Research Administration

Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Instruction & Training (Attribute A01 in the HU Sponsored Chart of Accounts)

A classification defined by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21 that includes all teaching and some training activities of an institution and departmental research. Teaching and training includes all such activities, whether they are offered for credits toward a degree or certificate or on a non-credit basis, and whether they are offered through regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division or an extension division.

Sponsored Instruction and Training: Training support for faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows working on activities that are not defined as organized research (A02). Research Training is considered Instruction and Departmental Research (A01) in the School of Public Health. Research Training is considered Organized Research (A02) in the University Area schools and departments and in the Harvard Medical School. Examples include:

NIH Career Development (K) Awards, except K02 & K05
Pre-and Post-doctoral Fellowships (University Area & HMS only)
Pre- and Post-doctoral Training Grants (University Area &HMS only)
Executive training programs

Departmental Research: Research funded with departmental funds that is not separately budgeted and accounted for, or considered Organized Research as described under A02. Examples include:

Faculty Discretionary Funds
Faculty Start-up Funds
Faculty Royalty Income Funds
Faculty Teaching Compensation Funds in Lieu of Salary

Organized Research (Attribute A02 in the HU Sponsored Chart of Accounts)

A classifiction defined by OMB A-21 that includes all research activities that are separately budgeted and accounted for, usually in the context of hypothesis testing. In the University Area schools and departments and in the Harvard Medical School, Organized Research (A02) includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques (commonly called "Research Training"). In the School of Public Health, Research Training is considered Instruction and Departmental Research (A01).

Sponsored Research and Research Training: Research activities supported by funds awarded to Harvard University that are provided by Federal and Non-federal agencies and organizations. Examples include:

Basic Research Project Grants
Program Project Grants
NIH Career Development Awards for Senior Researchers (K02 & K05)
Pre- and Post-doctoral Traning Grants (University Area and HMS)
Pre- and Post-doctoral Fellowships (University Area and HMS)

University-supported Research: Research activities funded by internal application of institutional funds that are separately budgeted and accounted for and typically are awarded through an internal review process.

Other sponsored Activities (Attribute A03 in the HU Sponsored Chart of Accounts)

A classification defined by OMB A-21 that includes programs and projects financed by Federal and Non-federal agencies and organizations which involve the performance of work other than instruction and organized research. Examples include:

Travel
Publication and printing
Conferences and symposia
Acquisition of equipment
Preservation, maintenance and/or cataloging of collections, archives, equipment, or facilities.
Executive sessions (non-training oriented workshops or colloquia)
Administration (unless part of an organized research award)
Public presentations
Demonstrations
Facilities construction
Library collections, acquisitions, bibliographies, or cataloging
Social and/or community service, or health service and/or promotion
Upward bound programs

Scholarships and Student Aid (Attribute A15 in the HU Sponsored Chart of Accounts)

A classificaiton defined by OMB A-21 that includes costs of scholarships, awards, grants, and stipends for students, with the primary selection criterion being the demonstrated financial need of the student recipient. Examples include:

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
Pell Grants
Jacob Javits & Burton Javits Fellowship Programs

Account String

A specific combination of Tub, Org, Fund, Activity, Sub-activity and Root values used in combination with appropriate transactional object codes to represent the financial data of an award in the Harvard General Ledger. The account strings of an award are recorded in the Harvard University Research Information System (HURIS) and print on Action Memos.

Action Memo

The official University notice of a sponsored award or modification to a sponsored award. The Action Memo is prepared by the Office for Sponsored Research and sent to the Principal Investigator (PI) and associated staff to communicate the chart values, award period, amount of funding, and specific terms and conditions for an award.

Activity

A six-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that indicates the purpose for which the funds are being spent, the project or effort for which the money is being used. Classifies transaction according to OMB A-21 categories.

Advance Account

Advance accounts allow the PI to initiate spending on his/her project before the University receives and/or accepts an award. Such expenditures incurred are made at the department's risk. Only those costs listed in the proposed budget, within the project period, and in accordance with applicable regulations should be charged to advance accounts.

Allocable costs

According to the criteria set out in OMB A-21, a cost is allocable to a sponsored agreement if:

It is incurred solely to advance the work under the sponsored agreement,
It benefits both the sponsored agreement and other work of the institution, in proportions that can be approximated through use of reasonable methods, or
It is necessary to the overall operation of the institution and is deemed to be assignable in part to sponsored projects

Allowable costs

Per OMB A-21, the tests of allowability of a cost are:

They must be reasonable,
They must be allocable to sponsored agreements under the principles and methods provided herein,
They must be given consistent treatment through application of those generally accepted accounting principles appropriate to the circumstances, and
They must conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the sponsored agreement as to types or amounts of cost items

Assignment and Release

Closeout documents required on some awards to ensure the sponsor and Harvard have met their contractual obligations. These documents state that both parties do not have any future liability in regards to the contract.

Award

The provision of funds by a sponsor to carry out an activity or research project. May take the form of a grant, contract or cooperative agreement.

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Bayh-Doyle Act

The Bayh-Dole Act created a uniform patent policy among the U.S. federal agencies that fund research in the non-profit and small business sectors. The Act provided recipients of federal research and development funds with the right to retain ownership of their patents and charged them with the responsibility to ensure commercial use of inventions created with federal financial support. Bayh-Dole permits universities, other nonprofits such as teaching hospitals, and, in most cases, commercial federal contractors to retain title to inventions that are conceived or first reduced to practice in the performance of a federal award. The underlying tenet of the Bayh-Dole Act is that federally funded inventions should be licensed for commercial development in the public interest.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

A general announcement of an agency's research interest including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government's needs.

Budget

Itemized statement of costs associated with the research project.

Budget period

Interval into which a grant project period is divided for funding and reporting purposes, usually 12 months.

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Carryover

The ability of grantees to use grant funds from one budget period (typically, one year) in the next period for grants.

Chart of Accounts

The organizing framework used to budget, record and report on all finanical transactions and account balances. Harvard employs a 33-digit code that identifies details about each University financial transaction.

Close out (federal only)

Final actions taken within 90 days following the end of an award. The PI may need to submit a financial status report, final invention statement and certifications, a property report, and a final technical report.

Co-investigator

Individual who collaborates with the Principal Investigator (PI) in the execution of the research project.

Co-principal investigator

Harvard faculty or staff member who shares equally with another faculty or staff member the responsibility for directing the technical and administrative work of a sponsored project.

Competing Continuation

An NIH project that requires a request for financial or direct assistance to extend, for one or more additional budget periods, a project period that would otherwise expire.

Competing Proposals

New or recompeting NIH applications that must undergo initial peer review.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

The revealing of relevant significant financial interests of faculty and or staff (including those of their spouses and dependent children) which could appear to affect their research. Conflict of Interest Disclosure statements are required by the University.

Consolidated Reports

A report generated from HURIS which gives the status of nonreportable accounts, unreconciled accounts, financial reports pending approval by local unit and accounts receivable problems.

Consortium Agreement

A collaborative arrangement in support of a research project in which some portion of the programmatic activity is carried out through a formalized agreement between the grantee and one or more other organizations.

Consultant

An individual who provides professional advice or services on the basis of a written agreement for a fee. Such individuals are not employees of the organization receiving the services.

Contract

A mutually binding legal relationship obligating the seller to furnish supplies or services and the buyer to pay for them. Contracts do not include grants and cooperative agreements.

Contract Officer

The individual authorized to act on behalf of the federal government on the execution of federal agreements.

Cooperative Agreement

An award mechanism used in lieu of a grant in which substantial programmatic involvement by the sponsor is anticipated.

Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

Standards designed to achieve uniformity and consistency in the cost accounting practices governing measurement, assignment and allocations of costs to contracts, grants and cooperative agreements with the United States government.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)

A federal contract term allowing reimbursement of an employee for certain excess costs, exclusive of any quarters costs, which result from an individual being officially stationed in a foreign area.

Cost Re-imbursement

A type of contract that provides for payment of allowable incurred costs, to the extent prescribed in the contract. These contracts establish an estimate of total cost for the purpose of obligating funds and establishing a ceiling that the contractor may not exceed (except at its own risk) without the approval of the sponsor.

Cost-sharing

See Matching

Cost Transfer

A cost transfer moves a charge that had previously been recorded in one account to a federally funded sponsored account.

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Detail Listing

A report that can be run from the Administrator's Workstation II (AWSII) or the Harvard University Internet Data Interface (Hudini). It allows you to see the individual transactions from the General Ledger that make up the totals shown on other reports. These lines can be selected, sorted, and subtotaled in many ways, allowing for easy comparison to other reports and facilitating data analysis, reconciliation, and record keeping.

Direct Costs

Costs that can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project with a high degree of accuracy. Direct costs are separately budgeted and are essential to the project's existence.

Disabling

Disabling is the technical process of no longer allowing charges to post to a 33-digit Chart of Account string. Sponsored business owners have defined the business process of disabling a sponsored account when the account is fully reconciled (expenses = income) and all outstanding reports have been filed. At this point, the account is flagged in the system to be disabled in the general ledger and the GL will no longer accept charges posted to that 33-digit string.

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Effort Reporting / Certification

Mechanism by which faculty or staff verifies that work was performed and states that the salaries and wages charged to sponsored awards or to other categories as direct charges are reasonable in relation to the work performed. The certification must occur at least annually and must be signed by the employee, principal investigator, or responsible official using a suitable means of verification that the work was performed.

Electronic Research Administration (ERA)

Electronic and Web-based systems designed to support the administration, management and knowledge base of sponsored research.

Encumberance

An expense "earmarked" to be incurred in a particular time period. Allows for the accounting of funds to be spent in the future while keeping track of funds truly available on a project.

Endowment

Endowments and gifts are donations made to the University in the form of cash, securities, or other assets that provide income for its operation. The donations are set up and accounted for as a "fund" and generally have donor restrictions as to their usage. These funds are established to provide a permanent source of income (a permanent endowment) or income for a specified period (a term endowment).

Expanded Authorities

The operating authorities provided by federal agencies to grantees under certain research grant mechanisms that waive the requirement of sponsor prior approval for specific actions.

Expiration Date

Indicates the end of the performance period.

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Facilities and Administrative Costs

Costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives and, therefore, cannot be identified readily and specifically with a particular sponsored project, an instructional activity, or any other institutional activity. For example: departmental administration, general administration, library costs, building, utility and maintenance costs. Also known as Indirect Costs or Overhead.

Federal Acquisition Regulations

Regulations that are the primary authority for government procurement. The FAR is published as Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Its provisions are implemented and augmented by agency supplements (e.g. DFARS, or Defense FAR Supplement).

Federal Commons

In accordance with the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (P. L. 106-107), Federal agencies must develop plans for the electronic processing of grants, and further requires agencies to adopt common forms and processes. These legislative requirements will be met by creating a government-wide portal for the administration of grants. This portal, the Federal Commons, will become a common face of the government, offering all grantees (state and local governments, universities, small businesses, etc.) full service grants processing across all functions in the grant life cycle. The Federal Commons will provide both public information, such as grant programs and funding opportunities, as well as the secure processing of e-grant transactions.

Federal Demonstration Project

A cooperative initiative among some Federal agencies, select organizations that receive Federal funding for research, and certain professional organizations. Its efforts include a variety of demonstration projects intended to simplify and standardize Federal requirements in order to increase research productivity and reduce administrative costs.

Fellow

Pre-doctoral or post-doctoral student or staff member at the University who provides research assistance to a sponsored project or executes his or her own project under a fellowship program.

Financial Report

Required by sponsor upon completion of a research project, or at specified intervals.

Fiscal Year (FY)

Budget period as defined by an organization. Sponsored project budget periods do not typically correlate with the Harvard or Federal fiscal year.

Harvard University's fiscal year: July 1 to June 30.
Federal fiscal year: October 1 to September 30.

Fixed-price Contract

A type of contract that provides for a price that is not subject to any adjustments on the basis of the contractor's cost experience in performing the contract. This contract type places upon the contractor maximum risk and full responsibility for all costs and resulting overruns or underruns.

