Roles & Responsibilities
Principal Investigators
- Ensures completion of sponsor deliverables and/or other requirements
- Comply with reporting requirements
- Collaborate with FA to resolve fiscal issues
- Secure funds to cover deficits or disallowances
- Certify the accuracy and authenticity of all transactions, regardless of authorization granted or delegation made to project staff
Fiscal Administrators
- Assist PI in ensuring all project costs are allowable, allocable and reasonable
- Ensure that all project expenditures are posted to the university financial system in a timely manner
- Work with PI to confirm final expenditures for the project account
- Verify that encumbrances and suspense items are cleared
- Provide approval to process final invoice or report to sponsor
- Provide detailed schedules or backup documentation, if required by sponsor
- Provide information as requested by ORS
Chancellor / Dean / Director/ Chairperson
- Ensure that the PI and FA carry out their closeout duties
- Assist PI in securing alternative funding if deficits or disallowances occur
- Approve funds secured by the PI to cover deficits or disallowances
Office of Research Services
- Issue courtesy closeout reminder notices to PI and FA
- Submit sponsor-required financial reports and coordinates and/or endorses other report submissions
- Inform upper administration if closeout problems arise
- Pursue accounts receivable collections
- Provide technical advice regarding applicable UH policies & procedures, governmental rules and regulations, and sponsor requirements
Process
Account closeout
Prior to the closeout period, ORS Accounting will request confirmation from that all expenditures have been recorded in the university financial system and the project account is ready to be closed. Confirmation notices will be sent to the lead PI and lead FA listed on the contract control account in the university financial system. PIs and FAs are responsible to make sure that these names are kept up-to-date.
Once confirmation is received from the FA, ORS Accounting will file the final financial reports and submit final invoices and/or letters of credit, and no further expenditures will be allowed. The PI’s department will be responsible for all expenditures made after the final financial report is submitted.
For specific details on the closeout process, see AP 12.412.
Final reports
The table below shows the submission requirements for various types of final reports.
| Final Report Type | Submission Requirements |
| Financial | Final invoices and standard financial reports are completed by ORS after receiving confirmation of final expenditures from the FA. These include Release and Assignment reports which must be certified by ORS. |
| Invention Statement or Patent | The PI should send the original and one copy to their assigned ORS Pre-Award Specialist for endorsement and submission to the sponsor. |
| Inventory or Property | The PI should request the report from the UH Capital Asset Accounting Office, then send the report to the sponsor. Following submission, the PI should provide their assigned ORS Pre-Award Specialist with a confirmation of submission, indicating the date of submission and where / to whom the report was sent. |
| Technical | If ORS endorsement is required, the PI should send one original and one copy to their assigned ORS Pre-Award Specialist for endorsement and submission to the sponsor.
If ORS endorsement is not required, the PI should provide their assigned ORS Pre-Award Specialist with a confirmation of submission, indicating the date of submission and where / to whom the report was sent. |
The PI will be notified if ORS becomes aware of any past due final reports. If not completed, upper administration may also be notified. Continued non-compliance may result in future proposals of the PI being held from submission until all outstanding items are submitted.
Resources
AWARD CLOSEOUT
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
| AP 12.412 | Extramural Closeout Procedures |