Research Administration serves as a key resource for the management of subawards, from proposal development through closeout. Support provided depends on the nature of the funding.

Temple may act as either:

• Prime Recipient - issuing subawards to other entities
• Subrecipient - receiving a subaward from another institution

Temple as a Prime Recipient

Below is an overview of the typical subaward lifecycle when Temple is the prime recipient, including common steps and documentation requirements.

While each subaward is unique, this provides a general framework.

To begin:

• Determine whether the outside entity is a Subrecipient, Vendor, or Consultant
• Complete the Subrecipient/Contractor Classification Form (see Forms Library)
• Build the budget accordingly based on classification

Review the University’s Subaward Guidelines for additional requirements.

All required documentation must be submitted through Temple ERA before subaward work can begin.

For assistance, contact your Subaward Administrator.

Prime Recipient Subaward Lifecycle

Issuing funds to another entity where Temple is the prime recipient of the award.

In this role, Temple receives funding from the sponsor and establishes contractual relationships with partner organizations to carry out the work.

Proposal Development

At the proposal stage, the Proposal Review and Submission team is the primary point of contact, with support from the Subaward team.

Subawards must be identified early, and required documentation must be completed and submitted as part of the proposal.

Classification Types

Subrecipient

This relationship exists when funding is provided to another organization to perform a substantive portion of the scope of work under the award.

Vendor

A vendor provides goods or services as part of normal business operations, such as supplies, materials, or data processing.

Consultant

Consultants are external experts hired for a specific service. They:

• Are not employed by Temple
• Are not supervised by Temple staff
• Do not supervise Temple staff
• Do not use University facilities or resources
• Assume their own profit or loss risk

Required Proposal Documents

All subrecipient documentation must be uploaded to the ERA record, including:

• Subaward Commitment Form
  • Financial Status Questionnaire (FSQ), if required
  • Supporting financial documentation
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Budget and budget justification
• Attachment 3B (for federal subawards, as applicable)
• Letter of Intent (if required by sponsor)
• Biosketches (if required by sponsor)
• Any additional sponsor-required documents

Fixed-Price Subawards
If a subaward will be issued as fixed price, this must be justified in the proposal budget justification.

Subaward Initiation

Once the Notice of Award (NOA) checklist is issued and a FOAPAL has been assigned, subaward initiation can begin.

Submit all required documentation through Temple ERA.

The Subaward team will:

• Review submitted materials
• Perform a subrecipient risk assessment
• Draft and negotiate agreement terms
• Initiate the subaward

Required Documents

• Subaward initiation request in Temple ERA
• Documented sponsor approval (if not approved at proposal stage)
• Statement of Work, Budget, and Budget Justification (if revised)

Additional Documents (as needed)

• Schedule of Payments (required for fixed-price subawards)
• Sole Source Justification Form (for contracts only)

Refer to the Forms Library for all documents.

Subaward Amendment

Amendments may be required for:

• Additional or incremental funding
• Extensions of performance period
• Changes to scope of work or budget
• Deobligation of funds
• Early termination

The Subaward team will conduct a new risk assessment as part of the amendment process.

Required Documents

• Subaward amendment request via Temple ERA
• Revised budget and/or Statement of Work
• Revised Schedule of Payments (if applicable)

Additional Documents (as needed)

• Updated FSQ and financial documentation
• Revised Schedule of Payments for fixed-price subawards

Refer to the Forms Library for all documents.

Subaward Invoicing and Monitoring

In accordance with University Subaward Guidelines, Temple must ensure that funds issued to subrecipients are used in compliance with sponsor terms, laws, and regulations.

The PI or designee is responsible for:

• Reviewing invoice cost categories and expenses
• Confirming that the approved F and A rate is applied correctly
• Ensuring expenses align with project progress, milestones, and deliverables

Invoices should be reviewed against the approved budget and payment schedule.

Subaward Closeout

To close out a subaward:

• The Subaward Closeout Form will be provided by the Subaward Administrator or accessed via the Forms Library
• The PI and Department Administrator must review, sign, and return the form

Research Administration will:

• Confirm final invoice receipt and processing
• Verify that all required reports have been submitted

If funds remain:

• The Subaward team will request deobligation of unspent funds

Once complete, the subaward will be formally closed.

The PI and Department are responsible for retaining documentation in accordance with University record retention requirements and subaward terms.

Temple as a Subrecipient

Temple receives funding from another institution.

When Temple participates as a research partner on another institution’s award, it is considered an inbound subaward.

These awards are coordinated through:

• Proposal Review and Submission Team
• Award Management (Non-Financial) Team
• Award Management (Financial) Team

Proposal Stage

When participating in another institution’s proposal, required documents must be prepared and routed through Temple ERA.

The Proposal Review and Submission team can assist with:

• Subrecipient Commitment Form
• Statement of Work
• Budget and Budget Justification
• Other sponsor-required documentation

Award Stage

Once the prime institution receives funding:

• A subaward agreement will be issued to Temple
• Research Administration will review and execute the agreement

This ensures that all sponsor and partner requirements are met before work begins.