Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who do I contact for any general research administration questions? 

A: Please reach out directly to your Cluster Research Administrator (CRA). A list of Main Campus and Medical Center departments and their assigned CRAs and support staff is available on JORA’s About Us page.

Q: Where do I find information on the proposal development process? 

A: More information can be found here. 

Q: Who do I contact to get help with a proposal?

A: Please reach out to your CRA and/or Proposal Developer. CRAs will submit proposals to the sponsor while Proposal Developers will help you put together your budget and proposal package. PIs should not submit proposals on their own.

Q: How do I initiate a proposal in GU-Pass?

A: PIs can no longer initiate proposals in GU-Pass and will need to reach out to their CRA and/or Proposal Developer. 

Q: How do I sign into GU-Pass/create a GU-Pass account?

A: Please contact your CRA and/or the central JORA email account (jora@georgetown.edu) to have a GU-Pass account created for you. 

Q: If GU is a subrecipient/collaborator on another institution’s proposal, do I still need to submit materials for approval through GU-Pass?

A: Yes, proposals where GU is a subrecipient require the same GU-Pass internal approval process as proposals where GU is the lead applicant. 

Q: What information is needed to submit a proposal?

A: Our Pre-Award Proposal Development page will give general guidance, but for specific questions please contact your CRA and/or Proposal Developer. If you will be including subawardees on your application, please make sure to build in additional time as those institutions will also need to review and approve their PI’s information before submitting to GU to include in our application to the sponsor. 

Q: What do I do if I am applying to a limited submission opportunity?

A: Limited submission opportunities are funding opportunities where the sponsor has placed a limit on the number of applications that may be submitted from an institution. Please inform your CRA and/or Proposal Developer as soon as possible if you are interested in applying for a limited submission opportunity. 

Q: What is a SSDF and why is it required?

A: A SSDF is a Study Specific Disclosure Form and must be completed by all senior/key personnel listed in GU-Pass for each proposal to review for conflicts of interest for that specific project. All SSDFs should be completed before a proposal is submitted to the sponsor.

Q: Can JORA help with grant writing?

A: JORA staff are typically not subject matter experts in proposed research studies so they cannot assist with developing technical components. GU partners with a grant writing consulting firm that may be able to assist for certain types of proposals. If interested, please contact your CRA as soon as possible as there is significant lead time required for this service.  

Q: Where can I find GU’s current indirect cost and fringe benefit rates?

A: JORA’s Rates and Institutional Information page has up to date information on GU’s indirect cost and fringe benefit rates. 

Q: Can I use an indirect cost rate that is different from GU’s negotiated rate?

A: Exceptions to GU’s negotiated indirect cost rate are permitted when the sponsor limits or prohibits indirect costs, provided there is official documentation or published guidance from the sponsor. Using a lower rate than GU’s negotiated rate, unless required by the sponsor, is not recommended and is viewed as voluntary committed cost-share, which requires additional institutional approvals.

Q: I’ve received a Just in Time (JIT) request – what do I do?

A: Please make sure to inform your CRA and/or Proposal Developer as soon as possible as JITs have a short turnaround time. Further information on JITs can be found on our Pre-Award Proposal Development page.

Q: Where can I find more information on the award review, negotiation, and set-up process? 

A: More information can be found here. 

Q: I’ve just received a new sponsored agreement/notice of award (NOA), how do I begin to spend on my project?

A: Please make sure to forward the agreement/NOA to your CRA and/or Pre-Award Grant Administrator if the sponsor hasn’t already done so. The Pre-Award Grant Administrator will then review the award terms and conditions and negotiate on behalf of GU as needed. Once the agreement has been finalized and fully executed (if required – some federal sponsors do not require GU’s signature to accept an award), the Pre-Award Grant Administrator will then set the award up in GMS. Once this process has been finalized and approved by GU’s Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO), the Pre-Award Grant Administrator will provide you with your worktags which will allow you and your Grant Manager to start allocating expenses to your award.
If you need to spend before the NOA or agreement has been fully executed and set-up in GMS, please contact your CRA and/or Pre-Award Grant Administrator. Depending on where in the process the agreement is at and what the sponsor policies are, pre-award spending and/or an at-risk may be required.

Q: I’m an incoming PI new to GU, how do I transfer a project from my old institution to GU?

A: Your previous institution will need to work directly with the sponsor to determine the amount to transfer to GU. The sponsor will then issue a new sponsored agreement/NOA to GU for the remainder of the project. Please consult your CRA as soon as possible so they can assist where needed. Some sponsors may require GU to submit a new proposal package in order to receive the transfer. 

Q: I’m transferring to a new institution and need to take my grants with me, how do I begin the process?

A: Please alert your CRA as soon as possible, as the process can take several months. They will assist you and your Grant Manager in closing out your spending at GU, determining the transfer amount to the new institution with the Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO), and completing all sponsor-required relinquishment processes, which may include submitting a new proposal from the new institution. 

Q: Who do awards belong to? Can PIs sign agreements?

A: Sponsored awards are made to GU as an institution rather than directly to PIs. PIs and project teams are responsible for the proper management of the sponsored project. The decision to transfer awards is at the discretion of the sponsor and GU. PIs are not authorized to commit GU resources in contractual arrangements; only designated staff are permitted to sign and enter into sponsored agreements on behalf of GU.

Q: What is the difference between obligated and total estimated funding?

A: Sometimes a sponsor or pass-through entity will indicate an award amount or total estimated funding amount on their award to GU. This figure typically represents the total set aside by the sponsor for the entire project at GU, but it does not reflect the amount GU is authorized to spend. The obligated amount is the amount that GU is authorized to spend. For instance, if an agreement outlines a five-year project with a total of $5M, the obligated amount in the first year would likely be around $1M, not the full $5M. The Pre-Award Grant Administrator will clarify the funding structure when setting up your award in GMS, which will then be reflected in the Budget to Actuals Report (BAR).

Q: Where can I find more information on post-award grant management? 

A: More information can be found here. Medical Center post-award grant management is handled outside of JORA.

Q: I’ve been notified that I will be receiving a new sponsored award shortly, but I need to start allowable pre-award spending. How do I get an at-risk account set-up?

A: Main Campus and the Medical Center currently have two different processes for setting up at-risks. All at-risks require an internal discretionary source of back-up funding and approval of the department. If the new award or next year of funding does not come through, any expenses charged during the at-risk period will be charged to the internal source of back-up funding.

For Medical Center PIs, please reach out to your assigned Grant Manager and they will help route the request in GMS. Once the request goes through the necessary approvals in GMS it will then route to a JORA Pre-Award Grant Administrator who will approve and set-up the request in GMS to allow pre-award spending. 

For Main Campus PIs, please reach out to your assigned JORA Grant Manager and they will help complete the at-risk form which will need to route for signature approval. Once signatures are received the Pre-Award Grant Administrator will then establish the at-risk period for your project in GMS to allow pre-award spending. 

At-risks are also sometimes required if we are waiting on the sponsor to obligate the next year of funding, but the above process is still the same. Please see the Sponsored Projects Finance Office’s (SPFO) policy on at-risk accounts. 

Q: How do I access GMS?

A: All GU staff should be able to access GMS using their net ID and net ID password. If you are having issues, please contact University Information Services (UIS) at help@georgetown.edu. 

Q: How do I incur charges to my award?

A: Effort: Once your award has been set up and you’ve been provided with the worktags you can share these with your departmental or lab administrative staff. Fringe is automatically calculated in GMS based on the effort levels set in the costing allocation and GU’s negotiated fringe rates. If corrections are needed your Grant Manager can assist with processing a Payroll Accounting Adjustment (PAA) to adjust effort in GMS.

Purchase Orders (POs) and Punch-Outs: PIs should work with their administrative staff and GU’s Procurement Office to set up purchase orders to pay suppliers. Punch-outs: GU has agreements with several large-scale vendors that allow for direct purchasing through GMS. This is preferred over charging items on the pro-card.

Expense Reports: Job aids for completing and submitting expense reports are available on the GMS Training Page in the Finance section.

Subaward Invoices: All subaward invoices should be emailed by the subawardee to subaward@georgetown.edu – this information is included in their subaward agreement. This email account is managed by the Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO) and they will review and then route the invoice for approval in GMS to the Grant Manager and PI assigned to the award in GMS. Once the invoice has been approved in GMS the cost will then post and show in the Budget to Actuals Report (BAR).

Shared Resource Services: For more information and contacts for questions please see the Shared Resource Services webpage. These services are charged to grants via internal chargebacks and will show up as line item expenses in your Budget to Actual Reports (BAR).

Q: What happens if I overspend my award?

A: Post-award grant management for the Medical Center is handled outside of JORA. Medical Center PIs should work directly with their assigned Medical Center Grant Manager. 

For Main Campus PIs, your JORA Grant Manager should be sending you monthly Budget to Actuals Reports (BAR) from GMS which should help catch overspends before they happen. In cases where an overspend is unavoidable, then during the close-out period, after the period of performance has ended, the Grant Manager will work with you to transfer the overspend to another source. 

Q: What happens if I underspend my award and there is a balance left at the end?

A: Post-award grant management for the Medical Center is handled outside of JORA. Medical Center PIs should work directly with their assigned Medical Center Grant Manager. 

For Main Campus PIs, if there is a balance left at the end of your project, then during the close-out period the Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO) will work with the JORA Grant Manager to either stop drawing down funds, refund the sponsor in cases of prepayment, or transfer to a PI’s internal funding account if allowed by the sponsor. These options are determined by the terms and conditions of your award. 

Q: How do I submit progress reports?

A: It will depend on the terms and conditions of your sponsored award. Some sponsors may require progress or technical reports to be submitted by an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) while others will let a PI submit directly. Some may need to be submitted in a specific sponsor portal while others may be submitted via email. In cases where an AOR needs to submit, please work directly with your CRA. Even if an AOR is not required to submit, please still be sure to share your report with your CRA so that they may upload a copy to GMS and turn off any GMS automatic reminders. 

Q: How are financial reports submitted?

A: Post-award grant management for the Medical Center is handled outside of JORA. Medical Center PIs should work directly with their assigned Medical Center Grant Manager. 

Financial reports are typically submitted by the Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO). For Main Campus PIs, you should work directly with your JORA Grant Manager to ensure that all applicable transactions are posted correctly in GMS, so that financial reports are accurate. Like progress or technical reports, the method for submitting will depend on the terms and conditions of your award. 

Q: How do I request a No Cost Extension (NCE)?

A: Post-award grant management for the Medical Center is handled outside of JORA. Medical Center PIs should work directly with their assigned Medical Center Grant Manager.

For Main Campus PIs, please alert your Grant Manager and/or CRA at least 90 days prior to the end of your award (unless the sponsor requires sooner). For Medical Center PIs, please alert your CRA at least 90 days prior to the end of your award (unless the sponsor requires sooner). The CRA will then submit the official request to the sponsor. Once the sponsor approves, the Pre-Award Grant Administrator will then extend the award in GMS. Some sponsors may require an unobligated balance amount, justification for the use of unobligated funds during the NCE period, and a scientific rationale for continuing the project.

Q: Where should I go for questions about my IRB?

A: GU’s Human Subject Protections Office has IRB guidance and contacts here. 

Q: I’m conducting an international sponsored project and have a question about Export Controls – where should I go?

A: The Office of Research Oversight has export controls guidance here. 

Q: I’ve been contacted by an auditor, what should I do?

A: Please contact your CRA immediately. They will work with the Sponsored Projects Finance Office (SPFO) to handle the auditor’s requests. Your CRA and SPFO should handle all communication with the auditor. 

Q: I need a Data Use Agreement or have questions about Data Use Agreements. Who do I contact? 

A: Please email Robyn Sutton, Senior Pre-Award Grant Administrator for Data Use Agreements and Subawards, at rs2493@georgetown.edu and/or jora@georgetown.edu.