Award Setup

When an investigator receives an official award notice from a sponsor, the first step is to forward the complete notice to Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) for review and acceptance. This ensures that all terms, conditions, and funding details are evaluated for compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements. Providing SPA with the full documentation (including any attachments, budget details, or special conditions) allows us to begin our review promptly and confirm that the award aligns with what was proposed.

Once SPA receives the award notice, they will match it to the corresponding proposal on file and initiate the formal award setup process. This includes verifying project information, coordinating with relevant departments, and preparing the award for institutional acceptance and processing. SPA is responsible for reviewing the award documents and, if need be, negotiating the terms and conditions attached to an award. The goals in negotiation are to protect the investigator’s publication and intellectual property rights; to protect the institution against harmful or unmanageable stipulations; and to ensure any agreement is in keeping with state and federal regulations as well as University requirements.

All required trainings and committee reviews will be verified before any research funds will be released. 

If your award notice indicates involvement in human subjects research, live vertebrate animal research, or research with biologically hazardous materials, please ensure that Research Integrity & Compliance (researchcompliance@smu.edu) has received all relevant research protocol documentation. For questions or further assistance, please contact Research Integrity & Compliance (RIC) at researchcompliance@smu.edu. 

After all requirements are confirmed and necessary approvals are obtained, SPA will work with Grant and Contract Accounting to complete the award setup so the project team can begin work and access funding in accordance with sponsor guidelines.