Please use the following steps as a guide to your sponsored account closeout. Following the steps on a timely basis will greatly facilitate the closing process and help to ensure timely final payment from the sponsor.

1. If you wish to request a No Cost Extension, to complete the technical aims of the project, contact your OSR Grant and Contract Officer (GCO). To determine the GCO for your project, please view the OSR Grant and Contract Officer Finder. To download the necessary OSR-2 form and instructions, please view the OSR Forms webpage.
2. If a competing renewal is pending, advise your ASRSP Grant and Contract Financial Administrator (GCFA). To determine the GCFA for your project, please view the ASRSP Financial Administrator Directory.
3. Your sponsor may have included an option period as part of the terms of the award. If an option period is pending, please contact the sponsor's technical representative to find out if the option period will be exercised. Please email any agency correspondence indicating that the option period will be exercised to your ASRSP GCFA and your OSR GCO. Please note that an award cannot be extended until the option is exercised via an amendment from the agency.
4. Review the Terms of Award and ensure that all deliverables are submitted by the designated due dates including Final Technical Reports, Final Invention Statements, and Property Reports.
   • Questions regarding the Technical Reports should be directed to your OSR GCO.
   • Final Invention Statements should be directed to Nancy Temkin in OSR at n-temkin@northwestern.edu or 847 491-2106.
   • Property Reports should be directed to your ASRSP GCFA.
5. Carefully review the expenditure activity of the project account.
   • Verify that all costs charged to the account are appropriate. If a correction is required, work with your department staff to prepare Request for Accounting Correction (RAC) or payroll adjustment forms. All cost transfers, including salary, should be completed within 90 days of their original transaction date. Expense transfers over the 90- day limit must be accompanied by a letter of explanation (90 Day Letter), signed by the PI, and forwarded to ASRSP for review.
   • Working with your department staff, delete any invalid or obsolete encumbrances in CUFS.
   • When the project has ended, identify any late charges that have not yet posted (e.g. internal service providers) and email your ASRSP GCFA a list of such expenses that will be charged to the account and included on the final report/invoice. Please note that ASRSP must adhere to strict submission dates for the final financial report/invoice. Some accounts allow only 30-60 days for a final report or invoice to be submitted. Therefore, it is crucial that any remaining expenses be posted promptly to the account
   • If you have any financial questions regarding the account(s), please contact your ASRSP GCFA.
6. Ensure that Effort Reports have been submitted for all completed quarters encompassed in the project period. Questions regarding effort reporting should be directed to:
   Evanston campus Effort Coordinator: Tina Mete at c-mete@northwestern.edu or 847 491-6755
   Chicago campus Effort Coordinator: Kathleen Doherty at k-doherty2@northwestern.edu or 847 467-2655.
7. When requested by the ASRSP GCFA, review and certify the final project budget statement on a timely basis. This will ensure that the final financial report/invoice is submitted to the sponsor in the required timeframe and the University receives prompt final payment.