All actions for procurement of goods and services, travel, payroll authorizations, payment of bills and collections of revenue in supportof grants activities follow the regularly established rules and protocols for managing the business affairs of the University. Post this log conscientiously every day. When you have meetings pertaining to the grant, keep an attendance record, pass a sheet and have those in attendance sign it. Keep brief minutes of the meeting. These records are often valuable in substantiating matching fund accounting.
Many grantors allow matching fund periods prior to periods of award.
When equipment is ordered that is to be used in matching, indicate so on the PR and keep a log of this equipment in your notebook. All requests for payment of personnel that require the issuing of AP14s need to be transmitted to the appropriate dean in memorandum form by the PI AND must be based on a written agreement for each person being paid. The dean's secretaries have sample agreements that you can use as a model. It is important that all such agreements be signed by participants before they actually start participating in the activities for which they will be paid. There is almost always a requirement to report what you did and what kind of results you achieved after you have finished with your grant program.