This message provides important guidance related to new research grants and awards that have not yet been set up and made available for spending.
There is a significant backlog of new awards that the Extramural Funds (EMF) office is working to address. While we work through this backlog through mid-September, award setup is expected to take approximately 14 business days from when the Sponsored Projects office notifies a PI that the award has been sent to EMF and provides a complete award documentation package. If faculty in your area have an award or project that is time-sensitive, Research Financial Analysts (RFA) should initiate a prioritization request with EMF through the appropriate RFA lead. Please note that prioritization requests must allow at least 5 business days of turnaround time.
We advise you to rely on temporary funding solutions in cases where an award has been received but a chartstring is not yet available. These may include placing expenses temporarily on alternate sources and later transferring them once the award is set up, for example:
- Use of discretionary funds, if available, with a plan for later cost transfer once the award is established.
- If no discretionary funds are available, allowance for personnel costs to be charged to your department's designated default account in UCPath, with the understanding that these will be transferred when the award account is active.
Our goal is to enable research teams to begin work without unnecessary delays while minimizing the administrative burden of cost transfers. Proper tracking and action before the 120-day transfer window will help ensure these adjustments are manageable.
Thank you for your patience and collaboration as we work through this transition period.