Sponsored Contracts
Sponsored contracts are agreements between the University of Michigan and a sponsor for the purpose of funding and conducting research or other activities at U-M. Learn about sponsored contract types and helpful tips.
Sponsored contracts are agreements between the University of Michigan and a sponsor for the purpose of funding and conducting research or other activities at U-M. Funders of sponsored contracts at U-M range from federal and state entities to nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies.
The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) is authorized to review, negotiate and accept sponsored contracts. The Sponsored Contracts Team in ORSP works with project teams and sponsors to ensure that each contract aligns with university policies, regulatory requirements and applicable laws.
Types of Sponsored Contracts
A sponsored contract is an agreement between a sponsor and U-M for funded research and may include any of the following agreement types:
- Research agreements
- Service agreements
- Grant agreements
- Subcontracts or subawards
- Master agreements through which funding will be issued via task orders
Helpful tips: Working with Sponsored Contracts
Contracts are managed through processes within the eResearch Proposal Management (eRPM) system and the Ironclad Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tool. Follow these tips to help smooth the process when working with ORSP on sponsored contracts:
- Contracts negotiated in CLM will have all communications and redlines created and available within the software, ensuring up-to-the-minute status information on that agreement. For information on how to use CLM, visit Working with Ironclad CLM.
- Provide contractual documents received from sponsors as soon as possible. This will help to ensure the sponsor does not experience excessive delays.
- Submit complete and accurate information in eRPM. Clear project descriptions, correct sponsor information and all relevant documents (draft agreements, statements of work, budgets, etc.) will prevent the need for extensive back-and-forths.
- When communicating with your ORSP officer via Ironclad, remember to @mention the person to ensure they are notified of your message via email.