, take note: You have 120 days after your grant's period of performance end date to liquidate obligations by drawing funds from the Payment Management System (PMS). After 120 days, PMS will automatically reject requests to withdraw funds. - Put differently, you will lose access to your grant funds about 4 months after the project's end date, so you need to pay all previously incurred expenses before then. This is an old rule, refer to [2 CFR Part 200](https://beta.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/23-1/ch-6-nsf-awards), but recently NIH has had several instances of grantees caught unawares by its enforcement. - That deadline---120 days after the period of performance end date---is also the deadline for you to submit a final Federal Financial Report (FFR) for the award. Graphical user interface, text, application Description automatically generated Please review the [NIH Public Access Policy](https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/research-supplements) and be sure to remind faculty of the policy as they begiun publishing results that are accresdited to an NIH award. Journals may automatically submit the published articles to be assigned a PMCID however not all. A component of the annual Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) is reporting publications associated with the grant. If those publications are not in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy, a delay in recipet of funding may apply for the next budget period until they are. To check whether a published manuscript is compliant with the Public Access Policy, visit [PubMed](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/about/public-access-info/) and search for the publication.  - Below you will see a breakdown of this award and any other funding associated with this award. Table Description automatically generated - Notice that in the table highlighted in the green box above, there are two award numbers that differ by pre-fix and suffix only. The S1 suffix indicates that this funding increment is classified as a supplement. Please review the [NIH definition](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#:~:text=Supplements%20are%20not%20grants.,return%20to%20a%20scientific%20career.) of supplements below: - Supplements are not grants. Research supplements are funds added to an existing grant to increase the participation of scientists from underrepresented groups in biomedical research. **Terms and Conditions**  - All correspondence to the Grant Management Specialist and Program Official should be processed and authorized through GMU's Grant & Contract Officer for both written and email correspondence. **National Science Foundation (NSF)** Please visit the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1) for detailed information on [NSF award management](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200). Below is an example of an NSF award letter. Text Description automatically generated  - **Standard Grant**: a type of grant in which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support for a specified period of time with no statement of NSF intent to provide additional future support without submission of another proposal. - **Continuing Grant**: a type of grant in which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support for an initial specified period of time, usually a year, wit a statement of intent to provide additional support of the project for additional periods, provided funds are available and the results achieved warrant further support. - **Cost Reimbursement Grant**: a type of grant under which NSF agrees to reimburse the grantee for work performed and/or costs incurred by the grantee up to the total amount specified in the grant. Such costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable cost principles. Except under certain programs and under special circumstances, NSF grants and cooperative agreements are normally cost reimbursable type awards. - **Fixed Amount Award**: A type of grant used in certain programs and situations under which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support without regard to actual costs incurred under the project. The award amount is negotiated using the applicable cost principles or other pricing information as a guide. This type of grant reduced some of the administrative burden and record-keeping requirements for both GMU and NSF. Except under unusual circumstances, such as termination, there is no governmental review of the actual costs subsequently incurred by the grantee in performance of the project. There typically is a requirement for the grantee to certify that the approximate number of person-months or other activity called for in the grant was performed. Payments are based on meeting specific requirements of the grant and accountability is based primarily on technical performance and results. **[Award Date]:** The date signifying when expenditures may be charged to the grant. For NSF, this date is usually the 1^st^ or 15^th^ day of the month. **[Award Period of Performance]:** The timeframe in which the proposed activities must be completed unless otherwise indicated. Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated - In this scenario, the amount obligated by this amendment and the total intended award amount match. This may not always be true since there may be budgetary changes in the negotiation process between application and award acceptance. - **Amount Obligated by this Amendment**: Balance payable to GMU at the time of this amendment. The funds were authorized by an NSF grants officer. - **Total Intended Award Amount:** NSF contribution over the course of the award's entire period of performance. - **Total Approved Cost Share or Matching Amount**: Information about cost sharing or matching amount provided here. - **Total Amount Obligated to Date**: Total balance payable to GMU over the course of the award. - **Expenditure Limitation**: Expenditure limitations provided by the NSF would be listed here. Each award notice will include information on the research collaborators listed in the proposal. If these collaborators have changed since proposal submission, please work with your OSP grants administrator to update this information. All changes to named collaborators must be approved by the sponsor.  Each award is assigned a Managing Grants Official, an Awarding Official, and a Program Officer. Typically, the Managing Grants Official and Awarding Official are contacted for administrative and fiscal information while the Managing Program Officer will be able to advise award recipients on technical content. It is important that faculty and research administrators work with their OSP grants administrators for any matters involving the NSF officials listed on the award notice. Text Description automatically generated General terms and conditions on an NSF award are standard, as for NIH. Pay special attention to the dates listed below as terms and conditions can be updated within the award project period.  Next, let's review the budget breakdown in the award notice.  Table Description automatically generated   Table Description automatically generated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The current version of the standard NOAA and DOC grant terms are found at: [https://www.noaa.gov/acquisition-grants](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). As with all Federal awards, [OMB's Uniform Guidance](https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/manuals/gpm05_131/gpm2.jsp?toc=1) applies, except as modified by the sponsor-specific terms.  