Award Review

Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) or the Center for Clinical Trials and Corporate Contracts (CCT) will either prepare an agreement or review the sponsor’s proposed award notice, letter, or agreement. When necessary, SPA or CCT negotiates terms to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, state law, and university (UMB or University System of Maryland) policy. An authorized institutional official in SPA or CCT will sign the agreement on behalf of the University.

The principal investigator (PI) may sign the agreement to indicate commitment and acknowledgment of terms, but is not authorized to commit the University by signing as the institutional signatory.

Scope of Work:
The PI defines and agrees to the project’s scope, clearly describing the activities the sponsor is funding. Project work should generally not begin until after the agreement is signed.

Budget:
The PI and department are also responsible for monitoring personnel effort and salaries to ensure charges align with the project’s committed effort, salary caps are not exceeded, and any cost-sha obligations are met.

This ongoing oversight helps maintain compliance with sponsor and University requirements throughout the project period.

Routing and Approvals:
The PI and department administrator are responsible for routing the project in Kuali Research prior to award acceptance or agreement signature.

Review and negotiation can take time. Negotiators must understand the project and how agreement terms apply, as well as the broader University context. Consultation with colleagues or University counsel may be required for complex legal terms. Other reviews may also be necessary, such as:

• Export compliance
• Technology transfer

Sponsors may respond slowly, so timelines vary.

• Government contracts (federal, state, local) or agreements with nonprofits: Contact your SPA team via [SPA Business Practices].
• Corporate research agreements or corporate clinical study agreements: Contact CCT.

Publication Rights:
PIs must retain the ability to publish project results. Sponsors may review manuscripts before submission but cannot impose long delays.

USM Policy on Classified and Proprietary Work:
Refer to [Paragraph 3] for details.

Indemnification:
State law prohibits the University from agreeing to indemnify or hold harmless any entity or individual.

Arbitration:
The University’s status as a State of Maryland agency prohibits agreeing to binding arbitration.