Negotiations

Before an award can be accepted by the University of Pittsburgh, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) completes a comprehensive review of the award, which includes the terms and conditions. OSP is responsible for conducting all negotiations with sponsors to obtain mutually-acceptable remedies which will allow the University to accept the award.

Every negotiation is handled by a Grants & Contracts Officer and, depending on the nature of the terms to be negotiated, may require input and assistance from other central offices. While OSP works diligently to resolve all negotiations in a timely manner we cannot guarantee a timeframe for completion of negotiations. 

During the course of the negotiation, the Grants & Contracts Officer will update MyRA with information related to the negotiation. We encourage the use of MyRA to obtain project-specific information. 

Common Terms & Conditions Requiring Negotiation

  • Provisions that prohibit publication of the results of the project
  • Provisions that require us to assign copyright
  • Provisions that do not allow the University to own the data from the project
  • Provisions that deal with indemnity for the project
  • Provisions that deal with confidentiality
  • Provisions that are inconsistent with University policies
  • Provisions that are inconsistent with government regulations
  • Awards that include non-standard patent and/or licensing terms
  • Awards that fail to include all elements agreed upon prior to the awards

Procedure to Initiate OSP Review

If a proposal for the award scheduled for negotiations was not submitted through OSP in accordance with approved University procedures, a Funding Proposal must be created, routed, and reviewed prior to the commencement of negotiations by OSP.

Please see the Process for Initiating a New Award for further details.