The Chart of Accounts for Sponsored Awards
The high level process for setting up Chart of Account values for sponsored awards is shown below.
Refer to the document "Sponsored CoA Business Rules" on the Office for Sponsored Research web site (vpf-web.harvard.edu/osr/ra) for detailed business rules about using chart segments for sponsored awards, and to the Sponsored Chart quick references to the left for more information.
Click on any step in the process below to jump to that section.
1. Determine
an account structure for the award
2. Assign new segment values to the award
3. Set up values in the General Ledger for the award
4. Use values to create a sponsored budget and pay
expenses
Who is responsible
When an award is accepted, the Office for Sponsored Research (OSR) is responsible
for determining how new Chart of Accounts values must be set up to reflect sponsor
budgeting and reporting requirements. OSR also works with the Local Department
Administrator to determine whether additional chart values need to be established
to meet local unit tracking and reporting requirements.
Award situations that
require multiple chart segment values
In certain situations, an award may require more than one fund, activity, or
subactivity value to be set up. Refer to the Office for Sponsored Research (OSR)
web site (vpf-web.harvard.edu/osr/ra) for detailed business rules regarding setting up chart segment values for sponsored
awards.
Multiple fund segment values
The fund segment is used to indicate the sponsor who is providing award funds and what type of award (i.e., federal, non-federal) is being established.Example: In addition to the fund segment value set up for the original award funds provided by the sponsor, a separate fund segment value will be set up for
- the cost sharing portion of an award (i.e., any project cost not borne by the sponsor)
- a competing continuation
- a National Science Foundation (NSF) renewal
Multiple activity segment values
The activity segment is used to indicate what type of sponsored activity is being conducted with the award funds. An award will have multiple activity segment values when the award funds are used to perform multiple functions as defined by OMB Circular A-21.Example: An award for conducting instruction and training (OMB A-21 Code: A01) and organized research (OMB A-21 Code: A02) will have two activity segment values.
Multiple subactivity segment values
The subactivity segment is used to budget and track expenses by task or by year. An award will have multiple subactivity segment values to reflect
- multiple Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rates
- a sub-agreement issued by the University
- restrictive terms and conditions of an award
- awards with program income
- sponsor financial reporting requirements
- local unit management requirements, including tracking
- expenditures by program or task
- expenditures by year
- iInvestment income
- expenditures by faculty member
2. Assign new segment values to the award [top
of page]
Who is responsible
The Local Chart Administrator is responsible for
The Office for Sponsored Research (OSR) is responsible for assigning subactivity values to an award.
3. Set up values in the General Ledger for the award [top
of page]
Who is responsible
The Central Chart Administrator is responsible for setting up chart values in
the General Ledger (GL) and notifying OSR when setup is complete. After
values are set up in the GL, OSR is responsible for sending an Action Memo to
the Local Department Administrator to communicate the chart values set up for
the award.
4. Use values to create a sponsored budget and pay
expenses [top of page]
Who is responsible
The Local Department
Administrator is responsible for using chart values to manage the award, which
includes