A notice of award, also referred to as a notice, NOGA, NoA, contract, grant, agreement, or award letter, is a notification from a sponsor indicating that a proposal has been funded. Notices of award are typically received by OSP, although occasionally a Principal Investigator may be notified directly. If an award notice is received directly by the PI and/or department, it must be forwarded to OSP for review, sign-off, and processing as soon as possible. It is considered a best practice to forward the award notice to the appropriate email inbox and copy the respective OSP Awards Management contact, when the NoA is received by a PI or department:
- NSF – award_mgt@harvard.edu
- NIH – awardsmgmt2@harvard.edu
- Other Sponsors – awardsmgmt3@harvard.edu
Principal Investigators are not authorized to sign sponsored research agreements. OSP is responsible for reviewing and, if necessary, negotiating the terms of all award notices to ensure that the terms and conditions are acceptable to the University and are consistent with Harvard’s policies and procedures for sponsored research. Following review and acceptance of the terms and conditions, the notice of award is signed by an authorized representative and an account activating the award is set up in GMAS.
Common Elements of a Notice of Award
- Amount of funds obligated
- Period of performance
- Scope of work
- Identification of Principal Investigator and/or Key Personnel
- Reporting and invoicing requirements
- Intellectual property
- Publication and dissemination of results