Quarterly and Annual Project Reviews

Perform the necessary maintenance. Keep that project running smoothly and it will take you where you need to go!

Departmental Research Administrator Action Items:

(Minor service: change the oil, rotate the tires, check the fluids and battery)

Building on what you have been doing through your monthly reviews - Confirm what you set up actually occurred over the quarter you are reviewing.
- Make adjustments as needed.
Review PI and Key Personnel effort.
Alert your PI of any project deviations from that which was awarded that require sponsor prior notification or approval. Timely prepare sponsor prior notification or approval requests, as needed.
Look at expenditure burn rate and trends.
- For example, if the annual supply budget on a project is $60K, one would generally expect to see the project spend on average $5K/month in supplies. Thus, if in reviewing a quarter, you observe an average monthly supply expenditure rate significantly above or below $5K/month you should discuss with your investigator to identify if this is a short term fluctuation that should even out over the budget period, or if this is cause for adjusting supply spending going forward that may include rebudgeting from other categories, as allowed by the award. In short, ask early, ask often, and take appropriate action if project spending deviates from the sponsor approved budget.
Make any who and what adjustments.
If interim reports are required, check to be sure they are on track to be submitted.
Review cost sharing, as applicable.
Review subawards, as applicable.
Communicate status of account to the PI(s).
Review and certify expenditures in eCertification system.

(Major service: tune the engine, replace the belts and hoses, change the air filter and spark plugs)

Review PI and Key Personnel effort.
Long range trend analysis - How do projections for the next year look based on how we spent in the previous year?
Verify all reports and deliverables have been completed or submitted.
Alert your PI of any project deviations from that which was awarded that require sponsor prior notification or approval. Timely prepare sponsor prior notification or approval requests, including carry forward requests.
Review cost sharing (expenditures and funding), as applicable.
Review subawards, as applicable.
Submit subaward change orders, as applicable.