As principal investigators transfer universities, it may be necessary to coordinate the transfer of an award to or from Princeton University. The department Grants Manager will be the initial point-of-contact in coordinating the request with the appropriate Grants & Contract Administrator (GCA) within the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA).
Principal Investigators (PI's) should notify their assigned department Grants Manager early to coordinate the requirements of the official award transfer request with the sponsor via the assigned ORPA GCA. A list of appropriate Departmental Contacts is available if you are unsure of your ORPA contact.
Transfer and Termination Procedures
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Transfer Requests: Inbound and Outbound
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Ultimately, it is up to the sponsor to decide if your award may be transferred. That decision can be based on a number of factors, from the organizational readiness of the institution to the nuances of transferring materials and equipment. The process of reissuing an award can take several months.
Inbound Transfers
As the incoming Principal Investigator, you and your current institution will initiate the transfer request directly with the sponsor. Your new department Grants Manager at Princeton will then work with the Office of Research & Project Administration to initiate the award transfer to Princeton University.
Although your project is already in progress, this is technically considered to be a new proposal at Princeton. As such, it will need to be developed in our house tracking system, Princeton ERA, and routed in the same manner as any other proposal so a budget will be developed for the amount to be transferred.
Outbound Transfers
In the event that you decide to leave Princeton while in the midst of a sponsored project, you must work with your department Grants Manager and ORPA to confirm whether the award may be transferred. Because all awards are technically granted to Princeton, the University has the right to retain the award.
Request an outbound transfer:
- Through your department Grants Manager, submit your transfer request with departmental approvals to ORPA.
- ORPA will review it and submit the request to the sponsor (along with any other required documents).
- Written sponsor approval is required for the transfer of the award from one legal entity to another. The sponsor may request specific documentation, including progress reports, relinquishing statements, or material transfer requests. Your ORPA contact will work with your Grants Manager to work through the process.
Please be aware that lab equipment and materials may or may not be approved to leave the University as part of the transfer. Should you wish to include such items in the transfer, you must work with your department to resolve those details.
Please also be aware that outbound transfers may require early termination of Princeton issued subawards. The Grants Manager should contact the Subawards team if there are subawards issued on an award being transferred.
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Early Termination
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Sponsored award terms and conditions typically include early termination notification requirements that allow for either University or the sponsor initiation.
- Sponsor-initiated termination: The sponsor must provide written notification to ORPA, who will contact you and your department immediately. If the termination notice is sent to the PI or department, ORPA should be sent a copy immediately.
- University-initiated termination: Written notification must be submitted by ORPA to the sponsor.
ORPA will work with you to evaluate the termination notice, plan a formal response to the sponsor, and begin the closeout process. In the event of early termination, all required reports must still be provided to the sponsor. Keep in mind that early terminations can impact Princeton issued subawards. Please notify your Subaward Administrator if your award is terminated,