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.

To set up your award in a timely manner, please complete the following documents and/or trainings as quickly as possible to avoid any delays in setting up your award.  All required trainings and committee reviews will be verified before any research funds will be released.

  1. Initial Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) disclosure – For each new research project receiving external funding, PI/Co-PI(s) are required to create and submit an initial Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) disclosure prior to proposal submission, with subsequent renewals required annually. Please log into the Axiom Mentor system to create and submit your disclosure. For step-by-step submission guidance, please refer to the Managing an FCOI Disclosure. For a broader overview of the process, see our Research FCOI Submission Process. 
  2. Conflict of Interest (COI) Training – PI/Co-PI(s) receiving external funding for their research are required to maintain valid COI training. Please log into CITI Program to verify and/or complete your training. For more guidance, please refer to the following links for information on Adding and Completing a CITI Course.
  3. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training – PI/Co-PI(s) receiving federal funds (PHS or NSF) for their research are required to maintain valid Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. Please log into CITI Program to verify and/or complete your training. For more guidance, please refer to the following links for information on Adding and Completing a CITI Course.
  4. Determination letter from Compliance Committee (IRB, IACUC, IBC)
  5. Research Security Training – For projects funded by NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, NASA, or other agencies under the CHIPS and Science Act and NSPM-33, PIs and key personnel are required to complete and maintain valid Research Security training annually.
    1. Complete or verify Research Security Training in CITI Program
    2. Guidance: Completing CITI Research Security Training

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.