Proper financial management of research projects requires meticulous planning, monitoring and reporting. Below you’ll find some key resources and guides to help you through that process at Case Western Reserve University.
Fiscal Guidelines and Procedures
Cost Guidances
When managing a sponsored project, the principal investigator (PI) and research administrator must understand four fundamental cost principles: allowability, allocability, reasonableness and consistency. Adherence to these help ensure fiscal responsibility and compliance across sponsored projects.
Cost Principles and Allowable Expenses
Purchasing and Travel
Procurement and Distribution Services is responsible for assisting with the purchase of all materials and supplies for sponsored awards, the execution of service contracts, and more. And, for CWRU faculty, staff and students who routinely travel in support of sponsored activities, the university reimburses travelers for necessary and reasonable business expenses.
Salary Cap
A salary cap is the maximum amount or rate of compensation for personal services that a sponsor will reimburse the university on a sponsored program.
Salary Adjustments/Cost Transfers
Case Western Reserve University and federal policies require prompt transfers of both salary and non-salary costs to sponsored project accounts. Every effort should be made to ensure that salary and non-salary costs are charged to the correct account(s) when they are incurred.
Salary Adjustments And Cost Transfers
Tuition Remission
Case Western Reserve aims to attract and retain top quality students to our graduate degree research programs by offering competitive compensation packages including excellent salaries, benefits, and tuition support, including tuition remission. Part of a competitive graduate program blends academic and research learning across the classroom and laboratory.
Charging Tuition Remission on Sponsored Programs
Subcontracts
As part of your research efforts at Case Western Reserve University, you may encounter the need to pay subcontractors through your grant.
Award Reconciliation/Forecasting
Both the PI and research administrator are responsible for reviewing and reconciling project statements monthly. Additionally, they should meet at least once a quarter to review salary distributions, expenses and spending projections for all open and ongoing projects.
Award Reconciliation and Forecasting
Cost Share
ORTM offers best practices for cost sharing, which are project costs that are not borne by the sponsor.
Explore Management of Cost Share
Cash Advances
In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to provide subrecipients and CWRU investigators with advances of funds to facilitate the timely execution of work. To ensure transparency and accountability, all approved advances and associated payback schedules must be clearly delineated within the subaward document. Cash advances for CWRU investigators must be clearly justified and required by the research plan. The cash advance process is detailed in the RADAR Training.