Grant-funded research collaborations usually involve issuing a Subaward to the collaborating institution. Subaward Agreements are used to issue grant funds to Subrecipients. A Consultant PO should be used to contract for consulting services. All grant-funded Agreements must be reviewed by the Sponsored Programs Service (SPS) before they are sent to and signed by the Subrecipient or Consultant.
Subaward versus Consultant
A recipient of a Subaward (Subrecipient) is usually an institution that collaborates with the UConn Principal Investigator (PI). The Subrecipient performs, and has responsibility for, part of a sponsored project. Its services are of a specialized and specific nature and cannot be performed by UConn. A Subrecipient is normally reimbursed for expenses in accordance with a budget. UConn has the responsibility to monitor Subrecipient performance.
A Consultant is usually an individual, but may be an organization. The Consultant assists the UConn PI. Consulting services are primarily advisory in nature and address a clearly delineated problem. A Consultant is normally paid based on an hourly or daily rate or based on a fixed price for deliverables.
Consultant versus Employee
A Consultant PO should not to be used in place of hiring regular full-time, part-time, or temporary employees. Furthermore, a Consultant PO is not appropriate for the hiring of individuals to teach classes or to perform work that has been recognized as belonging to one of the collective bargaining units within the State System. Retired members of the State Employee Retirement System cannot be placed on PSAs. Instead, they are to be placed on Special Payroll in 120-day positions. If an employer/employee relationship exists and the contractor is acting as an employee, the Department needs to contact the Department of Human Resources for information and assistance. If in doubt, contact SPS contracts at spscontracts@uconn.edu for a list of questions that will help make the determination.
Tracking an Agreement
The Agreement approval process can be tracked in InfoEd through the related proposal screen (you can search by account number or proposal number.) All relevant contracts are tracked under the Agreements tab.
Assistance
Subawards and Consultant POs must be submitted to SPS Contracts at spscontracts@uconn.edu. You can also contact the following individuals if you have any questions:
Jillian LopezGrants & Contracts Specialist
(860) 486-4674
jillian.lopez@uconn.edu Kim O’Connor
Grants & Contracts Specialist
(860) 486-4371
kimberly.o’connor@uconn.edu Latasha Towles
Grants and Contracts Assistant
(860) 486-6528
latasha.towles@uconn.edu