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Business Office

Grant Procedures

All grant proposals and applications should be routed through our Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). ORSP will assist with feasibility and budgeting, as well as provide other necessary forms and assurances for proposals, to maximize our potential for a successful proposal. Should we receive the award, ORSP will then facilitate the setup, administration and closeout for the lifecycle of the award. 

Setting up an award begins with the proposal stage. A grant or award that is received having not undergone the full process, starting with ORSP, may experience delays in set up as well as potential issues with budgets and the overall success of the award. There are many MTSU policies, State of Tennessee laws and statues, and Federal Regulations (Uniform Guidance) that need to be adhered to and considered when applying for funds.

It should also be noted that employees of MTSU are not to agree to terms and conditions on behalf of the university. All terms and conditions should be submitted to the contracts office and signed by Alan Thomas. This process will be facilitated by ORSP. If you are considering submitting a proposal or application for funding, please consult with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs by visiting their page at https://www.mtsu.edu/research/index.php.

Congratulations!  You have received an award or proposal.  Now what?

If you have been working with our Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP – see Grant Proposals) sit tight.  If you have been notified directly of your award, please forward that information to your contact in ORSP.  Your award will be set up in Cayuse and routed to the business office when all paperwork and acceptance documentation has been signed and approved. These documents may include but are not limited to:

  • Fully Executed Contracts
  • Banking/ACH forms
  • Terms and Conditions, separate from the contract
  • Approved Budgets
  • Submitted W-9 & Vendor Registration

When the grant is ready to be set up in Banner, ORSP will send the setup package to the business office via Cayuse.  Setup time may vary, depending on the complexity and details of the award.  When all items are verified to be complete and correct, your grant or award will be assigned an index number and established in Banner.  The information is then provided back to ORSP to continue with setup.

Once finalized, the award will be sent out to the Grant Notification group.  This includes the budget office, procurement, post office and other various centers and departments on campus who will establish the index and award in their own systems and records.

Again, the timing of each individual stage may vary, but this generally takes a few business days.

Any questions about the setup process in general, or regarding the current status of your grant or award, should be directed to your contact in ORSP.

Now that your award is set up, once your project begins (if it hasn’t already) you should be ready to go.  Grant Accounting generally does not consult directly with PIs or other grant administration.  Concerns regarding budget, allowability, payroll, and navigating other programmatic needs should be directed to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).

ORSP will include grant accounting on issues needing our attention.

Some areas that grant accounting handles over the lifespan of a grant or award:

  • Grant setup
  • Invoicing, drawdowns and receiving payment
  • Making journal entries to correct or post internal charges
  • Reviewing grants in conjunction with ORSP, to identify errors
  • Making changes to awards in Banner – no-cost extensions, changes in PI, etc.
  • Financial reporting
  • Audits, desk reviews and other monitoring visits
  • Year-end close
  • Grant close out

If you have a financial-related issue, please direct your question to ORSP.  ORSP will determine the proper course of action and include grant accounting where necessary.

Grant closeout will be initiated by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.  Once all program objectives have been met, all expenses have posted, reports have been submitted to the agency, and other general housekeeping items have been taken care of, ORSP will submit a grant close out form to grant accounting.

Grant accounting will terminate the index in Banner and document that all items have been completed.

Contact Information

Email:

boffice@mtsu.edu

Address:

Cope Administration Building,
Room #103
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132