Financial Management Tools for Sponsored Projects
Grants Budget and Expense Account Crosswalk
Click here to use your UTSA network credentials to access the Grants PS Expense Budget Crosswalk (Under Crosswalk Tools)
F&A Rate & Base Look Up
The F&A Rate and Base Look Up is a tool to be used for identifying the applicable F&A rate and base type for a project ID that is effective during the current budget period. Once this information is obtained, it can be entered into the Budget Transfer Worksheet to ensure proper calculation of F&A when re-budgeting of F&A is necessary. This look-up tool can also be used for Monthly Financial Report (MFR) reconciliations to verify that F&A was expensed accurately.
Budget Transfers
The Budget Transfer Worksheet (Job Aid) is a tool used for:
- Entering amounts to be re-budgeted on sponsored projects and to document the justification for re-budgeting
- Defining what budget accounts are excluded from F&A (indirect costs) depending on the F&A base type
- It aids with ensuring proper calculations or adjustments when funds transfer impacts F&A.
Once the worksheet is completed, it should be attached to the Budget Transfer Journal entered in PeopleSoft. This support documentation will be used in the review/approval process of the Research Service Center (RSC) and Grants & Contracts Financial Services (GCFS).
A budget transfer is a reallocation of funds from one budget category to another within a sponsored project. Transferring funds between budget accounts could become necessary to achieve better results for the project or to accommodate unexpected expenses not in the original budget. A transfer of funds may occur using a Level 4 (G4###) or Level 5 (G5###) budget account within the same project ID or between project IDs within the same award ID (SAT000####). Budget transfers cannot be processed between project IDs in different awards.
Note: Some sponsors limit the amount of budget that can be moved to other budget categories or between budget categories. These limits will be indicated in the sponsor’s guidelines or award terms and conditions.
Burn Rate Report
Access the UTSA Research Dashboard (with your UTSA network credentials) and find the Report for Research Units under Research Expenditures. Select your college/unit to view the Burn Rate Report. This tool gives a high-level overview of projects that have:
- Very slow/fast spend
- Negative balances
- Zero budget with expenses
- Encumbrances exist greater than 90 days after the end date
- Negative encumbrance totals
- Unspent cost share near the end of the grant
This report presents a summary of budget, expenses, encumbrances, and available balances for all project id’s and cost share cost centers. The report is refreshed once a month after month end close.
Budget Overview
How to Look Up Current Project Balances - Instructional Guide (PDF)
Cost Transfers
Cost Transfer Request Form, Instructions, and Templates A cost transfer is the shifting of a previously incurred cost to or from a sponsored project previously recorded elsewhere on UTSA’s General Ledger (GL) and identified by UTSA as requiring institutional approval before it can be posted to the GL. Cost transfers are for correcting errors and are not to be used as a means of managing available balances. Each cost transfer transaction is identified by a five-digit account code value that is part of the chartfield string which captures the purpose or use of funds. For more information, refer to HOP 10.08 Cost Transfers on Sponsored Programs.