Office of
Research Services

Glossary of Terms

Abstract: An abbreviated summary (typically 1 page) of a research proposal.

Accountant: The Post-Award Person responsible of Management of Award, Financial Reporting and Award Closeout. Also known as Post Award

Allowable Cost: is a cost for which an institution may be reimbursed under a research support agreement or any other contract type with the federal government. The determination of allowability for educational institutions is governed by cost principles published as OMB Circular A-21

Amendment: A formal written change to an existing agreement. Also called “Modification”

Agency/Funding Agency: See “Sponsor”

Audit: A formal examination of an organization’s accounts and financial situation. An audit may also include examination of compliance with applicable award terms, laws, regulations and policies.

Award: a generalized term used for all sponsored program funds. An award may be further classified as being a contract, cooperative agreement, fixed price contract, grant, or a various fund. The award document will generally indicate the type of award received.

Bayh-Dole Act: The federal law that gives the University title to inventions developed with federal funding, subject to certain conditions.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA): An announcement of a federal agency's general research interests that invites proposals and specifies the general terms and conditions under which an award may be made.

Budget Period: The period for which funds are obligated for spending. Generally, one-year periods within a larger project/performance period.

Budget Revisions: as a project gets underway, a specific budget category may run out of money. PI needs to contact Office Sponsored Programs in advance and request a budget revision. Depending on the Agency the procedures will differ. The PI will need to contact the OSP Accountant.

Budget Justification: A written description of the cost estimation methods used in preparing a budget and that also explains or describes the types of individual costs.

CAGE CODE: Commercial and Government Entity code

Carryforward: Unexpended funds carried from on budget period to another

Center Credit: The affiliation of a PI/Co-PI with a Research Center.

Correct Entry: Transfer of expenditures of more than 60 days between accounts.

CFDA: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. A listing and description of Federal programs and activities.

Closeout: The process by which a federal awarding agency determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the award have been completed by the recipient and federal awarding agency.

COI (Conflict of Interest): A situation when an individual is involved in multiple interest of the project.
If there is a potential conflict of interest the PI/Co-PI will need to complete the “Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement” form, found on the OSP website.
Examples: A PI is submitting a proposal to an agency they hold financial or employment interest in.

Confidentiality Agreement: An agreement requiring the recipient of certain information to keep that information in confidence.

Contract: An agreement where the sponsor has more involvement and uses the project to achieve a specific outcome or goal.

Contracting Officer: The individual within a contracting agency who has the authority to commit that agency to legal obligations, such as to spend funds or to agree to specific contract terms.

Contractor: The individual or organization performing the work under a contract. When used in a contract between a funding agency and Missouri S&T, Missouri S&T is the Contractor.

Cost Overage: those costs expended by the grantee which are not included in the original grant proposal and, therefore, exceed allotted spending.

Cost Reimbursable: (Type of Award) when the sponsor reimburses the grantee only as allowable costs are incurred.

Co-PI: A person who shares some responsibility for the proposed project.

Cost Sharing: the portion of the total project cost provided by the University.
Also known as Matching.

Date of Completion: the date on which all work under an award is completed or the date on the award document.

Deliverables: those goods and/or services that the grantee has promised to the sponsor in the award.

Deobligation: The withdrawal of support under an award, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the date of completion.

Disallowed Costs: those charges to an award that the awarding agency determines to be unallowable in accordance with the applicable federal cost principles or other terms and conditions contained in the award.

DHHS: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS is UMKC’s "cognizant agency" responsible for negotiating indirect cost rates with the University. The rates thus negotiated are applicable to all funding agencies.

Direct Costs: The costs of conducting a project that can be directly attributed to that project (e.g., salaries, benefits, supplies, equipment and travel). In order to be reimbursed under federal grants and contracts, a direct cost must be reasonable in price, allowable under federal regulations, and allocable to (i.e., clearly assignable to) that specific project.

Encumbrance: funds committed to the purchase of a specific good or service but not yet expended.

EVR (Effort Verification Report): An internal report used to verify payroll expenditures on a project. Anyone paid on a project must certify their payroll and effort on that project. EVR’s are processed twice a year.

F&A: Facilities & Administration Cost. See “Indirect Cost”

FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulation. A comprehensive set of pre-written contract terms used by the federal government to draft federal contracts for procurement including research and development contracts to educational institutions.

Fellowships: payments to or on behalf of individuals for financing and supporting graduate education (e.g., tuition and cash stipends).

Fiscal Year (FY): The Universities financial year July 1 – June 30

Fixed Price Agreement: (Type of Award) A contract/grant for which one party pays the other party a predetermined price, regardless of actual costs, for services rendered or the delivery of a final product/report.

