Glossary and Terms | Office of Research Administration | The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi

Glossary of Terms in Research Administration

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Types of Funding
Sources of Funding
Glossary of Terms and Common Abbreviations

Types of funding (Extramural research)

Grant Agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance between a sponsor and a recipient. Its primary purpose is to transfer something of value to support a public purpose, without acquiring property or services for the sponsor鈥檚 direct benefit or use.
Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance similar to a grant agreement between a sponsor and recipient. It differs from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between the sponsor and recipient in carrying out the activity contemplated by the award.
Other Transaction Agreement (OTA): A legal instrument used by federal agencies to carry out research or prototype projects where traditional procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements are not suitable. OTAs offer greater flexibility and streamlined procedures, enabling faster and more adaptable partnerships between the government and non-traditional contractors or innovative organizations. They are not subject to many of the regulations that govern traditional federal funding mechanisms.
Procurement Contract: A mutually binding legal relationship obligating the seller to furnish the supplies or services (including construction) and the buyer to pay for them. It includes all types of procurement commitments that obligate the sponsor to an expenditure of appropriated or committed funds. In addition to bilateral instruments, contracts include (but are not limited to) awards and notices of awards; job orders or task letters issued under basic ordering agreements; letter contracts; orders, such as purchase orders, under which the contract becomes effective by written acceptance or performance; and bilateral contract modifications.

Sources of funding

Federal: Sponsored agreements funded directly by the United States federal government.
Federal Pass-Through: Sponsored agreements wherein the University is not the prime recipient of federal funds, but is acting in the capacity of a subrecipient (federal requirements/restrictions are passed through the prime recipient from the federal government to the University).
Private: Sponsored agreements funded by private corporations.
State: Sponsored agreements funded directly by the State of Mississippi.

Glossary of Terms & Common Abbreviations

Account Establishment: Creating a chartfield string (PeopleSoft term for key data elements of the
University's chart of accounts) to record the budget and track costs associated with a sponsored project. It includes a fund, department, program, and project/grant. The project/grant chartfield, beginning with 鈥�80鈥�, is the unique identifier for a sponsored project.
Administrative Law: A body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of the government. In the United States, it includes the codification of all general and permanent rules issued by federal executive departments and agencies, which are published in the Code of Federal Regulations following their appearance in the Federal Register.
Allocable Cost: A cost that is assignable to a particular award in accordance with the benefit received by the award. Costs allocable to one award may not be charged to another award to overcome fund deficits, or to avoid restrictions imposed by the sponsor. If the cost benefits two or more awards, the cost should be charged to each award in proportion to the benefit received by each award.
Allowable Cost: Any cost that is necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award and that conforms to any limitations or exclusions set forth by regulation or the award agreement.
Applied Research: Efforts that attempt to determine and exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvement in technology such as new materials, devices methods, and processes.
Assistance Agreement: A legal instrument used to transfer funds for a public purpose, such as a grant or a cooperative agreement.
AOR: Authorized Organization Representative
Authorized Organization Representative: Certifies (is the individual(s) authorized to act and obligate an institution) and legally binds the institution and assumes responsibility for adhering to all grant and contract administration, the obligations imposed by laws, regulations, requirements, and conditions that apply to grant and contract applications and awards.
Award: Funds provided by an external sponsor to support a project.
Basic Research: The systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences.
BAA: Broad Agency Announcement
Broad Agency Announcement: A competitive solicitation of proposals for basic and applied research.
Budget: A financial plan or estimate with expense categories and dollar amounts required to execute a project's objectives.
Budget Category: A budget section comprising a type of expenditures, e.g., salaries, travel, commodities, equipment.
Budget Period: An interval of time by which the project period is divided for budgetary purposes.
CFDA: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: An e-gov initiative managed by the General Services Administration. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the federal government. As the basic reference source of federal programs, the primary purpose of the Catalog is to assist users in identifying programs that meet specific objectives of the potential applicant and to obtain general information on federal assistance programs. The CFDA describes major funding programs, not individual opportunities.
Carryover (Carry Forward): The remaining available budget balance that may be added to the next
budget period. Carryovers are not always automatic or allowed by the sponsor.
Co-I: Co-Investigators
Co-Investigator(s): Key personnel who have responsibilities similar to that of a PI on research projects. While the PI has ultimate responsibility for the conduct of a research project, the Co-I is also obligated to ensure the project is conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and institutional policy governing the conduct of sponsored research.
Conflict of Interest: Any situation where personal, professional, financial, or other private interests of an individual or institution compromise or can potentially compromise the exercise of professional judgment or obligations. This also includes any situation that can be perceived as a conflict of interest.
Consultant: Someone whose expertise is required to perform an aspect of the project's objectives.
Contributed Effort: The personnel time expended on a sponsored project that the sponsor does not compensate for; a form of cost sharing or matching.
CAS: Cost Accounting Standards
Cost Accounting Standards: These standards require consistency in estimating, accumulating and reporting costs. The University must comply with the following standards:
- CAS 501: (1) Requires consistency in estimating, accumulating, and reporting costs, and (2) provides a basis for comparing such costs.
- CAS 502: Consistency in allocating: Requires the University to charge costs incurred for the same purpose in the same manner, either as direct costs or indirect costs.
- CAS 505: Accounting for unallowable costs: Requires educational institutions to identify costs
  specifically described as unallowable under the provisions of law, regulation or contract so that those costs are not included in costs charged to a federal award, including cost elements included in an F&A rate.
- CAS 506: Cost accounting period: An educational institution must use either its fiscal year or a fixed annual period approved by the government. USM uses its fiscal year, which is July 1 through June 30.
Cost Reimbursement: A cost reimbursable agreement (contract or grant) stipulates that the University is reimbursed for the actual cost incurred in fulfilling the agreement. Budgeted funds must be spent within the budget or project period for the University to receive payment.
Consortium Agreement: Group of collaborative investigators/institutions; arrangement can be formalized with specified terms and conditions.
Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance between a federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302鈥�6305: (a) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to the non-federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the federal government or pass-through entity鈥檚 direct benefit or use; (b) Is distinguished from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the federal award; (c) The terms not include: (1) a cooperative research and development agreement as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a; or (2) an agreement that provides only: (i) direct United States Government cash assistance to an individual; (ii) a subsidy; (iii) a loan; (iv) a loan guarantee; or (v) insurance.
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: An agreement between a federal laboratory and a non-federal research partner to cooperate on a joint research project where the parties share resources, personnel, services, facilities, equipment, and intellectual property without the transfer of funds from the federal laboratory.
Consortium Agreement: Group of collaborative investigators/institutions; arrangement can be formalized with specified terms and conditions.
Covered Person: An individual subject to the training, disclosure, and other compliance requirements outlined in an institution's conflict of interest policy.
Cost Sharing (or Matching): Portion of a sponsored project鈥檚 cost that the sponsor requires the
University to provide, typically met by academic release time, cash, facilities and administrative (indirect) cost differential, or a combination. Typically applies to grants, not contracts.
Cost Transfer: A direct charge expense transferred from one grant to another grant (one chartfield string to another) after the charge has been posted in a financial accounting record or system
Deficit (Cost Overrun): Costs incurred and charged to a sponsored project in excess of the awarded amount.
Direct Cost: Cost that can be specifically identified with a particular award with a high degree of accuracy. Typical costs charged directly to an award are the compensation of employees who work on that award plus their related fringe benefits, and materials and travel required for project activities.
Disbursement: Payment by the University for goods or services.
DS-2: Short reference for the 鈥淒isclosure Statement for Educational Institutions.鈥� Institutions receiving external funding in excess of $50 million annually must submit, and have approved, a disclosure statement stipulating the institution's costing practices relative to Cost Accounting Standards.
Effort: The amount of time an employee spends on a sponsored project, usually expressed as a percentage of the employee's total work time.
Encumbrances/Obligations: The outstanding or unpaid dollar amount of items ordered, services
rendered, contracts awarded, etc. The University encumbers or sets aside funds for sponsored projects salaries, estimated costs (greater than $200) noted on a Permission to Travel Form, budgeted facilities and administrative (indirect) costs on sponsored projects, and most instances in which a Purchase Order is issued.
Equipment: Tangible, non-expendable items like furniture, instruments, or repairable machines with a useful life exceeding one year and an acquisition cost of at least $5,000 (which meet or exceed the established thresholds defining equipment). Equipment is not a replacement component returning a piece of equipment to its original condition. If a component increases the capability of the original equipment and has an acquisition cost that meets or exceeds equipment cost thresholds, it is considered a capital item.
Expanded Authorities: Policy of some federal sponsors which delegates certain prior approval authorities to grantee institutions; allows for internal University approval of administrative and spending actions.
F&A: Facilities and Administrative
Facilities and Administrative Costs: Also called indirect costs, overhead, or administrative costs, they are actual costs of conducting normal business activities, that cannot be readily identified with or directly charged to a specific project or activity. The University's normal activities include instruction, departmental research, organized research, public service and others. F&A costs are real, auditable costs incurred by the University each time it accepts an award for a sponsored project. If the University does not collect full reimbursement for these costs, other University resources must be used to subsidize them.
Facilities and Administrative Cost Rates: The rates used to recover the F&A costs. Negotiated, approved rates are used for all agreements with the federal government and for most non-federal projects, as allowable.
FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulation
FRA: Financial Reporting and Auditing
Fixed Price Contract: Pays the University a fixed sum that is not subject to adjustment on the basis of actual costs incurred; i.e., billings are not based on actual expenditures.
Funding Mechanism: Terms used to define how the financial relationship between the sponsor and the recipient functions (i.e., Purchaser (Sponsor) - Procurement Contract, Patron - Grant, and
Partner - Cooperative Agreement)
FOA: Funding Opportunity Announcement
Funding Opportunity Announcement: A publicly available document by which a federal agency makes known its intentions to award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as the result of competition for funds. Funding opportunity announcements may be known as program announcements, requests for application, notices of funding availability, solicitations, or other names depending on the agency and type of program. Funding opportunity announcements can be found at Grants.gov, by accessing the Search Grants tab, and on the funding agency's or program's website.
Fringe Benefits - Employee benefits paid by the employer (e.g., FICA, worker鈥檚 compensation, withholding tax, insurance, etc.)
General Purpose Equipment: Equipment not limited to research, scientific or other technical activities, e.g., office equipment and furnishings, air conditioning equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, motor vehicles, and automatic data processing equipment.
Governmental Donated Property: Property donated or transferred to the University by a municipality, county, state agency, or the federal government.
Government Furnished Equipment: Equipment provided to the University by the federal government or a government contractor; title may or may not remain with the government.
Grantee: Recipient of a grant.
Indirect Costs: See Facilities and Administrative Costs.
In-Kind Contribution: A non-cash commitment (e.g., donated effort, supplies, or other direct cost item) to share the costs of a sponsored project. See also Cost Sharing.
Intangible Property: Property having no physical existence, such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, and patent applications and property, such as loans, notes, and other debt instruments, lease agreements, stock, and other instruments of property ownership (whether the property is tangible or intangible).
Intellectual Property: Creative works or ideas embodied in a form that can be shared or can enable others to recreate, emulate, or manufacture them. An intellectual property agreement is a document executed between or among collaborating institutions that sets forth the rights and responsibilities of each institution pertaining to the intellectual property that may be created jointly by the collaborating researchers as well as intellectual property created independently by each. Public Law 96-517, Bayh-Dole Act, is the law that governs the rights to inventions discovered at educational institutions or small businesses under projects funded in whole or in part with federal funds.
Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement: Allows university faculty to temporarily be assigned to a federal agency while maintaining their university status (usually less than 3 years). Salary, fringes, and travel are usually covered.
Internal Controls: A process, implemented by a non-federal entity, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories: (a) effectiveness and efficiency of operations; (b) reliability of reporting for internal and external use; and (c) compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
MTDC: Modified Total Direct Costs
Modified Total Direct Costs: The portion of direct costs on which the facilities and
administrative costs are based, specifically: salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to $25,000 on each subgrant or subcontract.
Modified Total Direct Costs Base: The total Direct Costs less budget items excluded by
agreement with the audit oversight agency: equipment, construction, alterations and renovations, hospital or clinic charges for patient care, space rental or lease, tuition and fee remission, scholarships, and the amount of a subcontract exceeding $25,000.
No-Cost Extension: Extends the period of performance to accomplish project goals without adding additional funding. Make sure to contact your assigned Contracts and Grants Administrator /Coordinator regarding no-cost extensions.
NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement
