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Manage Funding

Congratulations on your award! An advisor from the Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS), the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO), or  Health Research Services (HRS) will help you access the grant money you have been awarded and assist you in adhering to the University policies, terms of the grant agreement and granting agency rules by:

  • Bringing awarded projects into the operational phase
  • Acting as the primary institutional contact for external granting agencies
  • Ensuring compliance with agency and institutional policy
  • Preparing and submitting financial reports in accordance with granting agency guidelines
  • Preparing and submitting invoiced, requests for payments and reimbursements

Have additional questions? If you have been awarded funding and are in the Faculty of Health Sciences, please contact an Advisor from HRS. If you have been awarded for industry sponsored funding, please contact an Advisor from MILO. For support with external non-industry funding, please contact an Advisor from ROADS. Find advisors from HRS, MILO and ROADS on our staff directory page.

Agreement/ Contract Review

Our research administration offices (ROADS, MILO, HRS) will review and negotiate sponsor agreements and contract with agencies and partners for approved projects on behalf of McMaster University. Depending on the size and scope of the project, the negotiation process may cover legal, insurance and financial review, ethics compliance, and the establishment of a bilateral/consortium agreement. In some circumstances agreements or contracts are vetted through MILO for review of intellectual property rights protection.

All agreements and contracts require an authorized McMaster signing authority, not the Principal Investigator (PI). In some situations, the research administration office (ROADS, MILO, or HRS) must review the project budget in its final form before an award can be accepted. All project agreements must be acknowledged by the PI. It is the PI’s responsibility to ensure that all project participants are informed of their obligations under the established terms and conditions.

Opening a Research Account

To open a research account, the research administration offices (ROADS, MILO, HRS) will need:

  • A complete copy of the proposal, including all required appendices and CVs
  • A completed application approval form or HRS checklist
  • The Notice of Award from the funding source or the research agreement for the project.
  • All applicable ethics clearances and certifications, including the Ethics Review Board, animal-care, biohazards, radiation safety or controlled goods. Please note that a research account will not be opened until all applicable approvals are in place.

Once all requirements are met, the research administration office (ROADS, MILO,or HRS) will process the new account request.  The Office of Research Finance or Health Sciences Research Finance will activate the project and send a new project email to notify the Principal Investigator, the appropriate department and faculty administrators (where applicable), and the designated representative of the ROADS, MILO, or HRS that the account is ready to use.

Accessing Award Funding

Once all requirements are met, the Office of Research Finance or Health Sciences Research Finance will open an account for the project. Once the account is opened and activated, your Senior Research Accountant will send a new project email to notify the Principal Investigator, the appropriate department and faculty administrators (where applicable), and the designated representative of the research administration office (ROADS, MILO, or HRS) that the account is ready to use.

Before you start spending, check out the policies and guidelines of the funding agency:

Ensure that your delegates have the proper signing authority by filling out the “Research Project Holder’s Accountabilities Form (PDF)”.

Transferring or Amending Research Funds

Collaborative research projects often require transferring funds between institutions to co-investigators. The research administration offices (ROADS, MILO, or HRS) can prepare the sub-agreement and handle the transfer process in co-ordination with the Office of Research Finance or Health Sciences Research Finance. ROADS and HRS are the institutional signatory on all non-industrial transfer grants and agreements. For industrial transfer grants and agreements, please contact MILO.

Need to transfer funds to your co-investigator’s institution? You’ll need to complete the “request to transfer funds to co-applicant” form and submit it to the research administration office (ROADS, MILO, or HRS) that assisted with development and submission of the grant application.

Financial management & Reporting Research Activity

The PI is the account holder of an award or project, and is responsible and accountable for that account. The PI is responsible for submitting the narrative reports or deliverables to the funding sources or sponsor on time and as required. The Office of Research Finance or Health Sciences Research Finance is responsible for submitting the financial statements and invoices where appropriate.

Application Approval Forms

Research Finance Forms