Distinguishing between subrecipient, subawardee, vendor and contractor.

Subrecipient

An entity receiving a portion of grant funds is a subrecipient if it:

• Performs measured goals to meet the program/project objectives.
• Is responsible for programmatic decision-making.
• Is responsible for applicable program compliance requirements.
• Maintains authorship rights.

Subawardee

An entity receiving a portion of grant funds is a subawardee (a subrecipient of a subaward) if it:

• Has programmatic involvement in the project identified as a separate scope of work, with separate budget and organization approval; program director is collaborator of PI or is Co-PI.
• Has its performance measured against whether the objectives of the project are met.
• Has responsibility for programmatic decision-making.
• Has responsibility for adherence to applicable program compliance requirements.
• Uses the sponsored funds to carry out a program at their organization as compared to providing goods or services for a program at UH.
• Has the right to publish project results or serve as a co-author.
• Has the option to develop patentable technology and intellectual property resulting from the award may be shared.
• There is usually a PI of a subaward who may be a coinvestigator of the prime award.

Note: The rights and the obligations stated in the prime grant terms and conditions generally flow down to a subrecipient.

Contractor

An entity (individual or company) receiving a portion of the funds from the grant is a contractor if it:

• Is an expert advisor.
• Is paid for time spent on fixed hourly/daily basis, which includes travel, expenses, and overhead.
• Uses its own equipment and materials—does not use facilities at his or her institution for the work for the award.
• Is considered “work for hire,” whose work and intellectual property belongs to UH.
• Pays own taxes on earnings (not done by UH).
• Is an individual not employed by UH.
• Is not involved in the programmatic work of the project, including project deliverables or technical report.

Vendor

An entity receiving a portion of the funds from the grant is a vendor if it:

• Provides goods and/or services ancillary to the project.
• Is paid a flat fee.
• Provides similar goods or services to many different purchasers (this includes fabrication of new goods, contractors, editors, etc.).
• Is not involved in the programmatic work of the project, including project deliverable or technical report.