Monitoring Accounts and Receivables
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) offers a number of tools to assist the research team in the regular financial monitoring of a research study. Online registration for sessions about these tools is available at: http://research.osu.edu/researchers/training/
PI Portal
The PI Portal provides secure online access to proposal, award, and sponsored project information.
Month End Financial Statements (eMEFS)
This tool provides a snapshot of the financial status of a project at the end of each month. The report includes a project financial summary, detail of expenses and commitments and project demurrage expenses. An e-mail notification is sent to all PIs, co-investigators, department fiscal officers, senior fiscal officers, deans, and chairs. This tool can be used to reconcile project expenses and commitments at the end of each month. Users can also view and print the project financial summary and various detailed personnel and non-personnel reports.
eProjEnd
This report lists projects that are approaching or are past their end dates and to which there are still personnel appointed.
E-Cert
The electronic effort certification system produces a report detailing compensated effort and cost shared effort of employees that are charged to sponsored projects. The reports are sent to PIs, co-investigators, and other monthly-paid employees for review, approval, or modification and electronic signature. Effort reporting is a federal requirement.
E-Scan
This report provides a monthly summary of personnel expenses, including personnel expenditure transfers (PETs), for all individuals appointed to sponsored projects. It is recommended that you review E-Scan reports on at least a monthly basis to ensure personnel costs are being charged to the correct project.
E-PETs
The electronic personnel expenditure transfer (PET) application provides PIs with a way to both approve and justify PETs less than 90 days after occurrence.
Cost Transfers
If expenses on one project that should have been charged to a different project, the PI can contact the department administrator. The administrator can assist with the transfer of charges to the correct project. In order to comply with audit requirements, cost transfers must be completed within 90 days of the cost incurrence, and the reason for the cost transfer must be documented. Cost transfers more than 90 days old require additional documentation and authorization by your department or college and OSP.
Project Commitments
Payroll encumbrances are the most common reason for projects appearing to be overspent. Typically, personnel costs are committed through the end date of a project. However, clinical trial budgets are only increased as funds are received so it is important to consider if additional funds are expected to determine if the project is truly overspent. If there really are insufficient funds, it will be necessary to move the personnel to another project or to a department fund prior to the project end. Contact your department human resource professional (HRP) to move personnel appointments to other projects or department funds as necessary.