Fringe Benefits: The benefits provided by an employer. The Universities Fringe Rate is negotiated yearly by the Department of Health & Human Services. The most recent Fringe Rate and a copy of the DHHS Agreement can be found on the OSP web. NOTE: The project will be charged the current fringe rate at the time salary is posted to the project
Example: Health Insurance, Paid Holidays, Retirement, etc…

Funding Period: the period of time that funds are funding.

Grant Award Summary (GAS): Internal Document detailing the project award information.
Including MoCode, OSPA Account, Period of Performance, etc…

Grantee: The recipient of a grant.

IACUC: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. An institutional committee with federally mandated oversight responsibilities related to the proper use and care of laboratory animals.

Indirect Cost: Those cost that are incurred by a project that cannot be clearly identified and assigned to that project
Ex. Electricity, Building Maintenance, Administrative Support, library use, etc…
The Universities F&A rate is negotiated by the Department of Health & Human Services. The most recent F&A rate and a copy of the DHHS Agreement can be for on the OSP web.
Also known as Indirect Cost, Overhead

Intellectual Property: A property interest, granted by the Government, which gives a person or entity ownership of the intellectual creations that it develops and the ability to exclude others from using or copying such creations. Types of intellectual property include patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets.

Matching: the portion of the total project cost provided by the University.
Also known as Costshare

Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC): The total direct costs against which indirect costs are applied. Certain items of direct costs, such as equipment, participant support costs, tuition remission and the amount of a subcontract in excess of $25,000 are excluded prior to calculating the indirect cost on a given project.

NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement. (See, Confidentiality Agreement.)

No-cost Time Extension: An extension of the period of performance beyond the expiration date to allow the Principal Investigator to finalize a project. No additional funds are provided.

OMB: Office of Management and Budget (federal). The principal staff office under the United States Office of the President for administrative and financial matters.

PAF (Personnel Action Form): Internal Form used to allocate what chartfield strings will be charged salary.

PCE (Payroll Correcting Entry): Internal Form used to transfer Payroll of more than 60 days between accounts.

PI (Principal Investigator): The lead person responsible for conducting or supervising the research. The PI is the authorized approver of expenses prior to incurring the charge.

POP: Period of performance: The time period during which performance of the project begins and ends and allowable costs may be incurred.

Pre-Award: The OSP Pre-Award team is responsible for proposal submissions and assistance during the proposal stage, including all Contract and Subcontract Negotiations.

Pre-Proposal: A brief description of research plans and estimated budget that is sometimes submitted to determine the interest of a particular sponsor prior to submission of a formal proposal.

Program Director: The individual within a funding agency who is concerned with the technical, programmatic aspects of the project. Usually a Ph.D., with whom the University's Principal Investigator communicates on technical matters. Program Directors do not have the authority to make contractual obligations or changes.

Program Income: A type of Project Contribution in which the money that is earned by the University during the project period, and the opportunity to earn that income is provided, in whole or part, by the funding of the project.
Example: Registration fees charged to participants for a workshop or conference funded under a sponsored award.

PSRS: Internal form used to document the submission of a proposal. A ePSRS must be done prior to all proposal submissions.
Includes the following information: PI, Co-PI, Agency, Title, Budget details, Shared Credit, Center Affiliation.

Rebudget: The act of amending the budget by moving funds from one category or line item to another.

Representations and Certifications (Reps and Certs): Written guarantees that the institution is required to provide to sponsoring agencies. A representation is an account or statement of fact concerning an offeror and its capabilities and abilities to perform. A certification is the submission of documents that serve as guarantees that an award applicant meets certain standards or will comply with certain governmental acts.

RFP: Request for Proposal. Announcements that specify a topic of research, methods to be used, product to be delivered and appropriate applicants sought. Proposals submitted in response to RFP's generally result in the award of a contract.

RFQ: Request for Quotations. A formal request to vendors for a price quotation on equipment or supplies to be purchased.

Shared Credit: The percentage of effort that a PI/Co-PI spends on the proposed project.

SOW: Statement of Work or Scope of Work

Sponsor: An entity that provides funding for a project conducted by the University. May be a government sponsor or a private organization. Also referred to as "Agency".

Subaward/Subagreement/Subcontract: a pass-through award made under a prime award to a third-party. A Sub-award is issued when a portion of the project work is going to be carried out by a third party. The University can either be a recipient of a sub-award or can issue sub-awards.

SubK: abbreviation for subaward/subagreement/subcontract.

University Signature Authority: Dr. Yusheng (Chris) Liu is the University Signature Authority on all sponsored research.