Research finance
Accessing the funds
Once your contract has been executed, and acceptance documentation signed, the budget form will be forwarded by the Research Office to the Department of Financial Operations, and a separate Project Account established if the grant meets GL Project Code Determination criteria.If the grant does not qualify for a new account then invoicing and charging will be made from an existing departmental account. When a Project Account has been opened the CI and Department Manager will be notified via Themis email. Expenditure on the award can then begin, subject to any conditions set by the sponsor.
Managing the expenditure
The first-named CI and their department are responsible for the daily management of the funds. In most cases, the full amount of the contract will be available as a ‘one-line’ budget at the commencement of the project. Some sponsors, however, require the University to invoice them for progressive payments throughout the contracted period. These may be linked to specific project milestones, or to certain dates. The CI and department must be aware of all invoicing requirements, and any associated project milestones/reports, and must ensure that they are met in a timely manner. The Departmental administration is responsible for meeting invoicing requirements.If you have been given a project account you will be able to check your balance at any time by logging into the Self Service module of the Themis Research Management System. If not you will need to contact your Departmental Administrator to check on balance and expenditure.
Employing staff
All personnel funded from your agreement must be employed in strict accordance with the University’s Human Resources policies (salary scale and conditions of employment).If you need to commence staff on salaries under a research contract contact your Department Client Services Officer for advice on commencing the recruitment process. Recruitment should start when you are advised of your account number. Upon finalisation of the selection process (or request for direct appointments) HR will generate an offer of employment to the successful candidate.
Financial reporting
The ‘core deliverables’ – the major financial and reporting milestones for your project – are identified and entered into Themis by Financial Operations. Themis will generate an email reminder to the CI and the Agreement Administrator in the department two weeks before a deliverable is due.Financial Operations is responsible for providing ongoing financial reports and end of project financial acquittal.
Contact
Client Services Accountant: Financial Operations (daily financial management questions)Client Services Officers (recruitment and employment practices)