A sponsored project is a grant, contract or other arrangement formalizing the transfer of money or property from a sponsor to the Annamacharya University, with the intent to either carry out a public purpose or provide a direct benefit to the sponsor. Sponsored projects can come in various forms, including but not limited to grants, contracts and cooperative agreements. Sponsored projects are enforceable by law, and specified objectives are usually accomplished within a specified time frame, with payment being subject to revocation. Most sponsored projects also include facilities and administrative (F&A) costs. Sponsored project documents that set forth terms and conditions and require a signature must be signed by an authorized signatory of the University.

Sponsored Project Characteristics

Projects or activities that require administration by Sponsored Projects may include any or all of the following general characteristics:

• The sponsor may be a Central, state or local government (includes subawards in which flow-through funds are from a Central, state or local government source); a private, for-profit entity; or a non-profit entity such as a foundation.
• The proposal or award requires proprietary, non-public deliverables to be rendered to the funding entity (often referred to as a contractual obligation) or funds (directly or indirectly) research, scholarly, creative and/or entrepreneurial activity.
• The proposal or award requires a signature from an authorized official binding the University to the terms and conditions of the proposed project.
• The award contains terms of use for the funds such as budgetary restrictions, states the programmatic objectives to be achieved and defines the responsible individuals and period of performance.
• The award is typically the result of an outcome-driven proposal.
• Detailed programmatic and/or fiscal reporting for sponsor approval is required during the life of the project and at the end of the project.
• Payment is contingent upon programmatic accomplishments or detailed fiscal reporting.
• The award includes a provision for audit.
• Prior sponsor approval is required for significant programmatic and/or physical deviations.
• The award contains language regarding the sponsor’s right to revoke funding and that unused funds may need to be returned to the sponsor.
• The award addresses intellectual property, patent, and publication and/or data rights.
• The award requires protection of confidential information.
• Project studies are to be conducted on substances/products/processes that are owned by the sponsor or involve similar arrangements.
• The project involves the use of human subjects, vertebrate animals, radioisotopes on humans, radioactive materials, recombinant DNA, human body substances, etiologic agents, restricted biologics or chemicals, or proprietary materials.
• The sponsor may hope to gain economic benefit as a result of the activity to be conducted.

Excluded from the sponsored project classification are the following:

• Contracts entered into by faculty for scholarly writing and artistic creation.
• A subset of service agreements administered by the Annamcharya University .
• Fee for service contracts administered by the Annamcharya University and University Registrar’s Office.
• Service agreements and facilities and equipment use agreements administered by the Annamcharya University for Applied Research.

If none of the above characteristics of a sponsored project are present, such awards may be treated as gifts. Final determination of a sponsored project rests with the Dean R&D for research and innovation.