Contract Services

Services Provided

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) Contract Services at Florida Atlantic University is committed to working together with Florida Atlantic faculty, internal stakeholders, and external sponsors by processing and executing research agreements, both financial and non-financial, in support of sponsored research activities. These agreements are legally binding documents between the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees (Florida Atlantic BOT) and one or more parties that describe the obligations, terms and commitments of the parties. In respect to financial research agreements, the parties agree to deliver research data and/or a research product or service in exchange for funding.

Research agreements negotiated by Contract Services may come in many forms including Grant Agreements, Cooperative Agreements, Sponsored Research Agreements, Contracts, Purchase Orders, Subcontracts, Master Agreements, Nondisclosure Agreements (CDA/NDA’s), outgoing Subawards, and modifications and amendments to such agreements. Funding for sponsored research awarded through a grant or cooperative agreement is typically the least restrictive financial agreement and often does not require negotiation unless there are unusual terms and conditions. Government contracts are typically more complex and restrictive and often require significant negotiation before the award agreement can be executed.

Please see the Contract Services Workflow Chart below for an understanding of the process an award agreement undergoes:

CONTRACT SERVICES WORKFLOW
STAGE 1: Log and conduct preliminary review within 48 hours of receipt of award agreement
STAGE 2A: Conduct a full review and redline mark-up of award agreement within 5-10 business days
STAGE 2B: Send award agreement to applicable offices for review/approval (General Counsel, Export Control, Office of Tech Development, etc.)
STAGE 3A: Any edits or requested revisions are sent to the Sponsor for their review
STAGE 3B: Sponsor revisions and comments are reviewed and award agreement may return to Stage 2B, if applicable
STAGE 4A: Once the terms and conditions are finalized, the PI may be contacted to provide assurances and approvals as applicable
STAGE 4B: Award agreement is routed to both parties’ authorized officials for signature
STAGE 5: Award agreement is fully executed and sent for post-award
Process of Award Negotiation

Research agreements requiring a review of terms and conditions are submitted to Contract Services by the respective Proposal and Contract Administrator (PCA) within OSP. During the full review of an award agreement, a Contract Services administrator will determine if the terms and conditions meet Florida Atlantic policy, as well as any state and federal laws and regulations. The contract services administrator, in consultation with the Principal Investigator (PI), will also ensure the agreement accurately reflects project details such as the period of performance, deliverables, timeline, budget amount, payment schedule, and entity information. When revisions are deemed necessary but are minimal, the Contract Services administrator will promptly contact the Sponsor for the requested changes. However, due to unfavorable terms or a high level of perceived risk, additional review may be required by the Florida Atlantic Office of the General Counsel or other internal offices such as Export Control, Office of Technology Development, Office of Information Technology, Risk Management, Human Resources, Purchasing, and/or Research Accounting, before the requested changes can be sent back to the Sponsor for consideration. Contract Services is the liaison between Florida Atlantic BOT and the Sponsor in the negotiations of terms and conditions. Please see the Detailed Contract Services Workflow Chart below for a comprehensive understanding of the contract negotiation process:

Click to view the Contract Services Workflow Chart
Award Execution

Once Contract Services has completed the review and/or negotiation process, the agreement will be formally accepted and routed for signatures. Only the Florida Atlantic Vice President for Research (VPR) or the VPR designees are authorized to approve and execute research agreements. Florida Atlantic Policy 11.1 Signature Authority establishes those guidelines. Signature authority has been delegated to several members in OSP to sign research agreements. A Principal Investigator (PI) is not authorized to bind Florida Atlantic under a contract, nor are department chairs or deans. In certain circumstances, the PI may be asked to acknowledge and sign an agreement in addition to the Florida Atlantic Authorized Official.

If you are interested in learning more about what Contract Services does, or have a question regarding a contract, agreement, or subaward, please visit our FAQs.

If you have additional questions or have an inquiry regarding a specific contract, agreement, or subaward, please contact Contract Services at ospcontracts@fau.edu.

Terms and Conditions

Florida Atlantic has standard language that is considered acceptable for various research agreements. This language is reflected in the agreement templates that are available on the OSP website. When sponsors agree to accept this standard language, the negotiation process is typically expedited.

Sponsors and Florida Atlantic typically have different missions, priorities, and objectives, and there are often terms and conditions imposed on sponsored research agreements that conflict with Florida Atlantic policies and procedures. Common terms that tend to require negotiation, and therefore may delay award execution, are as follows: