A preliminary account allows a principal investigator (PI) to begin work for a sponsored project prior to the receipt of a notice of award (NOA) or a fully executed agreement under specific criteria. The establishment of a preliminary account will:
- Eliminate and/or reduce cost transfers and administrative burden
- Help ensure funds for a specific award period are used appropriately to eliminate the need for no-cost extensions
- Reduce the likelihood of an award period having more than 25% carry over of funding
- Enable PIs to continue work on ongoing projects that are in the process of being renewed
- Enable a PI to take advantage of and use pre-award spending, if approved by the sponsor
- Enable the PI to make large purchases with long lead times and to begin to hire additional personnel to work on an award.
It’s strongly recommended that department administrators (DAs) request preliminary numbers when appropriate. The RADAR Canvas site provides information to help determine when such a request is appropriate.