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These are forms where Principal Investigators are asked to certify to the accuracy of salary costs charged to their sponsored research project accounts. Usually these are mailed out in February (covering the prior Fall semester), September (covering the prior Spring semester), and November (covering July and August salary activity). The certification sheets must be signed, either to certify salary costs as being accurate, or with notes of salary costs to be corrected. The signed sheets must be returned to Sponsored Research Accounting in a timely manner, where they are retained for possible review by research project audit groups.

If salary costs were mischarged you may have to correct this through Labor Accounting. When you receive your Salary Certification sheet, if the mischarge has not yet been corrected, simply write this on the certification (do not hold the certification sheets until you see the salary has been moved) and return it to our office. If a non-salary cost has been mischarged, you may correct this by preparing an interdepartmental invoice. If you need assistance with this please contact your department representative in Sponsored Research. Because a project may be audited our office may require a written explanation of the need for the transfer of a cost from one sponsored project to another.

Many research projects expect Princeton University to share in the cost of the project. If this is to be a portion of the Principal Investigator’s academic year salary our office will accumulate the financial information. If the cost-sharing will be something other than salary (e.g., equipment) our office will contact you for details. Generally we must report the cost-sharing amount to the sponsor on a financial report.

You should contact your Sponsored Research representative. She will assist you in bringing the project/grant account to a zero balance, and she will also prepare and submit a final bill or final financial report to the sponsor, if necessary. Most sponsors require project closeout within 90 days of the project end date.

Papers on government sponsored grants should be kept for a minimum of three years after the grant end date. Papers on government sponsored contracts must be kept until the contract has been audited by the Federal auditors. Our office will inform you when this has taken place. In general, papers on non-government sponsored projects should be kept for at least four years after the project has ended. Our office will inform you if it is necessary to keep papers for a longer period.