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Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Questions about Proposals and Awards

Indirect Cost Rate
The Controller's Office and Research and Sponsored Projects Accounting maintain this list of questions and answers to assist you with the financial aspects of your award. The list you'll find there includes:
- What is the indirect cost rate?
- Why should the University get some of my award money?
- RSPA works for everybody...
- I have six awards and I'm too busy to look at every expense!
- What do you mean direct? What do you mean allowable?
- Explain Direct & Unallowable
- What if I have discretionary Funds?
- Who calculates the indirect cost rate?
- What's the calculation like?
- Who are the negotiators?
- Do they actually negotiate?
- When do we negotiate?
- Is it better to have a lower rate or a high rate?

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Sponsored Project Administration
The Controller's Office and Research and Sponsored Projects Accounting maintain this list of questions and answers to assist you with the financial aspects of your award. The list you'll find there includes:
- I need to spend award funds differently from what was proposed and awarded.
  is this okay?
- Can alcoholic beverages be charged to a federal award under any circumstances?
- Can a foreign air carrier be used if it is a "partner" with a U.S. air carrier?
- What do I do with invoices from a subcontractor?
- What are indirect costs?
- Why can't I charge our federal grant for our Admin. Assistant's time on a project?
- What's the difference between an employee and a consultant?
- How can I get expenses that were mistakenly charged transferred to the correct award?
- What is the difference between cost sharing and matching?
- Who is responsible for keeping track of the costs incurred with cost sharing or
  matching funds?
- When charging salary to my federal award, I have to sign Personal Activity
  Reports, why?
- How do I read my GLIQ system reports?
- I'm not sure how to initiate transactions against my sponsored project accounts.
- Don't all awards come with a check attached?
- What happens when an award has ended?
- I have money left, and my award is ending in 30 days.
- What constitutes a business meal?
- I'm meeting with a colleague to go over research during lunch, is that paid for
  by my award?