Compliance with University & Sponsor Guidelines
Most sponsors have guidance and rules determining how funds can be spent during the research period. In most cases, the research will follow the course as laid out in the application but, from time to time, the Principal Investigator will need to make alterations to this plan. Please see the following FAQs for more details.
If academics have any specific queries, they should contact the Post Award team for advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I extend the research period and finish later than originally planned?
- A ‘no-cost extension’ is usually possible as long as the costs of the project do not exceed the budget. A typical no-cost extension might provide an extra one to three months to complete the work.
- The Principal Investigator (PI) should give the Post Award team as much warning as possible and provide a written account of why the extension is necessary.
- The Research and Enterprise Office will then contact the sponsor to officially request the extension and, if successful, will reissue the award announcement with the revised details.
Q: Can I request more funding from the sponsor?
- If further funding is necessary to complete the research or explore new lines of enquiry generated by the original research, the PI should contact the Pre Award team [link to pre award section of site] for help in profiling the costs for the application.
- If successful, the sponsor will inform the Post Award team or the PI and a new or revised award announcement will be issued, giving details of the new funding, budgets and duration of the project.
Q: I am leaving Essex University. How do I transfer my research grant funds to my new institution?
- Please contact the Post Award team who will contact the sponsor on your behalf. The team will prepare a report and claim for the sponsor to recover the money spent so far. The remaining balance will transfer to your new institution for you to complete the outstanding research.
Q: Can I transfer funds from one budget category to another?
- Each sponsor has a different set of rules regarding transfer of budgets from one category to another.
- Research councils permit transfer of funds between ‘Directly Incurred’ budget lines only at the rate set out in their offer letter.
- If your research is not sponsored by a research council, you should check the terms and conditions of your award before transferring funds from one budget line to another.
