Award Closeout

Read about the close-out process for sponsored projects.
Step 6

Close-out Process

The closeout process for sponsored projects is a post-award activity and is handled jointly by Sponsored Projects, Post-Award Management, Receivables and Sponsored Accounting. Information regarding the process can be accessed here.


No Cost Extension

One of the most frequently asked questions from Principal Investigators is what to do in order to extend a project without additional funds. The answer to that question depends on the source of funding. The following should assist in answering that question.

Federal Funds – If the award is from a Federal sponsor and the terms and conditions of the award are noted as Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), the University has the option of extending the project for a period up to 12 months without having to contact the sponsor for permission. The following sponsors usually issue FDP awards: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency. If you want an extension on a project which qualifies under the above conditions, contact the Office of Sponsored Projects.

If the one-year extension has already been used, subsequent extension requests must be submitted through OSP. The request should be in writing and should provide a justification for the extension. The justification should relate to the completion of the scientific objectives, not to spend remaining funds. Requests for no cost extensions to NSF must be submitted through FastLane. Sponsor approved no cost extensions must be submitted prior to the expiration date of the grant. NSF requires that the request be submitted 45 days prior to expiration. Please note that these requests generally take one to two months to process and approve. Consider the processing time when deciding when to submit your request. Non-Federal Requests for extension should be submitted in writing and routed through OSP. The requests should include a programmatic justification for the extension. The University has no provision for extending these projects without sponsor approval. As with federal awards, these requests should be made prior to the expiration date and with ample lead-time. A three-month lead time is suggested in order to have an approved extension prior to the original expiration date.

For additional information, please see the FAQ page.