Office for Sponsored Programs

Advancing Harvard’s mission through excellence in research administration

The Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP) partners with schools, departments, and centers across the University to facilitate proposal submission, award acceptance and administration, and all sponsored financial invoicing and reporting throughout the life of the award.

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From our Blog

The latest updates on policies, guidance, and training materials for Harvard's research administrators.

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Two New Self-Paced Courses: Cost Sharing & Non-Federal Awards
The OSP Training Team is excited to announce the launch of two new self-paced courses on HTP: Overview of Cost Sharing at Harvard and Non-Federal Sponsored Awards. Overview of Cost Sharing at Harvard Description: This course provides an overview for the...

New Training Roadmaps and Course Lists
Finding the right sponsored programs training just got a lot easier! OSP has launched a brand-new Training Roadmaps and Course Lists page to help research administrators find what they need. The page offers two ways to explore OSP training courses...

Training Reminder: Analyzing Cost Principles Tomorrow
Dear Research Administrators, We’d like to remind you about an upcoming training opportunity. Please see below for session information and registration: Analyzing Cost Principles (University-Wide) Date/Time/Format: Tomorrow, Friday, September 25th, 2026 /...

Policies and Guidance

OSP policies and guidance apply to all areas of the lifecycle of sponsored awards. For updates and an in-depth look at new policies follow the OSP Blog.

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The Award Lifecycle

Teams within our office are organized to manage proposals from the beginning, or 'pre-award,' stage of a project through the termination, or closeout, of an award.

 

More about the Award Lifecycle

Preparing a Proposal

A well-written and skillfully prepared proposal is crucial to the success of an application for research funding.

Setting up an Award

Steps must be taken to set up accounts or authorize pre-award spending before spending begins.

Managing an Award

Ensure compliance while maintaining public trust in research results and outcomes.

Closing out an Award

Timely closeout of sponsored awards is essential to Harvard's compliance with sponsor requirements and University policies.

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Institutional Information

Training

Resources & Information

OSP has gathered resources from a variety of sources, both internal and external, to aide in the management of sponsored programs across the lifecycle.

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