Overview
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) holds institutional signature authority on acceptance of all sponsored program awards. Therefore, OSP is responsible for the review, negotiation, and approval for all such awards before they are finalized. OSP is the only university unit authorized to accept sponsored program awards.
Faculty and staff are not authorized to commit the institution through award acceptance. Failure to obtain the authorized university approvals and signatures may result in a refusal to accept or support an award.
Review of Terms and Conditions
OSP should review all of the terms and conditions in any award to make sure that the university, the PI, and the public are protected and that we are not agreeing to terms and conditions that are unacceptable. The terms and conditions can range from very simple to very complex. OSP must make sure that the terms and conditions do not violate any state, university, or federal policies and regulations. Some examples of clauses that can be problematic and need close review include:
- Publication restrictions
- Confidential and propriety data
- Indemnification
- Export control
- Warranty language
- Intellectual property
Other situations where OSP must review and negotiate acceptable language include:
- Provisions that are incompatible with UNLV's policies on sponsored research
- Inconsistencies with government-wide regulations for universities
- Failure to include all elements agreed upon prior to the award
- Modification required to conform to the principal investigator's needs