Overview Project Management Data Collection and Record-Keeping Research Budgeting and Tracking Expenses

• Notice of Grant Award
• Account Activation
• The Role of the Research Administrator

Staffing the Research Project Research Regulatory Issues Anticipating Publication of Results Resources by Research Category

• New accounts—The University’s Office of Research Accounting reviews the grant award notice and related documents and poses any questions to the appropriate Office of Research grants officer and/or the academic department’s research administrator. Once the paperwork is complete, a sponsored project account is activated. The Office of Research Accounting tries to activate new accounts within 72 hours of receiving all required paperwork and related information.
• Subaccounts—Collaborative projects involving more than one University department or principal investigator must be set up as a master account with separate sponsored project subaccounts. The department administrator handling the master account is responsible for ensuring that the master and subaccount documentation reconciles with the grant award notice.
• Department notification of project numbers—When the sponsored project accounts are activated, they are automatically posted to the general ledger system known on campus as PRISM (Pitt’s Real-time Integrated Solutions for Management) for the following day and can then be accessed by the department for expense accounting. In addition, a copy of the account activation report (RPAR105) is sent to the department administrator for review.
• Budget—For all accounts, the budget is entered into the University ledger system and must be consistent with the grant award notice.
• Indirect costs—Indirect costs, often called F&A (facilities and administrative) costs, will be verified by the Office of Research Accounting as properly calculated and consistent with the grant award notice.

> Top of Page