Skip to main content

No-Cost Extension

No-cost extension (NCE) is an award provision that allows the Principal Investigator (PI) to request additional time beyond the end of a project period to complete the project’s scope of work. The additional time is usually up to twelve (12) months, without additional funding. The Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) recommends requesting at least a six (6) month extension. The NCE must be requested before the project’s end date and meet the three (3) conditions below:

  1. The end of the project period is approaching, AND
  2. There is a programmatic, project related need to continue the research, AND
  3. There are sufficient funds remaining to cover the extended effort

Overall, it takes approximately two weeks to process and apply a no-cost extension to a grant cost center. However, if the request is made in sufficient time prior to the end of the award, the PI will not experience a break in funding from the award to continue the project.

To request a no-cost extension, submit a request through the PI Work Center to the Office of Contracts and Grants. To do this, log into your PI Work Center. Click on “My Inbox” on the left-hand side, then click on the button “Create New Request.” Choose “Award." This will open the Function box, and you can select “Interim Funding” by clicking on the magnifying glass next to the Function box and selecting “No-Cost Extension” from the menu.

Enter the Award ID or you can click on the magnifying glass next to the Award ID” box and search for the award. Enter the name of the OCG RA that is assigned to you, and click on “Continue with Request Detail.” Complete the form “Award Extension Request” on the bottom of the page, and upload appropriate documentation. Then click the “Submit” button.

Sponsor Guidelines

The award document or the sponsor’s terms and conditions should indicate the process for obtaining a NCE. If there are no guidelines in the sponsor’s document, the PI should contact OCG. The request must be initiated by the PI via a function (see above), and can be handled in one of two ways depending on the type of sponsor.

  1. If the project is funded by a federal sponsor that delegated the responsibility for approving NCEs for awards to the institution, the FIRST NCE request can be approved as soon as OCG notifies the sponsor of the extension.
    1. NSF, NIH, NASA, ARO, AFOSR, NEA, NEH, DOE and DED allow an institution to internally approve a one-time request to extend the project period for up to an additional 12 months, unless otherwise noted in the award terms and conditions. Prior approval is required for any subsequent extension.
  2. All other federal agencies, state, local and private sponsored projects, require prior approval from the sponsor for a NCE. A formal letter/email should be uploaded via a function for review and approval by OCG.

Second No-Cost Extension

Some sponsors may consider a second no-cost extension. When allowed, a detailed review of the PI’s justification and explanation is needed. PIs should reach out to the program officer ahead of time if they anticipate needing additional time beyond a first no-cost extension.

Reasons for a Rejection of a No-Cost Extension

A NCE can be rejected for the following reasons:

  • When the request is made solely because there is money left over with no programmatic benefit explained;
  • When the justification or explanation provided involves a change in the scope of work not approved by the sponsor ahead of time;
  • When the remaining funds may have come from a prior year’s appropriation and cannot be extended.

Formal Letter for No-Cost Extension

When a formal letter addressed to the sponsor’s point of contact(s) is needed from the University for a NCE, the PI should include the information listed below in the letter and forward it to OCG for review and an authorized official’s signature before submission to the sponsor:

  • Sponsor’s award number
  • The current project end date
  • The new requested end date
  • The total amount of unobligated funds remaining to support the extended effort
  • Description of the remaining work to be done during the extension period