Monitoring Project Spending

Several sponsors have recently contacted the Office of Sponsored Programs regarding timely financial reporting and rates of expenditures.  The rate of spending on a project, also known as a “burn rate”, is often monitored by external sponsors to compare project expectations with expenses incurred.  Inconsistent burn rates during a project or budget period may lead to increased scrutiny, questions from sponsors, or in some cases, a reduction in funding allocation.  Although Sponsored Projects Accounting should be contacted for questions on financial reporting to sponsors, several Office of Sponsored Programs tools are available to investigators to help with spending: