Sponsored Programs and Research Services

Mailing Address
Sponsored Programs and Research Services
2121 Euclid Avenue
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2nd Floor
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214

Campus Location
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2nd Floor
2258 Euclid Avenue
Fax: 216.687.9382
sprs@csuohio.edu

PI Guidance

This page offers guidance to principal investigators (PIs) who may need assistance managing new or existing awards they have received.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Which Staff Member Can Assist Me?

Each college has been assigned an accountant in our office, as denoted below. Please feel free to reach out to them regarding any questions about your award.

Post-Award, Assistant Director
Accountants
  • Nicole Moss
    • n.f.moss@csuohio.edu | (216) 687-9341
    • Colleges Supported: Business, Engineering, Grad Studies, Honors College, Law, Provost, and Central Offices
  • Nicole Milligan
Billing Specialist
Grant Operations Coordinators
Additional Matters

SPRS strives to respond to all questions within 24 hours. If you need assistance beyond our accountants or they are out of the office, you can reach out to our director, Teri Kocevar (m.kocevar@csuohio.edu | (216) 687-3675).

Understanding Chartfields / PeopleSoft Account #s

You can find your grant's chartfields in your original notice of award (see accountant if you need another copy), or by running a financial report. All accounts at least have a:

  • Fund code (4 digits)
  • Department code (4 digits)
  • Program code (2 digits)
  • Project ID (varies)

For a full list of eligible fund, department, and program codes, please see Chartfield Values.

Example

To help demonstrate chartfield formats, assume that you know the following details already. The table below then explains the correct chartfield format for each type of account.

  • "My fund code is 0262, department is 1920, program code is 10, and project ID is 200008125."
  • "I also have been given a PI Account with a project ID called PIJOHNDOE."
Type of Account Purpose Chartfield Format
Award or Participant Support
(Project # begins with "2000...")		 Charge costs the sponsor is funding

Fund-Department-Program-Project ID
0262-1920-10-200008125
Cost Share
(If applicable, class # for cost share will always be "80000")		 Charge CSU's required share of project costs

Fund-Department-Program-Class-Project ID
0262-1920-10-80000-200008125
PI Account
(Fund = 0010, Department = 1707, Program = 10)		 Credit the PI's share of recovered F&A, indirect, costs for future use

Fund-Department-Program-Project ID
0010-1707-10-PIJOHNDOE

General "How To" Questions

How do I request a re-budget or no-cost extension (NCE)?
Please fill out an Internal Prior Approval Form (IPAF). Note: if you are requesting a NCE for NSF awards, click here for further instructions.

How do I obtain my detailed financial report?
Follow the steps in the instructions to access reports. Run the "Grant Expense Summary Report" for awards (project begins with "2000..."), and run the "Statement of Operations" for cost share accounts.

How do I understand the financial report or ask other questions?
Please follow up with the accountant in SPRS who is assigned to your college.

Initiating Salary Charges

I want to hire full and part time staff positions (e.g. Post Doc).
Call HR at 216-687-3636 to be connected with the appropriate business partner to assist you.

I want to charge a portion of faculty salary during the AY.
This would be initiated by the PI. See the CSU Release Time Form and contact your college budget manager for assistance.

I want to pay faculty summer salary.
This would be initiated by the PI. See the Summer Salary Policy and contact your college budget manager for assistance.

I want to hire a graduate assistant.
See the Graduate Assistantships website. People you can contact include: (1) your college budget manager and (2) Veronica Hill (x5230 - Coordinator, Graduate Student & Faculty Services).

I want to hire an hourly student worker.
See the Hourly Student Employment website and contact your college budget manager for assistance.

Initiating Non-Salary Charges

I want to order supplies/equipment.
If the order is > $10,000, obtain 3 quotes or a waiver.
If the order if > $25,000, conduct a competitive selection.

Please see the Magnus Mart and Purchasing Policy & Procedure for more information, or consider applying for a CSU purchasing card ("P-Card") which can direct charge your award. People you can contact include: (1) your college budget manager and (2) Mike Eames (x3604 - Purchasing Manager).

I need to travel.
Obtain pre-approval for travel and post travel reimbursement. You will also need to obtain SPRS preapproval. See the CSU Travel Form and the CSU Travel Policy for more information. Contact your college budget manager for assistance.

I want to order goods and services from an internal CSU college/department (e.g. Bookstore, Printing, Catering).
Various CSU Policies & Procedures apply here. Be sure to notify & update account numbers when ordering. Please obtain SPRS preapproval for catering. People you can contact include: (1) your college budget manager and (2) your SPRS accountant.

I want to order consulting services.
If the service is > $10,000, obtain 3 quotes or a waiver.
If the service if > $50,000, conduct a competitive selection.

The steps involved in the consulting process are as follows:

  • PI TEAM
    • 1. Select consultant and determine price per Purchasing Policy & Procedure
    • 2. Prepare Request for Consulting Services Agreement Form. Contact Grant Operations Coordinator for assistance.
    • 3. Obtain Purchasing's Approval on form, confirming it is within CSU Policy & Procedure
  • SPRS
    • 4. Confirm form against sponsor guidelines (activity allowed, period, budget available)
    • 5. Prepare Consulting Services Agreement and obtain signatures
    • 6. Return executed agreement to PI's Team
    • 7. PRIOR to services: Enter executed agreement into MagnusMart to initiate PR/Purchase Order (Encumbrance)
  • PI TEAM
    • 8. AFTER services: Receive invoice from consultant. All invoices should be forwarded to the Grant Operations Coordinator for invoices to be paid (Expenditure)

I want to pay for participant support costs (stipends, other set up costs, etc.).
Note: Use specific account number provided by SPRS for participant support costs. See the Magnus Mart and Purchasing Policy & Procedure for more information. People you can contact include: (1) your college budget manager and (2) your SPRS accountant.

I want to pay human subjects.
Please see the Gift Card Request Form, Gift Card Guidelines, and the Human Subject Payment Receipt. Contact your college budget manager for assistance.

I have a contract with and need to pay a subrecipient.
Please review the specific sponsor's terms, and also see the subrecipient information & commitment form. Contact Teri Kocevar (x3675, SPRS Director) for assistance.

Notes About Sponsor Charges

All costs must be reasonable, necessary and allocable.

  • Reasonable: The price paid is what a prudent person would pay.
  • Necessary: The project could not be completed without it.
  • Allocable: The project was only charged its share.
    • Example: if you purchase software that will benefit multiple projects, each project must be charged its estimated share, such as 25% of the total software cost.

All costs must be directly charged to the correct chartfield at the time of order (employee contract, student form, purchase requisition, etc.). Coordinate correction of errors with your college budget manager to submit journal entries to sprsjournals@csuohio.edu.

All goods and services must be received prior to the end date AND needed to complete the scope of work. Last minute spending, or shifting prior costs from other CSU accounts, in an attempt to "spend down" is disallowed.

Other Planning Considerations

Sponsor Reports and Revenue

  • PI responsible for programmatic reports.
  • SPRS accountants responsible for all financial reporting, including sponsor invoicing and deposits.

Cost Share

  • PI is responsible for ensuring charges between cost share and award accounts are correct per sponsor terms.

Other Administrative Requirements

  • If purchasing equipment, review the award requirements
  • If earning income from other parties (e.g. conference fees if CSU is hosting), review the award "program income" requirements
  • If selecting recipients (e.g. scholarships) review the award eligibility requirements

NIH / NSF Reporting Requirements

NIH Progress Reports

The RPPR (Research Performance Progress Report) is used by grantees to submit progress reports to NIH on their grant awards. The following link provides an overview of the annual RPPR, the final RPPR and the interim RPPR and provides resources to help you understand how to submit a progress report.

NIH progress reports using the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) must include a report on the use of IDPs in Section B. Accomplishments, Question B.4.  Actual IDPs should not be included.  Instead, grantees will report on whether they use IDPs for all the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers included in Section D. list of Participants. 

NSF Project Reports

Annual project reports are required for all standard and continuing grants and cooperative agreements. Final reports are required for all standard and continuing grants, cooperative agreements and fellowships. Interim project reports are not required and are used to update the progress of a project any time during or before the award period expires.

The following link provides an overview of the project reports, links for templates and tutorials, and descriptions of the types of reports.

Last updated September 2024

Mailing Address
Sponsored Programs and Research Services
2121 Euclid Avenue
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2nd Floor
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214

Campus Location
Parker Hannifin Hall, 2nd Floor
2258 Euclid Avenue
Fax: 216.687.9382
sprs@csuohio.edu