The University provides Principal Investigators with the opportunity to receive temporary funding for sponsored projects that have not yet been awarded. The purpose of this program is to enable new time-sensitive projects to begin and existing projects to continue by extending the expiration date while award documents are being processed by the sponsor. The Office of Contracts and Grants is committed to supporting faculty research and has established the interim funding process to ensure that faculty members have access to the resources necessary to perform research on sponsored projects in a timely manner.

What is interim funding?

Interim funding is temporary funding provided by the university to mitigate delays in the receipt of sponsor funds. An interim-funded award provides the Principal Investigator (PI) with short-term funding in the same cost center that will be used when the official award is received.

How do I request interim funding?

Submit a written request for interim funding to the Office of Contracts and Grants. To do this, use the Interim Funding Request Form (DOC) or supply a memo providing the same information requested on the form. The request must include supporting documents from the sponsor showing that the grant will be awarded, as well as the detailed budget for the project. The Department or College must guarantee that any charges posted to the interim-funded cost center will be reallocated to a non-sponsored project research cost center in the event that the award does not materialize.

Additionally, if an award is received and there are charges on the interim funded cost center that pre-date the actual start date, these costs must also be reallocated unless they are covered by pre-award costs.

Are there exceptions to interim funding?

Projects that involve human subjects may not be interim funded until approval has been issued by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects.

How do I use an interim-funded cost center?

Once the request is approved, the Office of Contracts and Grants will set up the appropriate cost center and issue a notice of the interim funding. The notice will specify the cost center values so that expenditures to support the research being performed may be charged. Indirect cost will be neither budgeted nor charged. The sponsor will not be billed for charges incurred until we have received an official award and the notice of award has been done. Once the award agreement is finalized, the interim funding is reversed and the award budget is established in the same cost center, ensuring a smooth transition in cost accounting as the research project moves forward.