Purpose

Forward funding refers to the process by which the College and Research Foundation agree to allow the project director to generate expenses prior to receiving funding from the sponsor. If a forward funding request is approved, the Research Foundation uses the College’s working capital reserve to cover the costs of a project, prior to receipt of funds from the sponsor. In the event that the funds are not received, the College is liable for all costs accrued.

Requests for forward funding apply to:

• Fully executed (signed) grants and contracts
• Grants, contracts, and renewals that are awarded with a known start date and budget but have not yet been executed

Usual reasons for requesting forward funding are to:

• Expedite the hiring process for new employees
• Prevent breaks in service or termination during the grant/contract renewal process
• Expedite purchase of items requiring extensive lead times (special orders) or lengthy competitive bidding process

Process

1. The Project Director should contact the Office of Sponsored Programs in order to determine if forward funding is appropriate.
2. The Project Director completes, signs, and prints the Forward Funding Request Form and attaches the applicable supporting documentation.
3. The Project Director submits the Forward Funding Request Form to their Dean for approval. (The Provost signs for Newman Real Estate Institute, the Mishkin Art Gallery, and other college-wide programs.)  In the event that an email confirmation is received from the Dean, but is unavailable to sign, the Provost may sign instead.  If the Provost is unavailable the President must sign.
4. The Project Director submits the Forward Funding Request Form to the SPAR Office for signature and submission to Research Foundation.
5. Upon Research Foundation approval, the project’s budget will be set up and an account number assigned.