Federal Grants and Contracts

Federal Grants

Federal grants provide funding from the federal government for a public purpose. The grantee is responsible for conducting the project activities, reporting on progress,Ìýand preparing the results for publication. The granting agency monitors the use of funds it disburses, but it normally has minimal involvement in the substance of the work.

Occasionally, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ receives a federal grant. Due to federal terms and conditions or negotiation requirements, it may be assigned to a Contract Officer.Ìý

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ also receives grants from sponsors who have been funded by federal agencies. Often, these grants contain terms whereÌýno negotiation is required. There are instances where sponsors add their own terms that necessitate negotiation by Grant or Contract Officers at the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG).

Cooperative Agreement

A cooperative agreement is similar to a grant, but the granting agency's staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation and anticipate having substantial involvement in the sponsored project's activities once the award has been made.

Occasionally, CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ receives a cooperative agreement. Due to federal terms and conditions or negotiation requirements, it may be assigned to a Contract Officer.

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ also receives cooperative agreements from sponsors who have been funded by federal agencies.Ìý The sponsor’s staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation. The sponsor and the granting agency’s staff may also anticipate having substantial involvement in sponsored project activities once the award has been made.Ìý Often these cooperative agreements contain terms where no negotiation is required.ÌýThere are instances where sponsors add their own terms that necessitate negotiation by Grant or Contract Officers.Ìý

Federal Contracts

Like a grant or cooperative agreement, a federal contract provides funding from the federal government for sponsored projects. Unlike a grant or cooperative agreement, the federal government uses contracts as a procurement mechanism.

The principal purpose of the federal contract instrument is to purchase property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government, as opposed to the public good. Federal contracts are governed by a strict set of terms and conditions, including clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and often include supplemental clauses specific to the awarding agency. These requirements differ depending on the type of contractor and the work being performed. Many of these requirements are negotiable.

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ also receives contracts from sponsors who have been funded by federal agencies under FAR.ÌýThe sponsor’s staff may be actively involved in proposal preparation, therefore, it is imperative CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and the sponsor are in agreement on scope of the project and intentions of both parties prior to proposal submission.Ìý

The awarding agency’s staff may anticipate having substantial involvement in sponsored project activities once the award has been made.Ìý All federally funded FAR contracts require negotiation by Contract Officers to preserve CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s mission and mitigate onerous and unnecessary compliance obligations.Ìý

These contracts usually require frequent reporting and many compliance obligations. A failure to perform these obligations could result in potential legal action and financial consequences. Contract Officers remove or mitigate legal and financial risks for these type of agreements through negotiation.

Notice of an Award

A Notice of Award (NOA) or Notice of Grant AwardÌý(NGA or NOGA)Ìýis an award notification from a sponsor. Typically, it contains information about:

  • The amount of funds obligated
  • The time period for performance
  • The scope of work
  • Information about the terms and conditions associated with the award

Sometimes the notice is as informal as an email from a sponsor requesting CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ provide an agreement to facilitate the project.Ìý

A NOA is normally sent directly to OCG because OCG is the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) to receive and accept award notices on behalf of CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ. However, if a Principal Investigator (PI) receives a NOA, they should immediately forward it to ocg@colorado.eduÌýso it can be entered into OCG's award management system.