The Division of Research Administration works closely with faculty and department business office staff to ensure financial compliance and proper accounting of externally sponsored funds. DRA’s financial management responsibilities include account set-up, financial reporting, award closeouts, cash management, audits, and reviews.
Award Management
Our accountants analyze and interpret agreements and related documentation for new sponsored projects and gift accounts that are not related to endowment fund to ensure their setup is correctly structured for billing and reporting requirements; is coded correctly to ensure accurate reporting of financial activity; and is thoroughly compliant with University and sponsor parameters.
We also create account cost-sharing, settlement rules and budget entries using advanced understanding of compliance issues regarding federal, state and University rules and regulations. This includes line-item variances between budget versus actual expenditures to ensure compliance with sponsor’s regulations.
To change WBS elements, please complete this form and send requests to Carol Malkemus. Your requests will then be routed accordingly.
See the Research Accountant List by Agency.
Sponsored program accounts will be set up once the university receives a fully signed contract, grant, or award letter from a sponsor. The IRIS system will generate an automatic e-mail that is sent to the PI and other identified individuals on that project alerting them of the WBS number.
An advance account (new WBS element) can be requested prior to the signed award document being received from the sponsor. Click here for the
Advance Account Request form.
The decision to begin incurring charges must be made based on the evaluation of the PI and department. If the proposal is not funded by the sponsor, then any charges to an advance account are the responsibility of the PI and the department, and all charges will be transferred to a non-sponsored program account.
The process to request an advanced account is as follows:
- Complete the “Request for WBS Element (Sponsored Projects)” form completed with the Department Head and Dean signature
- Forward form and GL budget to the following email address: spa-awards@utk.edu
Note, if the funds contain PHS, DHHS or NIH funding either direct or indirectly, the process may be delayed until we receive official confirmation that the Financial Conflict of Interest compliance has been satisfied.
Our staff prepares and submits accurate and timely invoices to sponsors according to the terms of the awards.
Our staff ensures the accurate application and rapid collection of sponsored projects payments to the appropriate outstanding invoices or directly to the appropriate WBS elements.
Our staff interprets and applies fiscal regulations and guidelines to ensure all federal, state, University and private sponsor requirements are met for effective financial reporting purposes. We prepare reports quarterly, semi-annually and annually for federal agencies and sponsors as required.
Our staff develops, prepares, and maintains the timely closeout of reports, financial documentation, and Schedules of Final Charges (SFCs) that accurately represent financial expenses to sponsors per University fiscal policy and sponsor guidelines. We ensure prompt reconciliations, justifications, cost-share information, program income and all other facets involved in the accurate reporting of a sponsored project.
Financial Compliance
Compliance staff within in our area provides assistance to departments, staff, and principal investigators, in understanding the requirements involved with successful financial management of sponsored projects. We also conduct routine and departmental compliance reviews in order to assess the strength of financial controls. When weaknesses are discovered, we determine on a case-by-case basis how best to mitigate risks and realign the control structure to ensure future compliance.
Compliance Staff within our area serve as the point person for all sponsor reviews/audit requests. We coordinate all meetings; review, organize, and supply all supporting materials requested by the sponsoring agencies to them for financial reviews of sponsored projects. Our unit also works with the sponsors to mitigate and respond to audit findings.