Closeout

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The final stage of a research project is the programmatic and financial closeout of the award. Research & Sponsored Programs (RSP), divisions, departments, and Principal Investigators (PIs) work together to verify that all requirements and conditions are met and ensure that all funds are disbursed.

Programmatic Closeout

PIs are responsible for programmatic reporting and deliverables. If there are outstanding research aims or administrative tasks, PIs may be able to request a no cost extension with the assistance of their grant administrator. PIs must submit the final technical/progress report, along with any related documentation including invention statements. PIs can ask their grant administrator for advice or assistance.

RSP will verify that the grant was used for its intended manner. They may require a PI to provide additional documentation in order to meet sponsor requirements.

Financial Closeout

RSP sends PIs an email reminder 60 days prior to the expiration of a grant. WISER provides details of each project’s financial transactions to permit audits of the budget and terms and conditions. If any expenses were charged in error, a salary or non-salary cost transfer can be initiated through the department’s accountant.
RSP usually drafts a final financial report and forwards it to PIs and grant administrators with any questions or expenses requiring clarification. Once a PI and administrator have confirmed the report, answered any questions, and provided any documentation required by the sponsor, RSP will submit the report along with a final invoice.

Analysis

At the completion of any project, some researchers find value in performing a post-mortem evaluation to analyze which aspects of a project were successful or unsuccessful. These quantitative and/or qualitative evaluations can be useful for determining potential process improvements.

See Also: Publish Research Artifacts