For researchers at Case Western Reserve University, any changes to the project budget after receiving awards must be approved from the granting agency/sponsor. Changes that require agency/sponsor approval must be submitted through SpartaGrants and in some cases through an agency specific system such as eraCOMMONs or research.gov. Specialists from the Office of Pre-Award Services and Agreements (PASA) team will submit requests to the agency on behalf of the PI. Guidance for submitting these requests is on the SpartaGrants Canvas site.
- Changes requiring approval include:
- Change in scope
- Key personnel changes
- PI’s absence for more than three months or 25% reduction in effort
- Transfer of amounts previously awarded for trainee costs
- Subcontracts
- Program income
- Cost sharing
- Specific award restrictions (which could change mid-project)
Re-Budgeting
Sometimes it becomes necessary to rebudget funds from one subproject to another or from one category to another to achieve better results for the project or to accommodate unexpected expenses not in the original budget.
Most agencies approve this action without approval if the scope of the project will not be altered. Before considering changing the funding allocated to each subproject or a specific budget category, review the agency's policy regarding re-budgeting and the aims and research plan of the project. Some sponsors require that they approve major changes to the original budget, while others have given the university authorization to approve a re-budget. All re-budget requests are submitted through SpartaGrants. Specific guidance for submitting re-budget requests are available on the RADAR Training website.