2CFR200 – The section of the Federal Register that details the uniform administrative requirements, cost principles and audit requirements for Federal Awards.
Agreement – An understanding that codifies an exchange of money for services within a certain timeframe
and under specific circumstances. For purposes here, agreements shall encompass all awards, grants,
contracts, fixed-price agreements, and gifts with reporting requirements.
Allocable Cost – A cost is allocable to a particular cost objective (i.e., a specific function, grant project, service,department, or other activity) in accordance with the relative benefits received. A cost is allocable to a project where it is treated consistently with other costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances and (1) is incurred specifically for the award, or (2) benefits more than one award on the condition that other work or supplies can be distributed (allocated) in reasonable and demonstrable proportion to the benefits received.
Allowable Cost – A cost incurred on an award must meet all of the following requirements in addition to OMB A-21:
- Reasonable for the performance of the award;
- Allocable;
- Conforms with any limitations or exclusions set forth in the federal cost principles
applicable to the organization incurring the cost or in the Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) as to types or amount of cost items; - Consistent with internal regulations, policies, and procedures that apply uniformly to both federally-funded and other activities of the organization;
- Accorded consistent treatment;
- Determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP); and
- Not included as a cost in any other federally-funded agreement unless such cost is allocated in a reasonable and demonstrable and justifiable proportion to each affected award.
Award – A grant, contract or other written agreement that provides some or all of the funding required for
support of a specified research project at CUA.
Award Period – Dates assigned by the sponsor that provides a set period of time to spend awarded funds.
Business Manager – CUA staff member with budget authority over selected orgs.
Carryover – Unobligated and unexpended funds for which a no-cost extension may be requested in accordance with sponsor provisions and in their sole discretion.
Chartfield – Accounting field identifier used to ensure accurate labeling of financial transactions. There are six chartfields for a grant.
Cost Principles – The rules set forth in applicable statutes, regulations, grantor instructions, OMB Circulars and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) used for determining allowability, reasonableness, and allocability of costs applicable to grants, contracts and other agreements.
Deficit – Any amount expended in excess of sponsor-authorized and/or funded amounts during an award period that must be covered/reimbursed by a CUA operating or reserve org.
Direct Cost – Costs that can be specifically identified with a particular activity within a sponsored project.
Encumbrance – Any money committed for the purchase of an item or service although the actual expense has yet to be paid awaiting shipment, delivery or occurrence.
Expenditure – Any money spent on salaries and fringe or used to purchase supplies, equipment or services.
Expanded Authority – Latitude granted to institutional grantees (e.g., CUA’s Sponsored Accounting Office) to take certain actions without specific and prior sponsoring agency approval.
F & A – Facilities and Administrative Costs (formerly indirect costs). On Federal Awards these general
expenses include academic support, departmental administration, plant operations & maintenance and other “administrative” or institutional costs. F&A costs are those expenses that are incurred for common objectives and therefore cannot be identified readily and specifically applied or allocated to a particular sponsored project or any other institutional activity.
Federal Financial Report (FFR) – The FFR is filed as directed by award terms but is required of all federal
awards and must be submitted to the appropriate entity no later than ninety (90) calendar days after the Project End Date. The FFR, usually federal, requires a complete and final reconciliation of all expenses, with any and all appropriate corrections, that have posted to the award. It is also the PI’s certification that all expenses were allocable, applicable and allowable on the award.
Final Invoice – The FFR equivalent for sponsors that are invoiced.
Fiscal Year – The CUA fiscal year is May 1 through April 30.
Funding Period – A sponsor assigned period in which award dollars are allotted in some portion of the total
award. The Funding Period can be one (1) year or more, or as little as four (4) weeks in the case of conditional funding mechanisms. The Funding Period can match the Award Period but in a cautious funding environment, this condition is less likely the case. Although the Funding Period may be shorter, there is usually an Award Period in which to spend any and all allotted funds.
Grant Administrator – CUA faculty or staff member that has authority over the grant/award org.
Incremental Award – Additional funding allotted to an existing award. Also termed “increment,”
“supplemental award” or “supplement” this amount can be part of or in addition to the original awarded amount.
Indirect Cost – Cost that are incurred for common objectives (overhead) and therefore cannot be readily and specifically identified with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity. Also referred to as “F&A Costs.”
No-Cost Extension (NCE) – An approved request and subsequent approval from the sponsor to extend the
Project End Date to accommodate continued work on the award without additional funding. The PI must
work with the Office of Sponsored Programs to obtain a NCE.
Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) – A letter from the sponsoring agency detailing the award amounts, terms and conditions that authorizes the start of work on the respective project.
Obligated Funds – Agency money that is known to be committed but is not yet spent.
Pre-Award Costs – Expenses incurred for the proposed project BEFORE the effective date of the award and before the NOGA is issued. The expenses are generally not allowed unless specifically authorized in writing by the sponsor.
Prior Approval – Authorization in writing by the sponsoring agency to permit a specific expense or type of
expense BEFORE it is incurred or encumbered. Relocation expenses for research faculty are typically expenses that must have Prior Approval and must be specifically budgeted.
Project End Date – The last date for which expenses can be charged to an award. The accounting date for
charges may be after the Project End Date but the services or supplies must have been provided to benefit the goals of the Project before the Project End Date.
Purchase Requisition – Form used to identify funding and specifications to issue a purchase orders for the
acquisition of goods and services.
Record Retention – Electronic and paper records must be kept for sponsored awards for three (3) years AFTER the award’s end and submission of the FFR.
Subcontract – A formalized, cooperative agreement that defines a research relationship with another organization or entity.
Supplemental Award – See Incremental Award.
Unallowable Cost – A charge or expense not permissible under the rules of the sponsor or sponsoring agency. One example of an Unallowable Cost is the purchase of alcoholic beverages.
Unexpended Funds – Funds which are not spent during the life of the award.
Uniform Guidance – See 2CFR200.