Subawards in 60 Seconds: What to Use and When to Use It
Issue and manage agreements smoothly. Confirm your collaborator is truly a subrecipient (not a vendor), then start a Subaward Request once your award is set up in Kuali Research (KR). Many sponsors require prior approval for “after‑the‑fact” subawards. Currently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), requires approval when the subrecipient is foreign. Starting June 1st, 2026, NIH will require approval of all after-the-fact subawards. Use this page’s budget/scope templates and follow the closeout steps (final invoice marked “Final,” confirm deliverables, and clear remaining purchase order balance): Outgoing Subawards.
Collaborating internationally? Ensure the subrecipient has a Unique Entity ID (UEI) from SAM.gov, complete export compliance review, coordinate human/animal subject approvals as applicable, and—if shipping biological samples—secure any needed material transfer agreements, permits or licenses. When appropriate, consider milestone‑based (fixed‑price) payments (note: federal approval is usually required for fixed‑price subawards issued under federal awards), and verify invoice itemization and reported effort match the approved budget and progress before the Principal Investigator approves payment: International Subrecipient Award Essentials.
Monitor work and spending. The Principal Investigator must actively track a subrecipient’s progress and performance, stay in regular contact, confirm required approvals for human or animal subjects are current, and approve invoices only when the work and costs align with the funded scope and schedule — start here: Monitor an Active Subaward.