Principal Investigator (PI) Award Transfer Procedures

Since awards are granted to the institution and not the individual PI, transfers of extramural awards into or out of an institution require the involvement of the sponsored research office of both the receiving and the transferring institutions. If you have accepted a position with the University of Hawai`i (UH), and would like to transfer an existing award(s) here from your former institution, discuss the transfer with the sponsoring agency, your department chair, your dean/director, your fiscal administrator and your Office of Research Services (ORS) Specialist.

Award transfer procedures vary from sponsor to sponsor. The following are some of the more common scenarios:

  1. The award remains at the originating institution, a replacement principal investigator (PI) is named, and the remaining work left on an active award is subcontracted to the original PI’s new institution.
  2. The award is transferred to the PI’s new institution and the PI completes the remaining work left on the award.
  3. The award is closed out at the originating institution and a new award is made to the PI’s new institution.

A change of PI’s institution may involve the transfer of equipment purchased with extramural award funds. The transfer may be accomplished as part of the original grantee’s relinquishment of the award.

In all instances, the PI should follow the sponsoring agency’s award transfer procedures. Additionally, if a new/replacement PI is named, ORS requires that a myGRANT proposal development record be completed in order to process the change.

Each sponsor will have its own award transfer procedures. The following outlines various procedures for transferring an award into or out of UH.

Award Transfers into UH

Agency /Procedural Link

General Procedures
National Science Foundation (NSF)
  1. Notify your new UH department
  2. Notify your ORS Specialist
  3. Once the original institution forwards the PI Transfer Request via Research.gov/FastLane, work with your ORS Specialist and fiscal administrator to complete and submit to NSF.
  4. Create a proposal development record in myGRANT, attach your request in the “Abstracts and Attachments” tab, then route for approval and subsequent processing by your new department
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Create a proposal development record in myGRANT, attach your statement of work (SOW), budget and budget justification in the “Abstracts and Attachments” tab, then route for approval and subsequent processing by your new UH department

NOTE: The PI will need to complete the award closeout with the former institution before NASA issues a new award to UH.
National Institutes for Health (NIH) Create a proposal development record in myGRANT, attach your budget and scope of work in the “Abstracts and Attachments” tab, then route for approval and subsequent processing by your new UH department

NOTE: The PI will need to complete the award closeout with the former institution before NIH issues a new award to UH. A change of grantee organization request must be made well before the anticipated start date at the new organization and preferably several months in advance.
Other Agencies/Corporations/Foundations
  1. Notify the sponsor’s Program Officer
  2. Notify your new department
  3. Notify your ORS Specialist
  4. Complete any sponsor-required forms identified by the Program Officer and/or ORS Specialist
  5. Create a proposal development record in myGRANT, attach a copy of the signed memorandum in the “Abstracts and Attachments” tab, and route it for approval and subsequent processing by ORS

NOTE: Further procedures will depend on award terms and conditions and/or other sponsor requirements. If you have any questions, please contact your ORS Specialist.


Award Transfers out of UH

Agency /Procedural Link

General Procedures
National Science Foundation (NSF)
  1. Notify the NSF Program Officer
  2. Notify your former UH department
  3. Notify the ORS Specialist for your former UH department
  4. Initiate and complete the NSF PI Transfer Request via Research.gov Notifications & Requests section
  5. Work with your former UH department to complete ORS Award Transfer Request and forward the completed form and request to the ORS Specialist for review and processing
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  1. Notify your NASA Program Officer and NSSC
  2. Notify your former UH department
  3. Notify the ORS Specialist for your former UH department of your intent to transfer your award
  4. Work with your former department and ORS Accounting to prepare the Final SF-425 Federal Financial Report
  5. Prepare NASA Relinquishment Letter on UH Letterhead and complete ORS Award Transfer Request
  6. Send all documents and required final report(s) to the ORS Specialist for transmission to NASA
National Institutes for Health (NIH)
  1. Notify your NIH Program Officer
  2. Notify your former UH department
  3. Notify the ORS Specialist for your former UH department of your intent to transfer your award
  4. Work with your former UH department and ORS Specialist to complete the ORS Award Transfer Request and PHS 3734 (relinquishing statement); and work with your former UH department and ORS Accounting to complete a Final SF-425 Federal Financial Report (FFR)
  5. Prepare and submit your Final Invention Statement to NIH and send a copy to the ORS Specialist for your former UH department
Other Agencies/Corporations/Foundations
  1. Notify the sponsor’s Program Officer
  2. Notify your former UH department
  3. Notify the ORS Specialist for your former UH department
  4. Complete any sponsor-required forms identified by the Program Officer
  5. Complete the ORS Award Transfer Request and provide it to the ORS Specialist for your former UH department
  6. Generate a memorandum requesting the transfer of the award. The memo should be from the Principal Investigator and should include:
    • PI’s name
    • Agency name
    • Grant/Award number
    • Amount of unobligated funds remaining
    • Institution to which transfer is requested
    • Contact information for an Authorized Representative at recipient institution
    • Requested date of award’s termination at UH
    • Signature of Principal Investigator
    • Signature of your UH dean/director
  7. Submit the memorandum along with your signed ORS Award Transfer Request. Institutional signature is contingent on delivery of these items.

NOTE: Further procedures will depend on award terms and conditions and/or other sponsor requirements. Please contact the ORS Specialist for your former UH department if you have additional questions.