DePaul University Research Services > Award Management > Setup and Implementation > The Sponsor's Grant Document

The Sponsor's Grant Document

The sponsor of a restricted program provides written documentation that a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement has been awarded. Depending on the sponsor's administrative procedures, this notification can be in one of several formats:

1. A Grant Document is Requiring Countersignature

This type of grant document requires an authorized signature from the University in order to demonstrate University agreement with the provisions contained therein.

If a Principal Investigator, or any faculty receives this type of award directly from the sponsor, the original document and any duplicates must be sent to ORS for review and signature.

Faculty cannot sign grant agreements on behalf of the University. ORS will review grant documents to ensure compatibility with DePaul University policies, sign on behalf of the University, and return any documentation to the funder.

Examples of funders who utilize this form of grant notification include:

  • Other universities
  • Illinois Arts Council
  • Illinois Board of Higher Education

2. A Grant Document Which Does NOT Require Countersignature

Certain sponsors will inform DePaul University of an award by sending a grant document which includes financial information, sources of funding, grant term, general provisions, and scope of work, but does not require a signature to execute the agreement.

If a faculty member receives such an announcement directly from the sponsor, he/she should send the original of the document to ORS, retaining a file copy.

Examples of funders who utilize this form of grant notification include:

  • Department of Education
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development

3. Electronic Notification

Certain sponsors will notify DePaul University of a grant and provide appropriate documentation through electronic means. ORS normally receives e-mail or is authorized to view notification web-sites which act as grant notification. In such instances, ORS will print out the document(s), send copies to the Principal Investigator, and set up the grant account within the University system.

If a faculty member receives such an electronic notification of grant award, either by e-mail or through a web-based server, he/she should forward this notification to ORS to ensure that ORS is aware of the award and can access it for further processing.

Examples of funders who utilize this form of grant notification include:

  • National Institutes of Health 
  • National Science Foundation