Award Setup

Award Setup

Contracts and Grants Accounting (CGA) is responsible for completing the setup of both new awards and award modifications in the Research Administration System (RAS) and ultimately generates a Project for the department and PI to use for spending on the award. Once setup is complete, the CGA Service Team notifies the PI, Research Services Analysts (RSA), and OSR Primary Analyst.

Department/RSA Award Setup Responsibilities

Preferred Posting Level Department ID

The Dept Preferred Posting Level is available on the Project Details page of an Award in PeopleSoft and assigns a preferred Dept ID for posting of transactions within the Award. This field is also commonly referred to as the “Preferred Posting Dept ID”. Upon receiving a notification of a new award, the Department/RSA should review and update the Preferred Posting Level Department ID in RAS within 24 hours of the time of the notification.  CGA will appropriate the budget within two business days of the new award notification to the submitted Preferred Posting Level Department ID. Note that Industry Clinical Trials budgets will not be appropriated until invoices and/or payments are received.

The Preferred Posting Dept ID information is located within the Department Information section of the Project Details page and is set as follows:

  • Department ID is populated from the Award
  • When a new Project is created within the Award:
    • If the Dept ID assigned is at the posting level, then the Dept Preferred Posting Level is set to the same value.
    • If the Project’s Dept ID is NOT set at the posting level, the field is left blank.

The Dept Preferred Posting Level is displayed on the AP Subrecipient Subcontract Voucher Report. Because this is a posting level Dept ID, Accounts Payable (AP) can process vouchers to pay invoices against the subcontract. If AP finds this field is blank on the report, the Department will be notified to update the Preferred Posting Dept ID.

To set the Dept Preferred Posting Level:

  1. From the Award tab, click the Project Information link in the menu at the bottom of the Award Profile page. (not shown)
  2. The Project Information window displays. Click the appropriate Project ID link; the Project Details window displays. (not shown)
  3. Populate the Dept Preferred Posting Level field manually or use the icon to search – only posting level Dept IDs are valid, “Parent” level Dept IDs cannot be entered.
  4. Click Refresh to view your changes on the page and update the Project Nickname of the Dept Preferred Posting Level.
  5. Click Save to save your changes.

RAS Award Information

The Department/RSA is responsible for completing a review of the award information in RAS and communicating any issues with CGA in a timely manner.

Key items to review include:

  1. Financial and non-financial Milestones tab
  2. The Award Documents tab
  3. The budget (available by clicking the Award Modifications link)
  4. The award period

RAS Award Summary Page highlighting fields discussed

Additional Projects

Additional Projects can be used to track distinct activities on a single award. They may be necessary to enable separate billing of the activities or be used to reflect different F&A rates between portions of the award located at different locations.

To request additional Projects, complete a UCSF Sponsored Project Award Setup Change Request.

Cost Sharing

The reporting and audit requirements for mandatory committed and voluntary committed cost sharing necessitate tracking the actual commitment and funding for a sponsored project against the contractually committed amount. As part of the post-award process, departments must submit a Cost Sharing Budget Template within ten working days of receiving an award notice with mandatory committed or voluntary committed cost sharing. A template must also be completed when a subaward cost share commitment is included in a subcontract issued under a sponsored award. Cost sharing will only be tracked if there is a compliance requirement. See Cost Sharing on Sponsored Awards for more information about cost sharing procedures at UCSF.

Setting Up Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (BCH-Oakland) Projects in RAS

To streamline the budgeting and accounting processes for UCSF faculty conducting research at BCH-Oakland, campus RSAs must take action in RAS to:

  • Verify and update the location of the project
  • Request a separate Project ID to record activity for the Oakland location
  • Verify or request the creation of a SpeedType to record costs in BCH-Oakland subsidiary systems

Review the Desk Reference Guide: Setting up Oakland Projects in Research Administration System (RAS) (opens in new window) for instructions. For additional information, visit the Research Administration page of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Dean's Office (opens in new window).