Fringe Benefits

Fringe benefits (FB) are employee benefit costs such as health/dental insurance, pension plan and workman's compensation expenses paid for by the employer. These costs are expressed as a rate by employee class.

Fund

A six-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that identifies the source of the funding. There are three types of sponsored fund ranges: Federal Award - FG, Non-federal Award - NE, Non-federal Grant - NG.

Funding Range

Categories denoted in the University's business rules to identify the funding range, based on the funding source and instrument.

Federal Award -NG - 100000 _ 199999
The funding source is federal. The funding instruments may include grants, cooperative agreements and contracts, issued either as prime awards to the institution or subcontracts issued to the institution under another entity's federal prime award.

Non-federal Award - NE - 200000 _ 249999
The funding source is non-federal. The category includes all funding by state and local governments, foreign entities, international organizations, and non-federal subcontracts received, regardless of the funding mechanism. The funding instruments may include a contract, cooperative agreement, industry agreement or grant (except those specified as NG).

Non-federal Grant - NG - 250000 _ 299999
This category includes all domestic non-federal grants that do not derive from state or local governments, foreign entities or international organizations. Generally, awards from Section 503c(3) nonprofit organizations will be included within this category as they routinely represent grants and not contractual arrangements. This category also includes all grants from industry, which require gift certification. Non-federal sponsored grants are processed by both OSR and the Recording Secretary's Office (RSO).

Fund Type

The type of organization providing financial support for the project. Valid values include:

Domestic industry / business corporate - U.S. for-profit. Examples: Bank of America, General Motors.
Federal - Entity of the United States Federal Government. Examples: Central Intelligence Agency, NIH.
Foreign foundation - Foreign not-for-profit; non-governmental. Example: Avina Foundation (Switzerland).
Foreign government - Foreign government at any level: state, city, country, department, etc. Example: Department of Health in the People's Republic of China.
Foreign industry / business corporate - Foreign private enterprise; a business for profit. Example: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Ltd.
Foreign other - Foreign sponsors that do not fall under one of the other "Foreign" fund types. Example: Beijing Medical University.
Foreign research institute - Foreign not-for-profit, non-governmental organization whose primary purpose and activity is research. Example: Center for Palestine Research and Studies.
Foundation / society - U.S., non-for-profit, 501c(3) tax status: associations, museums, private schools, foundations, etc., that are not included in other fund type categories such as hospital or university. Example: Heinz Family Fund.
Hospital - U.S. hospitals or healthcare providers that are non-profit or for-profit, private, or public. Example: Mount Sinai Medical Center.
International organization - Non-profit that may operate outside the U.S., but does not belong in any of the "Foreign" categories. Examples: NATO, WHO.
Local government - Includes U.S. towns, cities, counties, public schools, etc. Example: Watertown Public Schools.
Other - Sponsor that does not fall under any of the other fund types, typically individual, quasi-governmental, or unknown. Example: US-Spain Joint Committee for Scientific & Technological Cooperation (50% US government and 50% foreign government, therefore does not fall into one category)
State government - Fifty U.S. states and Washington D.C., Puerto Rico Example: Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation.
Research institute - U.S. non-profit organization whose primary purpose and activity is research. Example: Whitehead Institute.
University - All U.S. colleges and universities that are non-profit or for-profit; private or public. Example: State University of New York - Albany.

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Gift

The voluntary transfer of funds or goods to Harvard University with no reciprocal obligations. In general, a gift award does not have terms that specify how the funding must be spent or administered. As a gift, the funding received may be utilized at the full discretion of the recipient. Unexpended funds are not returned to the donor at the expiration of the gift period.

Grant

An arrangement under which there is a transfer of funds, property, services or anything of value from the sponsor to the institution to assist the institution in reaching a particular institutional goal or public purpose. Typically, no programmatic involvement between the institution and the sponsor occurs under a grant.

Grantee

The organization, for example, the President and Fellows of Harvard College, awarded a grant or cooperative agreement. Responsible and accountable for the use of the funds provided and for the performance of the grant-supported project or activities. The grantee is the entire legal entity even if a particular component is designated in the award document. The grantee is legally responsible and accountable to the sponsor for the performance and financial aspects of the grant-supported project or activity.

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Harvard University Research Information System (HURIS)

The University system of record for sponsored research. All proposals, awards, and accounts for sponsored projects are recorded and maintained in the HURIS system by the Office for Sponsored Research. From HURIS, reports are generated for post-award financial management, including report schedules, receivable aging and consolidated reports.

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In-kind

In-kind contributions mean the value of non-cash contributions. In-kind contributions may be in the form of real property, equipment, supplies and other expendable property, and the value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the project or program.

Incremental Funding

A method of obligating funding to an award. Typically, the sponsor specifies a total budget at the beginning of the award and funding is released at different intervals.

Indirect Costs

See Facilities and Administrative Costs.

Institutional Review Boards (IRB)

Review boards established by institutions to ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects participating in research conducted under their auspices. IRB's make an independent determination to approve, require modification in, or disapprove research protocols based on whether human subjects are adequately protected, as required by federal regulations and local institutional policy.

Internation Organization

An organization that identifies itself as international or intergovernmental with membership from and representing interests of more than one country without regard to whether the headquarters of the organization and location of the activity are inside or outside of the United States.

Investment Income

Income received when non-federal funds are invested and interest earned on that investment. In some cases, the sponsor may require investment.

Invoice

A form used to report expenses incurred to date. An invoice is used to solicit a payment from the sponsor and is typically prepared by OSR - Financial Services with consultation with the appropriate department administrator.

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Journal Voucher

A journal voucher is the method used to transfer transactions between accounts in the Harvard General Ledger System. Typically journal vouchers are used to:

Correct or adjust prior journal entries
Move expenses from one funding source to another
Account for the internal sale of goods or services
Transfer funds

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Key Personnel

Individuals who contribute in a substantive way to the scientific development or execution of a project, regardless of whether or not they receive compensation from the grant supporting that project. Must include Principal Investigator and any other personnel that the PI designates.

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Main Account

A 29-digit Chart of Account string (all fields except Object Codes) that provides a means to capture expense transactions of an award. May function as a holding account for awarded funds and income that will later be allocated to appropriate part-of accounts or subagreement accounts. All awards must have one main account. If an award requires separate accounts for each budget period of the award, each period must have a main account. Every account group must have one and only one main account. Main accounts include the values of the responsible Owning Tub, Primary Managing Org, and Principal Investigator's Root.

Matching or Cost Sharing

The value of third-party in-kind contributions and the portion of the costs of a project or program not borne by the sponsor. Matching or cost sharing may be required by law, regulation, or administrative decision. Costs used to satisfy matching requirements are subject to the same policies governing allowability as other costs under the approved budget.

Misconduct in Science

Fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reporting research, or in reporting research results.

Modification

A change to an existing award memorialized by the funding agency and agreed to by the University.

Modified Total Direct Costs

The subset of direct costs to which the overhead rate is applied. The overhead is calculated on the direct costs after being modified by excluding certain costs that should not have overhead applied to them. Examples of costs that may be excluded from overhead are equipment, subcontracts (for Longwood: subcontracts over $25,000), alterations and renovations, tuition, student aid, and fees related to patient care.

Modular Grant

A type of NIH grant application in which support is requested in increments or modules of $25,000 up to a maximum total of $250,000 in direct cost per year, without providing a detailed categorical budget breakdown.

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No-cost Extension

Extension of a grant's project period of performance without additional funds.

Noncompeting Continuation

Ongoing grant whose award is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory progress report as the condition of the release of money for the following year.

Non-disclosure Agreement

An agreement to restrict disclosure of specific (usually confidential) information.

Nonreportable Accounts

An account for which the sponsor does not require financial reporting.

Notice of Grant Award

The legally binding document that notifies the grantee institution that a grant or a cooperative agreement has been made. Contains references to the award's terms and conditions.

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Object Code

A four-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that describes the nature of the transaction (asset, liability or expense). Object codes are entered while transacting and are consistent throughout the University.

Off-campus

Refers to the location of activities that occur in facilities not owned by Harvard University, regardless of their proximity to Cambridge or Boston. Examples may include: a rented structure used for field studies in Africa, or a private laboratory in Kendall Square. Off-campus- based awards do not use the full overhead rate because no Harvard facility costs are incurred at the rented sites.

