A contract is an agreement between the sponsor and the Institution. This may be for services or research. Generally, the sponsor is only minimally involved in the execution of the project. For further details about contracts, please see the types of sponsored project.
Many contracts go through some negotiation and revision before the award is made. Sponsors may want budgetary changes and/or changes in the proposed work. If so, the sponsor will notify the University of its desire to negotiate the award agreement. At that time, a representative of the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), in cooperation with the principal investigator, will contact the negotiator for the sponsor.
If the sponsor is requiring changes to the budget or the scope of work, OSP, in conjunction with the PI, will evaluate these changes. Depending on the kind of change negotiated, a revised System Tracking and External Projects (STEP) form (PDF) may be prepared and new approvals required.
During negotiations, OSP reviews:
Signing the Contract
When negotiations are completed the and all internal approvals are in place, the contract is sent to the Vice President for Research for signature. If the document has previously been signed by the sponsor, the award is then fully executed and OSP will issue an internal electronic Notice of Award. The process is not complete, however, until the granting agency has signed the award document.
Once both parties have signed the contract, it is considered fully executed and is ready to be awarded. In some cases, the sponsor may send a copy of the contract to the principal investigator. The PI should contact OSP to confirm whether OSP has also received a copy (815-753-1581).
A completed STEP form must be on file prior to the acceptance of an award. This includes approvals from the principal investigator (PI), Co-PI(s), Chair(s), Dean(s), Director of OSP and the Vice President for Research.
A completed STEP form must be on file prior to the acceptance of an award. This includes approvals from the principal investigator (PI), Co-PI(s), Chair(s), Dean(s), Director of OSP and the Vice President for Research.