Introduction to Subawards
A subaward or subcontract is a contract obligating an organization or person to do work for another organization as part of a larger project. The University of Arizona uses subawards when a particular capability or expertise required for the project is not available at the University. Successful subawards require collaboration between the principal investigator, the department business/finance office, Office of Research Contracting (ORC) and Sponsored Projects Services (SPS).
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Uniform Guidance (2 CFR, 200), Section 200.331 specifically prescribes subrecipient monitoring procedures to hold the University accountable for the performance and spending of subawards. The University of Arizona Subrecipient Monitoring Guide provides guidance for principal investigators and the business/finance office. It outlines the roles and responsibilities for the entire subaward lifecycle and provides procedures for subrecipient monitoring based on the risk assessment of a subaward.
The following sections detail the life cycle of subawards and the procedures for proposing, issuing, managing, and closing of subawards.
Subawards in Proposal Development
Subawards in Proposal Development defines the subrecipient vs. contractor relationship and describes the documents that must be created and assembled as part of the original research proposal in order to establish the case for a subaward.
Subaward Initiation and Setup
The Office of Research Contracts Subawards Team works with the business/finance office to initiate the issuance of an outgoing subaward.
The Subaward Initiation and Setup page discusses the specific procedures and documents required to initiate and execute a subaward agreement
Subaward Management Procedures
In the subaward management phase, the principal investigator and the business/finance office are responsible for evaluating subrecipient progress reports, notifying the Office of Research Contracts Subawards Team of any subaward changes, and submitting invoice payment requests in a timely manner. See the Subaward Management page for detailed explanations and processes.
Subaward Closeout Procedures
Closeout procedures include information and forms that must be completed by the principal investigator and business/finance office near the end of the subaward. The Subaward Closeout page explains closeout responsibilities and procedures in detail.