Congratulations on your grant award from Northeast SARE! We are looking forward to working with you as you conduct your project. The following information describes how to manage your Graduate Student Grant.
Financial Requirements
All SARE grants are paid as reimbursements. Grantees need to track project expenses accurately using the same expense categories as in the original or revised proposal budget. SARE will reimburse up to 80 percent of the award and hold the last 20 percent until your final report is approved.
Invoices and documentation
Plan to submit invoices to our office on a monthly (or at least quarterly) basis. Invoices should align with the original budget, any budget changes over 10% need approval from the grant program coordinator.
If your organization does not have their own invoicing procedures, consider downloading the invoice template. Complete the template, sign it, and send invoices to financenortheastsare@uvm.edu. Be sure to include your project number on all correspondence in order to avoid delay of payment.
Payment processing
Invoices are usually processed on net 30 terms. Processing the first payment may take six to seven weeks as the new award is set up.
Acknowledging SARE
Acknowledging Northeast SARE is required for ALL journal articles, bulletins, guides, websites, outreach materials (including handouts, press releases, flyers, slide shows, presentations, etc.), and all other resources developed with SARE funding.
- Use the logo at: www.northeastsare.org/logo.
- Include acknowledgement language: “This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number [insert your project number here, e.g., GNE21-xxx].”
Reporting Requirements
Northeast SARE places a high value on thorough and clear reports that accurately describe your project. SARE uses a progressive reporting system, meaning that each project has one report that gets expanded and updated each year until the project is complete.
Report due dates
- Progress reports are due by January 15 each year while the project is active.
- The Final report is due no later than 60 days after the project end date.
Online reporting system
All Northeast SARE reports must be submitted using the online reporting system. You will receive an email reminder before the reporting deadline that includes a copy of the reporting instructions. The final report should describe the progress made on the research project, detail the findings observed, and document any outputs and impacts. Once the report is approved it will be available to the public through SARE's online database.
Managing Project Changes or Challenges
Sometimes, projects don’t proceed as planned. Changes in the project plans or budget must be approved in advance by Northeast SARE. Please contact your grant manager should any of the following circumstances arise.
- Delays, unforeseen, or a different approach to accomplish the same study. Keep in mind that the approved project should be honored so changes in the project need to be discussed with and approved by Northeast SARE.
- Budget changes. Minor variations in the planned costs are expected and acceptable. Please contact us for any new expenditures or major budget reallocations in advance of incurring these expenses.
- Requests to extend the end date. Should you need a bit more time to complete your project, you may request for no-cost extension (the request should be made at least 45 days before the current end date).
Advice about unexpected results
Keep in mind, however, that unexpected results are not always a problem. While it may be unlikely that every project will turn out exactly as planned, if the project is well-run, new knowledge will undoubtedly surface. Many of the most interesting projects have surprising results, and sometimes these surprises open up new areas of inquiry. Still, if problems do come up, SARE staff will do their best to advise and support you. Don't hesitate to call or e-mail if you have any issues that are affecting how the project is progressing.
Questions?
If you have questions about managing your Graduate Student Research Grant, please contact grant coordinator Kali McPeters.