None of these documents requires an acceptance signature. Other federal and nonfederal agencies submit award documents that may or may not require an acceptance signature by an authorized University official. A transmittal letter and a check may constitute an award. The award document may be a grant document, a two-party contract, or a letter of acceptance. The document must indicate the dollar amount, the period of time, the rules and regulations that govern the expenditure of funds, and any other information necessary to identify the project.
Most funding agencies send award documents to an institution's business office.
Indiana University has designated Contract and Grant Administration to be its business office when dealing with funding agencies. Once an agreement is reached, awards are then signed by an authorized University official and accepted, and an account number is established. In most instances, grant funds may not be committed or expended prior to the project start date, even though an account may have already been established. In most instances, expenditures or obligations made prior to the project's start date cannot be reimbursed from the grant without written approval by the funding agency.