Responsibilities Managing Grant-funded Programs

Principal Investigator

It is reasonable and appropriate for the Principal Investigator (PI) to rely on administrative staff for assistance in carrying out responsibilities under a grant-funded program. However, it is expected that the PI will:

1. Be knowledgeable about appropriate agency and College guidelines and restrictions relative to the budgeting of both direct and indirect costs, proposal preparation, the conduct of the program, instruction and training, and other grant-related activities, and be willing to comply with such guidelines and restrictions;
2. Secure appropriate campus approvals through appropriate campus channels and granting agency approval through the GOSC.   
3. Comply with the specific terms and conditions of each Award as stated in the Grant, Cooperative Agreement or Subaward documents and with all administrative requirements, as set forth by the federal government, sponsoring agency and campus policy statements, as applicable;
4. Adhere to specific budget restrictions, ensuring that activities do not begin and expenditures are not incurred prior to the receipt of a fully executed Award unless necessary and authorized advanced approvals have been obtained, and that expenditures do not exceed the total amount of funds obligated;
5. Certify that all costs charged to a grant-funded program are accurate and specifically benefit the project being charged including the certification of salaries charged to grant Awards;
6. Provide justification and documentation of costs being transferred, if after-the-fact adjustments in the allocation of certified costs become necessary;
7. Comply with the reporting requirements as stated in the Grant, Cooperative Agreement or Subaward documents, including the submission of periodic and final programmatic reports, financial reports, invention reports and inventory and equipment reports; and
8. Ensure that any sub-recipients comply with the terms and conditions of each Award as stated in the Subaward documents and with all administrative requirements, as set forth by the federal government and granting agency, as appropriate.

Department Chairs and Deans

Department chairs and Deans are responsible for reviewing proposals developed by the PI, in particular to:

1. Ensure the proposed project is consistent with the educational and professional objectives of the college;
2. Determine the eligibility of the individual designated as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) in accordance with the definition of who is eligible to become a Principal Investigator and/or Co-PI (see glossary);
3. Ensure the appropriateness of the effort committed to the project made by PCC faculty, staff and students;
4. Ensure that appropriate on-campus or off-campus space has been identified and is available for the project;
5. Confirm that support will be provided for the administration of the project;
6. Determine that cost sharing and/or matching fund commitments set forth in the proposal can be met; and
7. Ensure that where appropriate, equipment-screening procedures have been followed.

Once an Award has been made, the department chair and dean has continuing responsibility to ensure that administrative staff:

1. Reallocate appropriated funds into the appropriate budget categories;
2. Review and approve financial transactions related to personnel, the purchase of equipment, re-budgeting of funds, or the retention of consultants for consistency with project purposes and the terms and conditions of the Award;
3. Maintain budgetary control through the use of departmental bookkeeping and cost control systems and monthly grant account reconciliation with the College’s Banner system;
4. Provide the PI with accurate and timely information about expenditures; confer with the PI in order to make adjustments as may be necessary to ensure that the grant account is cleared of any expenses not applicable to the program. Such adjustments may include transferring outstanding liens, transferring items of expense not allowable under that particular Award, and transferring overdrafts to other permissible fund sources;
5. Identify appropriate unrestricted fund sources at the departmental level to cover cost-sharing commitments, overdrafts and/or disallowances that PIs are not able to cover with funds under their jurisdiction; ensure that equipment purchased or acquired under Grants, Cooperative Agreements or Subawards are accounted for and/or disposed of in accordance with granting agency and College requirements.

The GOSC is responsible for the submission of reports of expenditures. However, the PI with program staff are responsible for ensuring that all financial transactions are properly recorded in a timely manner so that the reports of expenditures can be submitted promptly to granting agency.

Campus President

Campus Presidents are accountable for all Grant, Cooperative Agreement and Subaward funds administered by units under their control, and for the coordination of all programmatic elements within their school or campus including:

1. Review of all proposals to ensure that the proposed project is consistent with the educational and professional objectives of the school or college;
2. Review and approval of requests for PI exceptions;
3. Approval of cost-sharing and/or matching fund commitments contained in proposals; and
4. Identification of appropriate unrestricted fund sources to cover overdrafts and/or disallowances that department chairs within the school or college have not been able to cover with funds under their jurisdiction.