Post Award
Setting Up an Award
You will receive a RED notification from SPARCS and your research administrator when a new award has been set up. We will work with you to ensure the budget is loaded to WRS correctly, student appointments are processed, and TEARS cost share effort is set up. You can always check RED or the PI Portal to access your projects and status updates.
For awards with Co-PI’s (within MAE and outside departments), segments can be created to manage funding by investigator. This will help track funding and expenditures for reporting and tenure purposes. Segments are strongly encouraged for awards with multiple PIs.
Summer Salary/Additional Comp
When you are preparing and submitting your summer salary/additional compensation requests, leave is not applicable to 9-month employees outside of the 9-month contract period. Summer pay should only be paid for the actual time or percentage worked.
The summer salary training must be completed annually by any faculty member who is to receive summer salary; and by any administrators who will approve or enter the requests. The training is titled “Required Online Summer Salary Training” and can be accessed via Reporter.
There should be funds in the summer salary budget line (51116) either in the original proposal or through a PMR/budget modification. There should be funds in the overall salary budget line, and the overall project. Please ensure the dates being requested fall within the dates of the award. All personnel requesting summer salary must be a named PI or Co-PI on the award.
Additional Comp requests should be submitted via Smartsheets in the menu at the top of this page.
Release Time/Course Buy-outs
Release time is defined as time in which the department releases a PI from teaching duties in order to perform research. A portion of 9-month salary is directly charged to the project instead of departmental funds, thus the funds are “released.” If tied to a course buy-out, approval is required from the Dept Head.
Course buy-outs must be submitted by July 1 for fall semesters, and October 1 for spring semesters. As of Fall 2025, the course buy-out amount is $18,000.
Request a course buy-out, scholarly leave, or release time here.
Release time must be in the project budget under account code 51118, either in the original award budget or via a budget modification PMR. We will work with you to complete the required release time form, obtain signatures, and send to COE for processing.
Project Modification
A project modification request is used to initiate modifications to sponsored projects. Common types are budget modifications, no-cost extensions, and equipment acquisition.
Please use the form below to submit a project modification request. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to mae-sponsoredresearch@ncsu.edu.