A common source of confusion around campus involves differentiating between the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and the Office of Grants & Contracts Accounting (G&C). At Georgia Tech, OSP reports up through the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research. G&C reports up through the Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance.

There are fundamental differences between the two offices that extend beyond the high-level distinctions of pre-award versus post-award. The table below may be used to differentiate the tasks assigned to each office:

Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

Grants and Contracts Accounting (G&C)

Proposal Review: Provide guidance in identifying and reviewing relevant sponsor requirements and Institute policies to ensure compliant proposals and cost estimates and assist with the preparation of the business portion of proposals.

Award Set-Up: Create GR (grant) worktags for new awards and to track participant support, subawards, cost share, etc.; process modifications finalized by OSP. (All sponsored awards must be initiated with OSP prior to establishment in the GT accounting system).

Proposal Submission: Oversee the submission of all proposals and applications from GTRC, GTARC, and the Georgia Institute of Technology for funding for research, instruction and other sponsored activities.

Invoice Preparation and Submission: The Billing and Reporting team within G&C is responsible for submitting invoices to sponsors for expenditures charged to grants.

Award Negotiation: Contracting Officers (COs) serve as the sponsor’s point of contact for business matters, including negotiation of awards and other agreements, such as MOUs.

Financial Report Preparation and Submission: The Financial Administration team within G&C is responsible for submitting required interim and final financial reports to sponsors.

Award Acceptance & Execution: COs and/or GTRC/GTARC officers (e.g. OSP Director) execute the resulting negotiated agreement.

Award Close-Out: G&C is tasked with the financial close out of grants/awards.

Award Management:  All post-award contractual contact with the sponsor should be handled through OSP including no-cost extensions, project changes (modifications) and deliverable questions.

Federal Government Rate Calculations and Negotiations: Prepare, submit, and negotiate of fringe benefit rates, F&A rates, and GSTRP rates with the Federal government

Closeout:  The Closeout Team will ensure that all required closeout documents are submitted to the sponsor (i.e., final invoice, disclosures on patents and inventions, property, and security).

Service Center Rates: Service centers are operations within GT that provides goods/services to other users inside and outside of GT. G&C assists with the preparation and review of cost center rates.

Education and Outreach: Provide educational opportunities in research administration to the campus community (faculty and staff).

Education and Outreach: Management level reporting related to Grants and educational outreach initiatives and training in coordination with OSP.

Subaward Negotiation and Management: Perform award negotiation and management for outgoing subawards and sponsored project consulting agreements. Provide oversight of our subrecipients’ compliance with agreement requirements and processing of subawardee invoices.

Effort reporting – To ensure the attestation of personal services charges on grants, G&C manages the monthly electronic Workload Assignment (eWAFs) process and the annual effort certification (ASRs) process.

Exchange Agreement Negotiation and Management: Draft and negotiate Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), and Data Use Agreements (DUAs) related to research discussions.  These agreements may be needed pre-award or during performance. 

Sponsored Program Financial Compliance Activities: Manage the responses to Federal, State, and Sponsor audits, as well as desk reviews and site visits; review/approval of certain high risk cost transfers and budget revisions.

 

Please contact Josh Rosenberg at josh.rosenberg@business.gatech.edu with questions regarding this article.

June, 2022