On-campus

Refers to the location of activities that occur in facilities owned by Harvard University, regardless of their proximity to Cambridge or Boston. Examples of distant on-campus facilities may include: the library at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., any buildings at the Villa I Tatti in Italy, or buildings at the Harvard Forest in western Massachusetts. On-campus-based awards may use the full overhead rate because Harvard facility costs are incurred.

OMB A-21

An Office of Management and Budget Circular that establishes principles for determining costs applicable to grants, contracts, and other agreements with educational institutions.

OMB A-110

An Office of Management and Budget Circular that establishes administrative standards for grants and cooperative agreements to non-governmental organizations.

OMB A-133

An Office of Management and Budget Circular that sets forth standards for obtaining consistency and uniformity among Federal agencies for the audit of States, local governments, and non-profit organizations expending Federal awards.

Org

A five-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that identifies the organizational unit, cost center or entity within a tub, usually a department within a school.

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Participation Agreement

Intellectual Property (patents/copyrights) agreement signed by all non-clerical staff, students, faculty, etc. conducting or working on research projects, especially sponsored projects.

Part-of Account

From the University's business rules, established to manage discrete tasks due to award restrictions and/or to capture financial data for reporting purposes. Part-of accounts must have a budget period within the budget period of the corresponding main account.

Peer Review

System for evaluating research applications that use reviewers who are the professional equals of the applicant.

Period Expense Report (PER)

A report that can be run from AWSII or HUDINI used solely for sponsored accounts. Provides summary budget and actual financial data. The PER includes budget-to-actuals comparisons and remaining budget figures (by object code).

Preapplication (pre-proposal or letter of intent)

A statement in summary form of the intent of the applicant to request funds. May be used to determine the applicant's eligibility and the the competitiveness of the project with other applications and to eliminate proposals for which there is little of no chance for funding.

Primate Center Core Code

Code used for the Primate Center Core Grant awarded by the NIH.

Primate Center Research Code

Code that identifies sponsored projects performed at the Primate Center.

Prime

Contextual term used to describe an award when sub-agreements are issued to that award.

Principal Investigator (PI)

Harvard faculty or staff member who directs the technical and administrative work of a sponsored project.

Prior Approval

Written approval from the sponsor required for post-award changes in the approved project or budget. PI must obtain such approval before undertaking the proposed action or spending sponsor funds. In many cases, under the University's expanded authorities, approval my be granted without consulting the funding agency.

Program Announcement (PA)

Process by which federal agencies publicize and implement new extramural grant programs and priorities, or update existing programs.

Progress Report

Documentation required by sponsor at a defined time providing status of a project. May include financial, technical, or other reports.

Project Period

The total time for which support of a project has been approved by the sponsor (usually no more than 5 years). A project period may consist of one or more budget periods. The total project period comprises the original project period plus any extensions.

Proposal

Request submitted to a sponsor setting forth a project that includes at a minimum a description of the work and a budget.

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Reasonable Costs

Costs which a "prudent person" would pay in a like circumstance. A cost allowability criterion standard of OMB A-21

Rebudget

The movement of funds from one approved budget category to another. May require sponsor's permission.

Recording Secretary's Office (RSO)

Office to which gifts and donations to the University are sent, processed and acknowledged.

Reimbursement

Funds are received from the sponsor based on actual expenses incurred. Invoices are used to report expenses processed in the GL and act as a request for payment. The sponsor will pay the amount reported via check, wire, or electronic fund transfer (EFT).

Relinquishing Statement

A document to be completed when transferring an award from one institution to another.

Request for Applications / Requests for Proposals (RFA / RFP)

Formal announcement by sponsor of a funding initiative to support research projects within a well-defined area. Typically RFA's are published in the Federal Register, agency announcements, or in a foundation announcement. Federal RFP's are published in the Commerce Business Daily.

Root

A five-digit segment of the Chart of Accounts that identifies the faculty member or PI responsible for the expenditure transaction.

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Scope or Statement of Work

Detailed description of the work to be performed on a project.

Sponsor

The entity that funds a defined project.