Non-Disclosure Agreement: A written contract that officially recognizes a legally binding relationship between two parties (i.e. the Disclosing Party and Receiving Party). Upon signing an NDA, the two parties agree not to disclose certain proprietary or confidential information explicitly outlined in the NDA agreement.
NOA: Notice of Award
Notice of Award: The official, legally binding document that notifies the recipient of the award of a grant, contains or references all of the terms and conditions of the grant, and provides the documentary basis for obligating federal funds for the award.
Off-Campus Projects: Activities performed in facilities not owned by the University.
OMB: Office of Management and Budget
ORA: Office of Research Administration
OTA: Other Transaction Authority
Other Transaction Authority: Used primarily by certain federal agencies (e.g., Department of Defense, NIH), OTAs are flexible funding instruments that are not governed by standard procurement regulations. They are typically used for research and development activities where traditional grants or contracts are not suitable.
Pre-Award: Pre-award activities refer to all actions taken prior to the formal funding of a proposal. At USM, the Proposal and Award Management team supports faculty and staff in identifying funding opportunities, developing proposals, and coordinating the submission of contracts and grant applications to sponsors. Once funding is secured, the team also assists with actions such as requesting prior agency approval for budget revisions, programmatic changes, no-cost extensions, and changes in the designated PI.
Pre-Award Costs: Costs incurred prior to the effective date of an award. Authorization to incur pre-award costs must be obtained from ORA. Such costs are incurred at the institution鈥檚 risk and must be allowable under the anticipated terms of the award. Guidance for pr
Pre-Award Spending Accounts: An account established to allow project-related expenses to be incurred and charged prior to the full acceptance or execution of an award from the sponsor.
Preliminary Proposal (Pre-Proposal): A brief description, usually 2-10 pages, of research plans and estimated budget that is sometimes submitted to determine the interest of a particular sponsor prior to submission of a formal proposal.
PI: Principal Investigator
Post-Award: Activities beginning with funding the award and continuing until it is closed.
Principal Investigator or Project Director: Employee with direct responsibility for carrying out a
sponsored project, the final technical report, any required deliverables, and stewardship of the sponsored funds.
Program Income: Gross income earned by a grant recipient that is directly generated by a funded project or earned as a result of an award during the period of performance. Examples include income from fees for services performed, the sale of items created or fabricated under an award, and license fees and royalties on copyrighted materials.
Project: Services or activities the awardee will provide for a specified period of time.
Project Award: The approval and funding of a project as detailed in the award document. Specifies the amount of funding, project period, and any special requirements or restrictions.
PD: Project Director
Project Period: Period of total time for which support of a program has been approved, initially or by a renewal award. Project periods usually consist of one or more annual budget periods.
PAM: Proposal and Award Management
Rebudgeting: Process by which funds available for spending are reallocated between budget categories to allow best use of funds to accomplish project goals. Sometimes the sponsor's prior approval is required.
RFA: Request for Applications
RFP: Request for Proposals
Research: Creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture, and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. This higher purpose for research requires knowledgeable, skilled, and dedicated research administrators to achieve its goals.
Research and Development: Any activity which is: (a) a systematic, intensive study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the subject studied; (b) a systematic study directed specifically toward applying new knowledge to meet a recognized need; or (c) a systematic application of knowledge toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes to meet specific requirements.
Salary Verification (Time or Effort Certification): USM process by which PIs and PDs review and verify that all salaries and wages charged to a sponsored project are reasonable and correctly charged.
Site Visit: A sponsor-initiated review of a proposed project; conducted at USM; can encompass a fiscal or programmatic review or both.
Small Grant: A special type of award, often limited to a beginning researcher. Typically, such an award may be obtained for one year only.
Termination: A clause that defines the cancellation of remaining work under a contract.
Time and Materials: A pricing model wherein the sponsor pays for allowable 鈥渢ime鈥� or salary/fringe costs and 鈥渕aterials鈥� or the other direct costs necessary for the work with an established maximum cost that the contractor may not exceed without prior sponsor approval.
Sole Source Acquisition: A procurement that does not involve full and open competition because only one source is available. Documentation justifying the use of single source acquisition is required.
Solicitation: An announcement from a sponsor that describes a funding opportunity and invites eligible entities to submit applications. See BAA, FOA, RFA, RFP.
Special Purpose Equipment: Equipment which can be used only for research, scientific or other technical activities.
Sponsor: An entity that funds a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.
Sponsored Agreement/Award: A contract, grant, or other agreement where the use of funds is restricted by the sponsor and some action required by the University.
Stipend: Payment made to a participant (not a university employee) in a sponsored project, typically for participation only or to defray living expenses while engaged in instructional or research activities.
Subcontract/Subaward: An agreement issued under a prime contract, purchase order, grant, or other agreement, for the procurement of services or program-related tasks.
Supplies: Expendable items with a purchase price less than $5,000 and will wear out, deteriorate, or be consumed in less than two years.
The White House Office of Management and Budget: it establishes federal policy regulating grants and agreements.
Time or Effort Certification: See Salary Verification.
TDC: Total Direct Costs
Total Direct Costs: The total of all direct costs budgeted for a project.
Total Project Cost: The total of direct costs and indirect costs budgeted for a project.
Unallowable Cost: For purposes of OMB Uniform Guidance, an expense that cannot be included in the facilities and administrative cost rate proposal and cannot be charged as a direct cost to federal sponsored agreements.
Uniform Guidance: The OMB's "Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards" ().
Unit Cost Contract: A particular type of Fixed Price Contract that pays the University based on services provided for a particular unit or units produced; not subject to adjustments based on the University's actual costs incurred.
Unilateral Award: An award made by a sponsor to an organization without considering competitive proposals. Unilateral awards are most often made when unsolicited proposals receive favorable treatment.
White Paper: Examples include informal proposals, Letters of Intent, Expressions of Interest, or pre-proposals.