Graphical user interface, text, application, email Description automatically generated **Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:** a five-digit number assigned to most grants and cooperative agreements funded by the federal government. The first two digits correspond with a federal agency code, listed below: **CFDA \#** **Federal Agency** ------------- ---------------------------------------------- **10** U.S. Department of Agriculture **11** U.S. Department of Commerce **12** U.S. Department of Defense **14** Housing and Urban Development **15** U.S. Department of Interior **16** U.S. Department of Justice **17** U.S. Department of Labor **19** U.S. Department of State **20** U.S. Department of Transportation **43** NASA **45** National Endowment for the Arts & Humanities **47** NSF **59** Small Business Administration **66** Environmental Protection Agency **77** Nuclear Regulatory Commission **81** U.S. Department of Energy **84** U.S. Department of Education **93** U.S. Department of Health & Human Services **97** U.S. Department of Homeland Security **98** Agency for International Development **99.000** Central Intelligence Agency **99.001** Department of Veterans Affairs **99.002** United States International Trade Commission **99.003** Vietnam Education Foundation **List of Award provisions provided in the NO, includes:** - Standard Terms and Conditions - Indication if it is a R&D award - Federal-wide research terms and conditions - Standard award conditions - Specific award conditions - Budge - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements - Contract Cost Principles and Procedures - Pre-award Notification Requirements - Multi-Year award conditions (if applicable) - Other  **Specific Award Conditions:** Graphical user interface, text, application, email, timeline Description automatically generated **Department of Defense (DoD)** Since the DoD has many different agencies, their award notice structure may differ greatly. While the information contained within the notice may be similar, if not the same, the location of the information on each award notice may be slightly different. Below is a general outline of the elements of DoD award notices, as well as examples from the U.S. Army, Defense Logistics Agency, and Office of Naval Research. DoD Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID): - This number contains 13 alpha-numeric characters: - 1-6^th^ digit positions: identify the department/agency and office issuing the instrument - 7 & 8^th^ digit positions: Last two digits of the fiscal year in which the PI was assigned - 9^th^ digit position: Indicates the type of instrument **A** Blanket Purchase Agreements ------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- **B** Invitations for Bids **C** Contracts **D** Indefinite Delivery Contracts **E** Facilities Contracts **F** Contracting Acton Placed with or Through Government Agency not in the DoD **G** Basic Ordering Agreement **H** Agreements **K** Short Form Research Contract **L** Lease Agreement **M** Manual Purchase Orders **N** Notice of Intent to Purchase **P** Automated Purchase Order **Q** Manual Request for Quotation **R** Request for Proposal **S** Sales Contract **T** Automated Request for Quotation **U** (Assign when numbering capacity of T is exhausted during FY) **V** (Assign when numbering capacity of P is exhausted during FY) **W** (Assign when numbering capacity of M is exhausted during FY) - 10-13^th^ digit positions: Enter the serial number of the instrument in these positions Example of a PIID Number - - **DoD Agencies/Offices** **Agency/Office** **Acronym** -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------- Coalition Warfare Program CWP Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA Defense Health Agency DHA Department of Homeland Security DHS Defense Intelligence Agency DIA Defense Information Systems Agency DISA Defense Logistics Agency DLA Defense Threat Reduction Agency DTRA Information Analysis Centers IAC Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency JIDA Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense JPEO-CBD Missile Defense Agency MDA National Aeronautics Space Agency NASA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NGA National Security Agency NSA Rapid Reaction Technology Innovation Outreach Program RRTO Office of Naval Research ONR Air Force Office of Scientific Research AFOSR Army Research Laboratory ARL Army Research Office ARO U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USACE U.S. Army Medical Research & Material Command USAMRDC Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA National Security Agency NSA **The General Elements of DoD award notices:** 1. Name of DoD Awarding/Issuing Office 2. Award Number (FAIN) and Modification Number if Applicable 3. Award/Contract Number 4. Type of Award (Grant or Cooperative Agreement) 5. Characteristic of Award (New Award, Funding Modification, or Administrative, Non-Funding Modification) a. If it's a modification, it should include a brief description of the purpose of the mod 6. Title of the Project 7. Brief Description of the Project 8. Name of the PI 9. Start and End Date of the Period of Performance 10. Amount of the Obligation of Federal Funds 11. Cumulative Amounts of Federal Funds Obligated to Date 12. Corresponding Non-Federal Share Obligated to Date 13. Total Amount of Project Costs in the Currently Approved Budget Through the End of the Period of Performance b. The Federal Share of that Amount c. Non-Federal Share even if that Share is Zero 14. Total Value of the Award 15. Obligation Date -- Date of the Grant's Officer's Signature and Effective Date if Different 16. The Authority under which the Award or Modification was made 17. Number and title of the program listed in the catalog of domestic assistance under which the award or mod was made 18. If it's a New Award d. Is it Research & Development (R&D) e. Scope of Work and other goals or objectives f. Approved Budget g. Terms and Conditions 19. Recipient Unique Entity Identifier required for its registration in the system for award management (SAM) -- currently is the Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number 20. The Recipient's Business Name and Address 21. GMU Signature (Research Administrator) 22. Name of the PI 23. Indirect Cost Rate 24. Each DoD component must establish at least one set of general terms and conditions 25. General Info/Contacts 26. Prior Approval 27. Financial Reporting Requirements 28. Payments 29. Overall Budget **U. S. Army**  Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with medium confidence  Table Description automatically generated  Text Description automatically generated  **Office for Naval Research (ONR)** Text Description automatically generated  Below is the budget schedule. Table Description automatically generated **National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) DOA** Next we will review an award notice issued by NASA.  Graphical user interface, text, application, email Description automatically generated  Table Description automatically generated  Table Description automatically generated  Text Description automatically generated with low confidence