As your research project wraps up, submitting final reports, closing subawards, and completing compliance certifications ensures you meet sponsor requirements and University policy. This page walks through the closeout process and links to detailed guidance for each part.
What Closeout Involves
At the conclusion of a project, researchers must:
- Submit the final technical report to the sponsor.
- Verify that all programmatic, technical, and financial obligations have been met by Syracuse University and any subawardees.
- Ensure proper documentation and record retention to meet regulatory and sponsor requirements.
Closeout procedures vary depending on the sponsor, the type of award, and whether subawards were involved.
The Closeout Process and Timeline
As a project nears its end date, OSP sends a series of reminders to the PI and department administrator:
- 6–7 weeks before the final report is due: notice that a final progress report is coming due.
- As the end date approaches: a prompt asking whether the project will be extended or closed.
- Immediately after the project ends: notice that the project is over and no further spending is allowed.
Once the end date has passed and the PI or department administrator confirms the work is complete, all required technical and financial reports must be finalized. From there:
- OSP confirms that all technical reporting requirements are met and that all associated subawards are closed.
- OSP notifies OSA that the project is “Programmatically Closed” and that financial closeout can begin.
- Once financial closeout is complete, OSA sets the record retention date per the award documents and formally closes the award.
- OSA notifies OSP, the PI, and the departmental budget manager of the retention date, and asks that administrative and financial documents be destroyed on or shortly after that date.
The expiration of an award usually requires a final financial status report. OSA submits any required financial reports, including all cost-sharing contributions related to the project.
Monitor your project obligations closely by reviewing SAMtool data throughout the project period, so all expenditures are accurately recorded. Under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and University policy, each financial report must include a certification that all charges are for appropriate purposes and consistent with the application and award documents.
As you close out the finances, be sure to:
- Address unobligated balances — handle any remaining unspent funds according to sponsor guidelines.
- Process cost transfers — complete any necessary transfers with proper documentation and justification.
- Submit final invoices — send any outstanding invoices for reimbursement.
- Request carryforward if applicable — seek sponsor approval to carry forward unspent funds when allowed.
Most awards require a final report of work accomplished during the period of performance, ranging from a brief summary and publication list to a complete compilation of the project and its results.
The PI is responsible for submitting all technical reports required under the award, along with any other agreed-upon deliverables such as graphs or software. Clearly mark any information that should be treated as confidential or proprietary.
OSP does not require a copy of the final technical report, but does require a copy of the transmittal letter or dated face page to document that it was submitted.
Failure to deliver required technical reports or deliverables on time may affect collection of project funds and future funding from that sponsor to the University.
A subaward is closed out when its period of performance ends, whether or not the University’s project is ending. When feasible, a subaward’s period of performance should be slightly shorter than the University’s, to allow time to collect and review the subcontractor’s final report, verify the data, and incorporate results into the University’s final technical report to the sponsor.
- Final subaward technical report — if required in the subaward agreement, the PI obtains a final technical report from each subcontractor and retains a copy in the project file.
- Final subaward invoice — subcontractors must submit a final invoice, clearly marked FINAL, by the due date in the subaward agreement, so the University can meet its own financial reporting requirements.
- Subaward closeout form — once the subcontractor submits the final invoice, OSP sends the PI a Subaward Closeout Form to complete. When it is complete, any remaining funds obligated to the subrecipient are de-obligated.
Most sponsors require reports on patents and inventions made during a sponsored project.
If a patentable idea, invention, or discovery results from the project, it must be disclosed through Technology Transfer within the required time, or the University may lose its rights. Contact Technology Transfer as early as practical to discuss the disclosure, avoid premature public disclosure, and, if appropriate, begin the patent process.
If no patentable invention results, a Final Invention Report is still required, indicating that there is nothing to disclose (a “negative invention report”). OSP consults the PI at closeout and, if there are no inventions to disclose, files the Final Invention Report with the sponsor.
Learn More About CommercializationRecords related to sponsored projects are retained according to sponsor requirements. Many federal, state, and other sponsors specify a retention period in the award; those requirements apply even when they are longer than the standard University retention period.
Retention dates are set according to the applicable award notice or agreement. When the award does not specify a retention period, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200.334) applies: records pertinent to an award are retained for three years from the date the final expenditure report is submitted. Closeout does not cancel obligations that continue beyond the project period, such as record retention and property accountability.
Related Pages
Manage Expenditures
Learn how to manage sponsored project expenditures in compliance with Syracuse University policies and federal regulations. Understand allowable, allocable, reasonable and consistently treated costs, and find guidance for reviewing, correcting …
Commercialization
Syracuse University supports researchers in commercializing innovations, building industry partnerships, and turning discoveries into real-world impact.