The grant notice of award/contract award document is the legal document which notifies a recipient organization that it has received an award. It is crucial for representatives (PI & Research Administrator) of the project and the institutional representative to carefully review the award notice, particularly the terms and conditions of the award, before accepting the award to understand just what the award entails.

Some questions a reviewer may ask:

• Do the funds awarded correspond to the budget in the proposal?
• Has the agency made any unilateral changes in the project scope?
• Does the award include special terms and conditions?

The answers to some of these questions may cause a recipient to decide not to accept the award because of negative impact on the institution or project. Once agreed to, the terms and conditions are legally binding, and both the recipient and the awarding agency must follow them. Unilateral changes by either party are not permitted.