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Characteristics of a Sponsored Project
Ed. note: In 1998, the Division of Research Development Administration (DRDA) and the Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) office defined a sponsored project to be any externally funded research or scholarly activity that has a defined scope of work or set of objectives which provides a basis for sponsor expectations. Those units have since been renamed/reorganized. DRDA is now the Office of Research & Sponsored Projects (ORSP).
The following lists of characteristics are provided as a means of further clarifying how external funds from non-governmental entities will be classified and processed. The existence of one factor alone may not be determinative. Multiple factors should be considered in order to decide whether a sponsored project exists and therefore must be processed through ORSP with a Proposal Approval Form (PAF).
Sponsored Projects:
The following are characteristics of a sponsored project:
- Sponsor requires specific deliverables (e.g., final technical report, evaluation, technical assistance, training).
- Sponsor requires return of unexpended funds.
- Award designates a sponsor employee (agent) as project technical monitor, as opposed to designating a contact person to improve communications.
- Award contains intellectual property rights provisions.
- Award restricts or monitors publications or use of results.
- Award payments are contingent upon programmatic or fiscal reporting (e.g., milestones, invoices).
- Award includes "boilerplate" terms and conditions imposed by the project sponsor.
- Award requires protection of sponsor and confidential information.
- Award contains an itemized budget, which requires sponsor approval to modify.
- Request for funding will be used to fulfill a matching or cost sharing commitment on another sponsored project or requires a matching, cost sharing or other financial commitment from the University.
ORSP and CFR will work together to determine a project's classification when it includes characteristics that taken alone will not determine a project's classification. Such characteristics include:
- Proposal includes a defined period of performance.
- Proposal includes an itemized budget.
- Project involves the use of human subjects, vertebrate animals, radioisotopes on humans, radioactive materials, recombinant DNA, human body substances, etiologic agents or proprietary materials.
- Proposal is submitted in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). (Contact DRDA or CFR to ascertain whether there is a prior decision indicating proper handling of a particular RFP.)
- Proposal/award is governed by sponsor guidelines (either explicit or implicit).
- Federal award has also been granted to project.
- The award was made in response to expectations of performance described by the requester in a proposal or other writing.
Not Considered Sponsored Projects
Activities supported by a donor that are generally not considered sponsored projects may include the following characteristics:
- Award supports an unrestricted purpose or such activities as endowments (e.g., eminent scholars, endowed chairs, professorships), capital projects (e.g., construction or renovation, equipment), or general student support (e.g., scholarships, fellowships).
- Award contains only minimal requirements, generally relating to required donor pledge payments and the University's commitment to effectuate the donor's intent.
- Award requires only minimal reporting to the sponsor donor in the form of a general statement of how funds were used.
- Awards are irrevocable.
November 9, 1998
Addendum to Memorandum of Understanding between DRDA and CFR, dated 10/20/97
See also: Definitions
Go to: Procedures for Processing A Proposal
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Office of Research & Sponsored Projects, 3003 S. State St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1274
Main Phone: 734-764-5500. | Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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