Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question regarding the acquisition or administration of a grant, you may find the answer here. If you have a question that is not included in this list, send it to researchcommunications@howard.edu. We will respond to your question as soon as we can.

What is the Government definition of Equipment?
The tangible non-expendable personal property charged directly to an award having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $3,000 or more per unit.

What is the University's Facilities and Administrative costs rate (formerly referred to as 'Indirect Cost')?
The current Howard University rate agreement can be found here.

How much can a faculty person charge for salary on a government grant or contract?
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21 states: ".Charges for work performed on sponsored agreements by faculty members during the academic year will be based on the individual faculty member's regular compensation for the continuous period.at the base salary rate. In no event will charges to sponsored agreements, irrespective of the basis of computation, exceed the proportionate share of the base salary for that period."

Who is authorized to sign grants and other agreements for the University?
Dana C. Hector, CRA - Executive Director, Research Administrative Services

Who is responsible for pre-award administration?
Research Administrative Services

Who is responsible for post-award administration?
Research Administrative Services

Who is responsible for the review, approval and processing of sub recipient invoices?
Research Administrative Services

Where should sub recipient invoices be submitted?
Research Administrative Services
525 Bryant Street, NW
Suite 137
Washington, DC 20059

Do all invoices require a PO number for payment?
Yes. Effective 7/1/09, Accounts Payable will not process any invoices without a PO number and a receiving report.

Who is responsible for generating a PO number for the payment of sub recipient invoices?
Principal Investigators and their administrative office are required to submit an online requisition in PeopleSoft and work with the Materials Management Department to generate a PO number. That PO number should be provided along with each invoice submission. In order to generate a PO, there should be a fully executed subcontract in place.

Who is responsible for generating a fully executed subcontract agreement?
Research Administrative Services

Who is responsible for payment of an approved invoice for sub recipient?
Controller's Office, Accounts Payable Department

How do I access my awarded funds?
The Howard University HU LEADS Project manages access to all financial and human resources related grant issues. Any access needed to this system is maintained through the HU LEADS team. Visit the HULEADS Project website for more information.